BREAKING THROUGH with Madeline Bell
Episodes
Advancing Gene Therapy: KJ’s Story
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, baby KJ became the first patient in the world to receive a personalized gene editing therapy, which was developed by a team at Chil...
Celebrating Pediatric Oncologist Dr. Audrey Evans
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the life and legacy of one of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s original breakthrough makers:...
New Frontiers in Injury Prevention
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Teams at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are committed to delivering breakthroughs for patients, including keeping them safe from injury –...
Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that often causes debilitating pain and life-threatening complications. Many patients with the dise...
Mental Health Is Health: Caring for the Whole Child
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) believes that mental health is just as important as physical health – and they’re working...
Elijah’s Story: Navigating a Medical Mystery
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the time Elijah was a baby, he had many painful symptoms – and no one could determine what was wrong. But when Elijah was a toddler, his family...
Tenlee’s Story: Thriving After a Heart Transplant
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tenlee was born with a rare heart condition and had a heart transplant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia when she was just 5 months old. And th...
Kareem’s Story: Advocating for Trauma-Informed Care
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While growing up in West Philadelphia, Kareem saw firsthand the devastating impact trauma and violence can have on children. In this episode of The Br...
Hannah’s Story: Moving Beyond Blindness
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Hannah was a baby, she was diagnosed with a rare eye disease that usually leaves patients completely blind. But Hannah’s story turned out diffe...
Emily’s Story: Celebrating 10 Years Cancer Free
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emily was just 6 years old when she received CAR T cell immunotherapy for relapsed leukemia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Emily was the ve...
Special Bonus Episode: Addy and Lily’s Separation Story
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Addy and Lily Altobelli were born in CHOP’s Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, they needed highly specialized care because they were conjoin...
“Do What You Love”: Finding Medicines for Rare Diseases
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hematologist and oncologist Denise Adams, MD, specializes in treating vascular anomalies, which occur when arteries, capillaries, veins or lymphatic v...
“I’ve Always Loved to Ask Why”: The Power of Mitochondrial Medicine
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our mitochondria make the energy that keeps us alive. Geneticist Marni Falk, MD, joins Madeline to discuss what happens when our mitochondria don’t ...
“There Was an Unmet Need”: Breakthroughs in Endocrinology
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While growing up in Panama, Diva DeLeón-Crutchlow, MD, MSCE, always wanted to understand how things worked. She speaks to Madeline about how her curi...
“We Have So Many Spine-Tingling Moments”: Treating Birth Defects Before Birth
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pediatric and fetal surgeon Holly Hedrick, MD, has made life-changing breakthroughs for children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and other rare b...
“Research Is Our North Star”: The Future of Breakthroughs at CHOP
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, Susan Furth, MD, PhD, was named CHOP’s Chief Scientific Officer, becoming the first woman in CHOP’s 166-year history to hold this prestig...
Realized: Delivering on the Promise of Gene Therapy
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
World-renowned hematologist and scientist Dr. Katherine High has spent much of her career focused on achieving a goal few believed was possible: devel...
Discovered: Making Breakthroughs in Cardiac Care
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The team at CHOP’s Cardiac Center has been making life-changing breakthroughs for children for many years. The center’s co-director, pediatric hea...
Inspired: Building a World-Class Hospital, Close to Home
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This fall, CHOP will celebrate an important milestone: the grand opening of its new hospital in King of Prussia, Pa. Dr. Jan Boswinkel, the Chief Oper...
Transformed: Repairing Birth Defects Before Birth
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of repairing birth defects before babies are born seemed like a radical one to many. But Dr. Scott Adzick, Director of CHOP’s Center for Fe...
Sequenced: Using Genetics to Solve Medical Mysteries
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Strange symptoms with no clear cause. Medical histories that mystify even the most experienced doctors. Dr. Ian Krantz, Co-Director of CHOP’s Robe...
Where We Are Now with Dr. Paul Offit: Vaccines
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do the COVID-19 vaccines work? How concerned should we be about the new COVID-19 variants? Dr. Paul Offit, Director of CHOP’s Vaccine Education...
