Sheffield City Hall | 15 – 16 October 2026
The Paediatric Excellence Initiative (PEI) are honoured to host the inaugural National Paediatric Translational Research Conference on the 15th and 16th October 2026 at Sheffield City Hall.
The PEI was founded from the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (GOSH BRC) award in 2022, and is a collaboration between Great Ormond Street, Alder Hey, Birmingham and Sheffield Children’s Hospitals. The PEI delivers a programme of early translational research to improve the lives of children with rare and complex conditions. We hope this landmark event will serve as a catalyst for the PEI to maximize the value of the NIHR investment, driving innovative paediatric healthcare research collaborations across the UK.
Why attend this conference?
The event programme has been developed to showcase cutting-edge science, collaborative approaches, and emerging technologies shaping the future of child health across the NIHR UK network focused on four key themes
Programme Highlights:
Thursday 15 October:
A half day event dedicated to paediatric early career researchers (ECRs), offering a platform to showcase ECR work, connect with peers and build the professional networks essential for launching an independent research career.
Welcome reception and gala dinner
We invite all delegates to join us for the event welcome drinks reception and networking dinner at the Sheffield Winter Garden (sponsored by Sheffield city Council) and the Millennium Gallery.
Friday 16 October:
The wider paediatric translational research community will convene for sessions and keynote addresses by prominent UK healthcare figures.
2026 - Landmark year for paediatric research
Sheffield will host the event in 2026, in part, to mark Sheffield Children’s Hospital’s 150 years of unwavering commitment to providing healthier futures for children and young people. We believe the event will provide a fitting celebration for an important year for paediatric translational research in the city coinciding with the grand opening of the National Centre for Child Health Technology based at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.
Beyond Sheffield, 2026 stands as a truly landmark year for medical innovation and institutional excellence. It marks 25 years since the first gene therapy was administered—a pioneering breakthrough that continues to transform the treatment of paediatric rare diseases worldwide. University College London will proudly celebrate its bicentenary, while the UCL Institute of Child Health reaches an impressive 80 years of advancing research and improving outcomes for children. Just four months after the Conference, Great Ormond Street Hospital will commemorate an extraordinary 175 years of delivering world-class care. Adding to these remarkable milestones, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) celebrates 20 years of driving world-leading health and social care research, including unparalleled support for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre and Clinical Research Facility