News | Page 9 | Pediatrics

Protecting Children from RSV: Dr. Sean Cullen Shares a Moving Personal Story

January 23, 2024

With a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases expected again this winter, Dr. Sean Cullen, a neonatologist and pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns, is encouraging everyone to take advantage of new tools that will help reduce the risk of a disease that results in nearly 80,000 hospitalizations of children each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending an antibody shot for infants younger than 8 months, who either were born during or are entering their first RSV season. A second option is for pregnant individuals in their third trimester, who can receive a maternal vaccine to protect newborns.

December Fellow Spotlight -- Kelly Nicole M.D.

November 16, 2023

Name: Dr. Kelly Nicole

Fellowship program: Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Education: Graduated from medical school at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed pediatric residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Dr. Cori Green Awarded Youth Cope Grant to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis

November 14, 2023

The Department is pleased to announce that Dr. Cori Green, Vice Chair of Behavioral Health in Pediatrics has been awarded the Department of Pediatrics Youth Cope Grant. This grant will support Dr. Green's project, "Re-Launching Youth Cope: Improving Access and Expanding the Workforce to Address the Mental Health Crisis."

Dr. Green's project is a response to the critical issue of youth mental health, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, many behavioral health problems affecting children and adolescents often went undetected. Even when recognized, families faced significant challenges in accessing appropriate care. During the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression in youth doubled, emergency room visits for suicidality increased, and pediatricians were inundated with distressed patients.

FAQ: Smoking, Vaping, and Asthma in Children and Adolescents

November 8, 2023

The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 16th. This annual event encourages individuals across the United States to quit smoking and start a healthier, smoke-free life. In recognition of this day, the Pediatric Asthma Program and Adolescent Medicine have teamed up to share tips on how to keep children and teens with asthma protected from smoke exposure and highlight the importance of smoking cessation.

What effect does smoking/vaping have on children and adolescents with asthma?

Smoking/Vaping is a known trigger for asthma, and it can make the condition worse. The smoke irritates the airways and causes inflammation, leading to symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Increases in Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Visits Persist Throughout Pandemic

October 20, 2023

This article was originally posted in the WCM newsroom.

Mental health crises among children and adolescents requiring emergency department care skyrocketed during the pandemic and have stayed elevated despite a return to normalcy, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics on Oct. 20, compared rates of pediatric mental health visits in the emergency departments of five New York City medical centers from a pre-pandemic period through five pandemic waves. Each wave saw elevated rates of youth mental health-related visits compared to before the pandemic. They found, however, no relationship between pediatric mental health visits and COVID-19 prevalence or how strict mitigation measures were.

Dr. Stefan Worgall Awarded R01 to Investigate Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Pediatric Asthma

October 2, 2023

Dr. Stefan Worgall, Chief of Pediatrics Pulmonology and Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded an R01 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for his study entitled, "Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Respiratory Viral Immune Responses in Children with and without Asthma.” For this study, Dr. Worgall and his multidisciplinary team of experts will investigate how SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses affect children of different ages and health conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled patterns concerning the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on children, particularly those with asthma. While children generally experience milder SARS-CoV-2 infections than adults, an unexpected observation has emerged—children with asthma seem to exhibit a lower incidence of severe SARS-CoV-2-related illness. This phenomenon may be linked to reduced viral-triggered asthma due to pandemic-related measures like social distancing and mask usage.

Dr. Zachary Grinspan Named Recipient of an RTW Charitable Foundation 2023 Humanitarian Grant Award

September 7, 2023

The Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Dr. Zachary Grinspan has been selected as a recipient of a $50,000 grant from the RTW Charitable Foundation (RTWCF). This marks the third consecutive year that Dr. Grinspan has been honored with this prestigious award, highlighting his exceptional contributions to the field of pediatric data science.

"We are honored to be a recipient of this generous grant from the RTW Charitable Foundation," said Dr. Zachary Grinspan, interim chief of the Division of Child Neurology, director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program, and associate professor in pediatrics and in population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine. "This partnership underscores our commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and improving the well-being of children in our local communities."

In its third year, the Weill Cornell-RTWCF partnership will focus on advancing data science in pediatrics. Dr. Grinspan and his team aim to transform the way pediatric healthcare is delivered by leveraging data collected during patient visits to improve the health of children as a whole population. This initiative will make valuable data accessible to Weill Cornell's academic physician faculty, enabling a wide range of initiatives to enhance access to care and clinical outcomes.

Dr. Camilia Martin Awarded R01 to Study the Metabolic Effects of Providing Essential Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids to Preterm Infants

September 7, 2023

Dr. Camilia Martin, Chief of the Division of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded an R01 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for her study, 'Metabolic Mechanisms Induced by Enteral DHA and ARA Supplementation in Preterm Infants.' The study will focus on the metabolic effects of providing essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Arachidonic Acid (ARA), to preterm infants.

DHA and ARA are vital for brain, eye development, and immune regulation, yet for almost 40 years, enteral supplementation of DHA and ARA to replace lost fetal accretion has failed to translate into long-standing clinical benefit. The failure to understand the metabolism and induced molecular changes of fatty acid supplementation during the postnatal period has led to erroneous assumptions and replacement strategies that are, at best, not clinical beneficial and, at worst, harmful. Dr. Martin's study aims to uncover the metabolic processes and molecular changes that occur when DHA and ARA are given through enteral supplementation to extremely preterm infants from birth to 36 weeks postnatal age.

Dr. Nitya Gulati Awarded the Department of Pediatrics Pilot Award to Develop a Model to Predict Outcomes in Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma

August 21, 2023

Dr. Nitya Gulati has been awarded the Department of Pediatrics 2023 Pilot Award for her research project titled "Risk Stratification using Tumor Microenvironment Signatures in Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma." The project focuses on studying the tumor microenvironment so that it can be leveraged to predict outcomes and design effective treatment methods for children and young adults diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma (PMBCL).

PMBCL is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) primarily affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. However, optimal therapy for PMBCL remains a subject of debate, as the current approaches yield suboptimal results regardless of treatment strategy. Moreover, clinical and biological factors that can guide risk stratification and predict patient prognosis remain undefined. A well-established fact is that non-cancerous cells present in the tumor microenvironment play a crucial role in influencing and communicating with cancer cells. This knowledge has proven valuable in identifying predictive biomarkers and designing targeted therapeutic strategies for diseases like Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma and Hodgkin Lymphoma. Unfortunately, the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment in PMBCL are not well-defined.

Dr. Kimberley Chien Appointed Medical Director of the Pediatric Specialty Practice

August 15, 2023

The Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Kimberley A. Chien, M.D. as the Medical Director of the Pediatric Specialty Practice. In this role, Dr. Chien will lead patient care, operations, and quality improvement initiatives in the integrated pediatric specialty practice and will represent the practice at multiple College and Hospital meetings, committees and task forces. Working closely with Department leaders, Dr. Chien will participate in setting strategic priorities, including practice transformation and innovation, new initiatives, recruitments, facility renovation and capital investments. She will also lead, develop and facilitate protocols for transitions to adult care for pediatric subspecialties.