News

STAR Program 2026 students, with Dr. Danny Benjamin in the center, smiling

STAR Program and PTN Welcome Medical School and Undergraduate Students

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

For several years, the Pediatric Trials Network (PTN) has partnered with the Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) program. The STAR Program is a national resource that aims to introduce trainees to clinical research using a team-based, project-centered approach with dedicated mentorship. Participants engage in secondary analyses of existing PTN or PTN-partner data.

The in-person program, held at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, NC, lasts five weeks and provides a quality research experience for undergraduate and medical students during the summer academic break. The program places students in teams and matches them with Duke faculty mentors to work on an original project, which culminates in a complete research paper. A goal of the program is to have every student qualify for co-authorship on a peer-reviewed manuscript related to their team’s project.

STAR Program 2026 students, with Dr. Danny Benjamin in the center, smiling

The 2026 session of the STAR Program welcomed 33 students; 25 were in medical school and 8 were undergraduates. PTN team members participated in mentorship of the students and oversaw the students’ analysis of the pharmacokinetics of two drugs, clindamycin and azithromycin, and how these drugs affect breastfeeding mothers and their infants. At the end of the program, the students presented their findings on these and other projects.

Several PTN team members planned and contributed to this year’s STAR Program session by sharing information about team science and clinical research operations, as well as specific day-to-day activities of the PTN. They also hosted a workshop about the informed consent process.

“I was amazed by the students’ enthusiasm for learning about the people, processes, and day-to-day work that make clinical research possible,” said Rachel Randell, MD, MSCR, a STAR Mentor. “They especially enjoyed the interactive workshops and learning directly from professionals in the field, including several members of the PTN. For me, personally, the most exciting part was seeing a genuine interest in clinical research spark for these students, and I believe this experience will be career-defining for many of them. This experience was a highlight of the summer for all of us, and we are excited to do it again next year.”

collage of students at ican 2026

iCAN 2026 Summit Hosts Summer Camp Fun in Ireland

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

This year’s Annual iCAN Summit took place in Kildare, Ireland on July 12 – July 17. It marked the 12th anniversary of iCAN.

Barretstown, an accessible summer camp by Serious Fun Children’s Network, hosted the Summit. In addition to keynote speakers, poster presentations, and interactive talks, Summit attendees participated in activities such as horseback riding, archery, canoeing, and a high ropes course. They also had the opportunity to visit University College of Dublin and the Dublin Zoo to learn more about careers in STEM.

Since 2019, PTN and iCAN have collaborated in several ways to engage young people and families in clinical research. While PTN could not attend this year’s Summit, PTN has attended several Annual iCAN Summits in the past, where PTN representatives presented collaborative lectures and participated in panel discussions. Youth representatives from iCAN have also reviewed and provided input on materials for 19 PTN studies. PTN also works with iCAN students to create video versions of Results-at-a-Glance summaries. Learn more about how PTN and iCAN work together.

collage of students at ican 2026
Four PTN people standing in front of a purple and white conference display.

PTN Shares Drug Label Changes at Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The Pediatric Trials Network (PTN) exhibited at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting in Boston, MA from April 24–27, 2026. In collaboration with PTN’s home institution, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, PTN staff created an interactive posterboard display highlighting U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label changes for 26 commonly prescribed medications.

The label changes resulted from PTN’s research at more than 300 study sites on the safety, effectiveness, and dosing of drugs prescribed to children during standard treatment. Since 2011, PTN has submitted its research findings on how drugs affect children’s health and safety to the FDA. If there is significant evidence that the standard label is inadequate for children, the FDA will update it. These label changes help clinicians understand how to prescribe and dose medications for children to improve a drug’s safety and effectiveness.

Four PTN people standing in front of a purple and white conference display.
Pictured from left to right: Adhiti Parupalli, Zoe Sund, Cheryl Alderman, Lori Poole

Three PTN clinical research project leaders, several PTN faculty members, and a student representative from the International Children’s Action Network (iCAN) attended the PAS Meeting to share information about the label changes, answer questions, and distribute materials about PTN’s mission and research.

“We had great engagement with the label change posterboard and talked with many people about how PTN supports the broader pediatrics community through this critical work,” said Cheryl Alderman, who is PTN Co-Program Manager, along with Zoe Sund (both pictured).

PAS is an international meeting that brings together thousands of pediatric researchers, clinicians, and medical educators from around the world. Its mission is to connect the global academic pediatric community to advance scientific discovery and promote innovation in child and adolescent health.

PTN is made possible by the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and administered by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).