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About

Jennifer Stinson is a pioneering pediatric researcher whose work sits at the intersection of pain management, child healthcare, and emerging technologies. Based on her most-cited publications, Stinson has dedicated her career to addressing one of medicine's most persistent challenges: reducing procedural pain and distress in children during medical interventions such as port needle insertions, blood tests, and intravenous procedures. Her most influential contribution, a 2018 pilot randomized controlled trial examining the MEDiPORT humanoid robot (97 citations), demonstrated the feasibility of using socially assistive robotics to deploy psychological strategies in real clinical settings — a landmark step in the field. Building on this foundation, Stinson has championed the integration of artificial intelligence into social robotics, recognizing that autonomous adaptability is essential for robots to respond meaningfully to individual children's needs. What distinguishes Stinson's approach is her commitment to co-design, actively centering the voices of children, caregivers, and healthcare providers in shaping these technologies. Her work in pediatric emergency departments reflects both scientific rigor and genuine compassion, ensuring that innovation translates into meaningful improvements for vulnerable young patients. With a growing body of citations across multiple disciplines, Stinson is establishing a new paradigm for human-robot interaction in pediatric healthcare.