Mechanisms for Research Support

During the second day of the Pediatric Anesthesia NeuroDevelopment Assessment (PANDA) symposium 2016, 3 invited speakers focused on future directions for the PANDA group. This session, entitled "The Way Forward," included 3 talks on how other groups have organized through public-private partnerships (ACTTION), obtained NIH funding, and how to better communicate a research message. Dr Robert H. Dworkin spoke on the mission of the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities and Networks (ACTTION), which is a public-private partnership with the United States Food and Drug Administration that pushes forward research related to pain and analgesics. Dr Tracy King discussed National Institute of Health funding for future studies in neurocognitive development after exposure to anesthetics. Dr Sharon Hertz discussed how the PANDA group might better craft their message to the public regarding effects of analgesics on neurocognitive development. Through their talks, the above speakers provided a clear route for the way forward in regard to research, funding, and messaging for the PANDA group.