Three metro Atlanta leaders, Pryce Lofton, Dr. Carrie Stinson, and Leanne West, have been tapped as Innovators of the Year in pediatric health by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Their day jobs run the gamut from community organizing and clinical leadership to engineering partnerships that are quietly changing how local kids get care and research-backed treatments.
The recognition comes as part of the Chronicle's 2026 Health Care Champion Awards, with winners set to be honored at a March 19, 2026, ceremony, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Local institutions such as Grady Health are already cheering on the honorees and pointing readers to the March 19 celebration.
Leanne West's Engineering Playbook With Shriners
Leanne West, Georgia Tech's chief engineer of pediatric technology, is being honored for building hands-on connections between campus engineers and front-line clinicians, work that Georgia Tech credits with speeding up translational projects and new partnerships. That cross-campus matchmaking laid the groundwork for national coverage that Shriners Children's would launch a major research investment in Atlanta, outlining the institute's mission and scale. "I think we can accomplish great things by doing that," West told the AP.
Science Square Labs Poised For A Pediatric Research Jolt
The new institute is slated to move into Science Square Labs, a purpose-built life sciences tower next to Georgia Tech that markets itself on lab-ready infrastructure and an on-site venture engine meant to speed up startups. Shriners Children's has outlined plans to focus on cell and gene therapies, robotics, AI, and medical devices at the site, and projects roughly 470 jobs tied to an investment topping $153 million, according to Shriners Children's and Science Square Labs.
What The Chronicle Saw In Its Three Innovators
The Atlanta Business Chronicle profiles of Lofton, Stinson, and West trace three very different paths into the pediatric spotlight, from community-based work to hospital leadership to engineering-heavy collaboration. Taken together, their stories reflect a larger shift in how metro Atlanta thinks about kids' health, with hospitals, universities, and neighborhood leaders all being recognized for helping move discoveries from lab bench to bedside faster.
Why It Matters For Families And Researchers
For families, more local research capacity and tighter engineer-clinician partnerships could translate into earlier access to clinical trials and homegrown medical devices instead of waiting on distant centers. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, described as one of the region's anchor pediatric systems and a key partner on research and clinical programs, sits at the center of that web of activity, according to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Tech research materials.
