Abstract The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First), supported by the NIH, aims to accelerate research into the genetic foundations of congenital anomalies and pediatric cancers by promoting data sharing and collaborative science. By integrating genomic data with clinical information across multiple pediatric conditions, Kids First enables researchers to search for genetic variants not just within single disease areas or datasets, but across diagnoses and cohorts. This cross-condition approach facilitates the discovery of shared biological mechanisms, ultimately informing the development of improved diagnostics, therapies, and prevention strategies. Kids First advances its mission through multimodal data generation, the development of robust data resources, and funding of expert-driven research projects. The program is committed to the FAIR data principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—and has demonstrated how strategic data sharing enhances both the utility and impact of pediatric genomic datasets. To date, Kids First has supported 78 cohorts and publicly released 36 studies (24 on structural birth defects, 10 on childhood cancers, and 2 spanning both domains), comprising more than 30, 000 whole genomes associated with phenotypes and clinical data from affected children and their families. These data can be explored through the Kids First portal at the summary level and individual level data can be requested through dbGaP. Since the first dataset was publicly released in 2018, the program has approved over 1, 000 secondary data access requests highlighting the continued value of these datasets. Notably, data access requests reached their highest level in 2024, reflecting the growing demand and utility of Kids First data among the research community. Kids First is a cornerstone resource for pediatric genomic research. It empowers investigators to uncover common genetic pathways, reduces barriers to discovery, and improves health outcomes for children affected by congenital disorders and cancer. The resource continues to grow with six new pediatric cancer studies released since the last report at JNCI Cancer Spectrum, Volume 7, Issue 6, December 2023 (https: //doi. org/10. 1093/jncics/pkad079). Ongoing improvements to the robust cloud-based data portal allow users to build and explore synthetic cohorts, to gain access to linked clinical and genomic data, and to utilize analysis and visualization tools via CAVATICA. In this poster, we demonstrate the value and utility of the Kids First Program for cancer researchers and describe the newly released cancer datasets and ongoing opportunities for researcher engagement. Citation Format: Marcia Fournier, Alexandra Hudson, Danielle Daee. Accelerating pediatric genomic research: The NIH Gabriella Miller Kids First program for cross-disease data sharing and discovery abstract. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Discovery and Innovation in Pediatric Cancer— From Biology to Breakthrough Therapies; 2025 Sep 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85 (18Suppl₂): Abstract nr B032.
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