Where We Are Now with Dr. Edward Behrens: MIS-C
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the spring, doctors began noticing a mysterious inflammatory condition in children that involved fever, rashes, diarrhea and vomiting. Now known as...
Where We Are Now with Dr. Audrey Odom John: Research
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Could dogs’ noses hold the answer to a better COVID-19 diagnostic test? Dr. Audrey Odom John, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases...
Where We Are Now with Dr. Rebecca Harris: Testing
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Testing is one of the most important tools we have to track and stop the spread of COVID-19, but it comes with many challenges. Dr. Rebecca Harris, Di...
Where We Are Now with Dr. David Rubin: Modeling
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While many institutions across the country were modeling the trajectory of COVID-19 at the national level, Dr. David Rubin, and his colleagues at CHOP...
Where We Are Now with Dr. Susan Coffin: Transmission
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What makes COVID-19 different from other infectious diseases? Pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Susan Coffin, discusses her research on how ...
COMING SOON: Where We Are Now
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In “Where We Are Now,” a five-episode special series, Madeline Bell speaks with five CHOP researchers about the COVID-19-related work they are lea...
The Research and Lab of the Future with Dr. Beverly Davidson
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join Madeline in CHOP’s “lab of the future” in the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center. As Director of the Raymond G. Perelma...
Using Technology to Fuel Breakthroughs: A Conversation with Dr. Bimal Desai
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered what informatics is or how CHOP is using it? Get a peek behind the curtain with CHOP’s Chief Health Informatics Officer, Dr. Bimal Des...
Minds Matter: A Concussion Discussion with Dr. Christina Master
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Madeline has an in-depth conversation with Dr. Christina Master about CHOP’s interdisciplinary approach to concussion, including exciting, cutting-...
Fueling Breakthroughs: Leonard Abramson
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every day approximately 700 CHOP employees go to work in the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, our first research building – on...
Brain Tumor Awareness Month with Dr. Storm and Dr. Resnick
24 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), researchers and doctors are working side by side to improve outcomes for children with brain tumors....
Eagles Autism Challenge
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
April is World Autism Awareness Month, and here at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Madeline is serving as Honorary Captain for the Eagles Aut...
Pediatric Lymphatic Imaging and Interventions and Lymphatic Research: Dr. Yoav Dori
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The lymphatic system is something we all have in our bodies, but very little is known about it. In this episode, Madeline is joined by Dr. Yo...
Center for Applied Genomics: Dr. Hakon Hakonarson
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Madeline is joined by Dr. Hakon Hakonarson, the founder and director of the Center for Applied Genomics (CAG) at Children’s ...
Female Scientists Part 2: Advice To Aspiring Scientists
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of a special two-part episode, Madeline is rejoined by four female scientists from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Deborah Frenc...
Female Scientists Part 1: Behind The Breakthroughs
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Teams at CHOP have been making amazing scientific breakthroughs for more than 160 years. Many of those teams are led by women who have inspired other ...
Separating Conjoined Twins: Dr. Gregory Heuer and Dr. Jesse Taylor
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Abby and Erin Delaney were born in the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on July 24, 2016. The twins ha...
Dr. Lucy Rorke-Adams: A Pioneer in Neuropathology
25 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Madeline talks to one of her personal heroes, Dr. Lucy Rorke-Adams, a pioneer in the field of neuropathology. Dr. Rorke-Adams’ ca...
Pediatric Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and organizations and advocates from across the country are working together to advance the con...
Gene Therapy and Bone Marrow Transplants for Sickle Cell Disease
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Through, Madeline speaks with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) researchers Stefano Rivella, PhD, and Willia...
Wawa President & CEO and CHOP Corporate Council Co-Chair Chris Gheysens
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Through, Madeline speaks with Chris Gheysens, President & CEO of Wawa and Co-Chair of Children’s Hospital of Philade...
CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Breaking Through, Madeline talks to Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Program and Section Chief of t...
COMING SOON: BREAKING THROUGH with Madeline Bell
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia makes breakthroughs every day! In this podcast series, Madeline Bell, CHOP’s President & CEO, will take y...