Our Mission

The mission of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is to achieve optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. PolicyLab is a Center of Emphasis within Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, one of the largest pediatric research institutes in the country.

At PolicyLab, our experience caring for children and families informs our 'evidence to action' approach to improving children's health.

Founded in 2008, PolicyLab researches, develops, and implements evidence-based solutions that are responsive to community needs and relevant to child health policy priorities. Collaboration with practitioners, families, and policymakers is imperative throughout our research process because we know we cannot achieve improved youth health outcomes by ourselves. And since research articles on their own are unlikely to produce change, our dedicated team of communications and policy professionals is invested in translating our work into digestible information for a broad array of program and policy audiences with a focus on providing community leaders, stakeholders, and decision-makers with the critical guidance, tools, and technical assistance needed to build capacity for high-quality care. 

From problem identification through implementation and evaluation, our work is designed to advance the science on children's health and support partners in turning evidence-based and best practice examples into actionable program and policy approaches. Some of our partnerships have included local, state and federal agencies and policymakers; peer research centers; advocacy groups; school districts; foundations; professional organizations; adult health care settings; other children’s hospitals; and communities. Our work includes:

• policy analyses and briefs,
• population needs assessments,
• consultation and technical assistance,
• program implementation and evaluation, and
• expert testimony and commentary.

Director Meredith Matone, DrPH, MHS, leads a team of 35 faculty and instructors and over 85 professionals who are experts in medicine, behavioral health, social work, public policy and communications. Our work is focused in five areas: adolescent health and well-being, behavioral health, population health sciences, health equity, and family and community health. The wide array of projects within those portfolios include topics such as immigrant and refugee health, sexual and reproductive health, transgender health outcomes, children’s health insurance, health and technology, family support in pediatric settings and integration of behavioral health services into community settings. We also provide our own funding to launch innovative research projects through a pilot grant program in collaboration with Clinical Futures, as well as our Community Partnerships in Research Program, which sponsors community-engaged research pilot grants.

Additionally, PolicyLab hosts convenings to directly connect our researchers with partners across multiple sectors for actionable, solutions-focused discussions on improving the health and well-being of children and youth. Our largest in-person event to date, PolicyLab Forum 2022, gathered 300+ leaders in children’s health from 16 states and Washington, D.C. for a local and national look at how we can bridge research, policy, and practice to address the most pressing issues facing youth and their families.

Our work is guided by our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, which outlines our vision and goals of conducting high-impact research, fostering an inclusive, equitable working environment, increasing our capacity to create meaningful policy change and maintaining strong relationships with our partners. For specific examples of our progress towards these goals and our overall mission, see our annual Impact Reports (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). 

PolicyLab prioritizes diversity in every aspect of our organization and has a commitment to hiring and engaging in partnerships to create an environment that is reflective of the diverse communities we serve. To see our Diversity and Inclusion Statement click here, and for a comprehensive overview of PolicyLab, be sure to read our brochure.