PANDA: 25 Years of Progress by pandagives

PANDA 25 Years of Progress

Hello Friends of PANDA,

People Acting Now Discover Answers (PANDA) was founded in 1999 as a volunteerdriven organization funding medical research to create healthier futures for kids. PANDA is proud to be a working board of passionate women with a big dream— to improve the overall health and quality of life of kids all over the world.

For more than two decades, PANDA has funded pilot projects and early-stage research that has resulted in millions of dollars in grant seed money for the Steele Children’s Research Center to attract world-class physician-scientists and bring new treatments and cures across the globe.

The foundation has been built, and now it’s time to take pediatric medical research to the next level. For our 25th anniversary, we will focus our fundraising efforts on pediatric scientific breakthroughs.

Since PANDA’s start, people, companies, and brands near and far have stepped up to join our mission—and we truly cannot thank our supporters enough. PANDA prides itself on finding creative ways for our partners and community to get involved, make a difference, and be a part of something bigger. There are endless ways to support PANDA and we are grateful to have you onboard.

We’ve proven that tomorrow’s reality comes from the hard work and dreams of today. But there is more work to be done.

Please join us as we continue towards our goal.

With much PANDA appreciation,

Jules Koechling

Jules Hulburd Koechling

PANDA President 2024-2025

“Science is moving faster than it ever has before. I look into the eyes of my grandchildren and know that I cannot stop. My purpose in life is to help children heal. At the Steele Children’s Research Center, our physician-scientists are at the cutting-edge of creating a world where every child has a healthy future.

Together, with PANDA, we can make this happen."

Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan

PANDA Endowed Director

Steele Children’s Research Center

25 years of research funded. Countless lives changed.

Photography: Allison Tyler Jones

PANDA & Steele Children's Research Center: 25 Years

of Partnership & Scientific Accomplishments

PANDA has raised more than $35 million for pediatric medical research at the Steele Children’s Research Center

Our investments in research resulted in more than $120 million in federal grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

We have established two multidisciplinary clinics which enable children to consult with multiple types of physicians in one visit:

PANDA Aerodigestive Disorders Clinic

PANDA Neurological Disorders Clinic

Steele Children's physician-scientists have more than 60,000 patient visits each year with children from throughout Arizona and beyond state lines.

Happy Fact

Steele Children's is in the top 20% of departments of pediatrics nationwide in NIH research funding. Currently more than 50% of patients served by Steele Children's physicians are on state Medicaid. This statistic means that improvements in a child’s treatment and outcomes will not only make the child healthier, but will save money for the state over the lifetime of the child.

Countless research projects are underway in 28 labs in areas such as:

We established the PANDA Core for Microbiome & Genomic Research.

Revolutionizing Research

Established six endowments totaling more than of $16 million to help “Fund Research in Perpetuity” including:

Top Research Accomplishments

in Key Areas

Cardiology

Since 2002, PANDA has focused on advanced technology in congenital heart disease (CHD) which impacts nearly one in 100 babies. Timely intervention is crucial.

∙ The Fayez K. Ghishan, MD PANDA Endowed Directorship ($5.1 million) which invests in young researchers, science, urgent projects, and greatest needs.

∙ Endowed Faculty Research Fund in Developmental Pediatrics ($3 million) which invests in research connected to autism, childhood post-infectious autoimmune encephalopathy, and developmental disorders.

“If I spend one hour with a child, I help one child. If I spend one hour in the lab, I help 1,000 children.”

Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan

Autoimmunity

Steele Children's physician-scientists seek to unravel the mysteries of common autoimmune issues in children including type 1 diabetes, juvenile arthritis, celiac disease, Crohn's/colitis, IBD, and more.

Microbiome

Steele Children's researchers investigate the role a balanced microbiome plays in a child’s well-being. PANDA-funded projects in this area have resulted in a wealth of scientific discovery.

Cancer

PANDA supports research into the link between the inflammatory state of cancer and the gastrointestinal tract and the effects on developmental growth.

Whole Genome Sequencing

PANDA’s support of personalized medicine includes the purchase of several genome sequencing machines to study thousands of individual genes simultaneously.

Dear PANDA Friends,

Twenty-five years ago, the two of us along with dear friends from the Phoenix community listened to a proposal from Dr. Fayez Ghishan to fund pediatric medical research at the Steele Children’s Research Center in Tucson. He explained research was the path forward to save children’s lives and he needed our help to hire the best researchers to find cures for childhood diseases.

And PANDA was formed. Thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of our Founding Board, we hosted our first Children Helping Children Fashion Show and Luncheon in 2000 with 300 attendees and 15 children modeling, one of whom was a patient undergoing treatment at Steele Children’s. Fast forward to now—more than 60 models, including multiple patient models, and 1,200 attendees each year to celebrate with us!

Each of our 25 years has seen a change for the positive in PANDA. We have increased the size and reach of our events, expanded our fundraising channels, grown our community involvement, and raised more than $35 million.

Because you have helped support PANDA, you have given children a healthier future. Our acronym, People Acting Now Discover Answers, could not be more relevant to the accomplishments made by the researchers that you helped fund. You are helping discover answers!

Everyone has contributed in ways big and small. Our Active and Golden PANDAs, and each of you in the community who have attended a Fashion Show, had your child model, bought a raffle ticket, hosted a Lemonade Stand, ran in PANDA Prowl, gifted a panda bear to a patient, or donated to us online. We are grateful!

Please join us to honor 25 years of creating a legacy of medical research milestones that have provided answers, cures, and a healthier future for children. We HAVE made a difference!