Research Update at Seattle Children’s Research Institute

David Rawlings, MD

Dr. Rawlings directs the Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies (CIIT) at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) and is also chief of the Division of Immunology at Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH). The SCH Immunology clinical program serves as the major referral center for pediatric and adult patients with genetic immune disorders throughout the Pacific Northwest and nationally. The Immunology clinical team provides molecular diagnosis for hundreds of immune disorders and cutting-edge clinical care including coordination of stem cell transplantation and/or gene therapy. Dr. Rawlings also directs CIIT’s basic and translational immunology research programs with 19 independent investigators focused on human immune disorders and the Program for Cell and Gene Therapy (PCGT) pioneering novel gene therapy/editing approaches for immune diseases. Dr. Rawlings has received numerous awards including the Seattle Children’s Guild Association Endowed Chair in Pediatric Immunology, Tom Hansen Investigator in Pediatric Innovation Endowment, and election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Rawlings’ independent research group includes over 25 members focused on studies of altered immune development leading to immunodeficiency, autoimmunity and/or malignancies, and development of gene therapy and gene editing for immune diseases. The Rawlings Lab uses expertise in basic and clinical immunology, signal transduction and developmental biology to understand how altered signals can lead to immunologic disease, with the goal of developing translational therapies that specifically modulate key pathways. Most recently, his group established methods to generate engineered regulatory T cells for treatment of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases and drug-secreting B cells for genetic and other disorders. This latter work established intellectual property leading to formation of new biotechs including GentiBio and BeBiopharma leveraging these novel cell therapies.

Dr. Kate Weaver (she/her/hers)

Dr. Weaver is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition at the University of Washington (UW). She has a passion for the care of young adults with diabetes and is the medical co-director of the AHEAD (Achieving Health in Emerging Adults with Diabetes) Program at the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute. She also sees patients in the Pituitary Program at UW and in the Endocrine Clinic at Harborview. Kate is passionate about teaching and is the director of the endocrinology course for the first year medical students at UW School of Medicine. Kate spends her free time chasing after her three young kids.

Dr. Kalie Tommerdahl

Dr. Tommerdahl is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington School of Medicine. She serves as the Director of Clinical Trial Safety at the University of Washington Medicine Diabetes Institute and her research focus lies in completing advanced clinical and translational research studies which investigate the use of novel drugs and innovative technologies in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction in order to reduce early cardiac, vascular, and kidney complications.

Dr. Petter Bjornstad

Dr. Bjornstad is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, the Raisbeck Endowed Chair of Diabetes Research and the Executive Director of the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute at the University of Washington, where he leads an interdisciplinary team focusing on multi-omics integration, clinical, and translational research in diabetes and metabolic disorders. He directs a clinical and translational research program dedicated to understanding obesity-related kidney disease and diabetic kidney disease, as well as cardiovascular disease. His group includes dedicated bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, postdoctoral researchers, clinician-scientists, regulatory specialists, and research coordinators, supported by advanced computational resources. Dr. Bjornstad’s work bridges molecular discoveries and patient-oriented studies, translating scientific findings into improved clinical outcomes. As a pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Bjornstad’s primary appointment is in the Department of Pediatrics with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine. His research program is housed at both the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

Amal Mohamed

Amal Mohamed is an educator, mother of four, and a passionate advocate for Type 1 Diabetes cure research. Her 11-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at just one years old, and she has been her greatest inspiration ever since. Amal currently serves on the Breakthrough T1D Greater Northwest Board of Directors. As a fierce advocate for T1D research and a cure, she brings both heart and lived experience to every conversation, driven by the hope of a healthier future for all children living with T1D.