Health Outcomes and Policy Effects (HOPE) Laboratory
About Us
Advancing Pediatric Care Through Data, Collaboration, and Clinical Impact
The HOPE Lab is dedicated to improving pediatric health outcomes by combining rigorous data analysis, collaborative research, and real-world clinical application. Through an integrated approach that spans large-scale data insights, multi-institutional partnerships, and patient-centered studies, the lab generates evidence that directly informs better care, safer treatments, and more effective health policies for children and adolescents.
The HOPE Lab focuses on three primary areas: Health Services Research, Team Science, and Clinical Outcomes Research.
Health Services Research
We work with several large administrative and clinical datasets, including the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) and the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP Peds), placing our group in the unique position to answer meaningful clinical questions using diverse data resources.
Team Science
We partner with the Western Pediatric Surgical Research Consortium (WPSRC)– Opens in a new window to conduct multi-institutional research among 10 freestanding children’s hospitals in the Western United States. Locally, we frequently collaborate with faculty within USC’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, USC’s Health Emotion and Addiction (HEAL) Lab, the USC Institute for Addiction Science and the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics.
Clinical Outcomes Research
We are running several clinical projects at CHLA to better understand and reduce the risks associated with opioid use for infants, children and adolescents. Studies include prospective, longitudinal survey studies, qualitative analysis of patient and parent focus groups and randomized controlled trials. Our findings contribute to national efforts to expand principles of opioid stewardship in clinical practice.
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Driving Impact Through Published Research
The HOPE Lab’s publications reflect a commitment to advancing pediatric health through rigorous, evidence-based research. By sharing findings in leading peer-reviewed journals and academic forums, the lab contributes to national conversations on clinical outcomes, pain management, and opioid stewardship—helping inform better practices and policies that improve care for children and adolescents.
Research Funding Sources
Research at the HOPE Lab is made possible through the generous support of leading institutions, foundations, and funding agencies committed to advancing pediatric health. These partnerships enable innovative studies, expand data-driven insights, and help translate research into meaningful improvements in care for children and families.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Project Program Award (BPS-2023C1-32147)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institutes of Health (R01HD105656)
USC Institute for Addiction Science Early-Career Research Scientist Pilot Grant
Southern California Center for Translational Science Institute (UL1TR001855)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program
Advancing Children’s Health Through Research
Doctors and scientists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles lead pediatric clinical trials, which may offer the opportunity for children to receive innovative new treatments, including therapies, medications, procedures, or devices before they are made widely available. CHLA is a leader in conducting these trials on the West Coast, with 400 scientific investigators running more than 550 clinical trials each year.