News | Page 16 | Pediatrics

Dr. Melody Zeng Receives Award to Study the Infant Gut Microbiome Response to RSV Infection

May 13, 2022

Melody Zeng, Ph.D., assistant professor of immunology in pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a Cornell Multi-PI, Inter-campus grant for her study, “Interrogating the role of infant gut microbiome in immune responses to RSV infection.”

Serving as principal investigator, Dr. Zeng will collaborate with co-investigators, Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D., assistant professor of the nutritional sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, and Stefan Worgall, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Genetic Medicine and Pediatrics and Distinguished Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology and Division Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy & Immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, to define the contributions of the altered gut microbiome to dysregulation of immune responses to RSV infection in preterm infants, and to interrogate how bacterial sphingolipids shape lung immune cell development and confer protection against RSV infection in infants.

Dr. Melody Zeng Receives a Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award

May 11, 2022

This article was originally posted on WCM Newsroom.

Dr. Melody Zeng, an assistant professor of immunology in pediatrics and a member of the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a 2021 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award from The Hartwell Foundation. The award provides support for three years at $100,000 direct cost per year and designation as a Hartwell Investigator.

Celiac Disease: A Story of Gluten, Genetics and the GI Tract

May 11, 2022

This article was originally posted on WCM Newsroom.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that occurs in genetically predisposed people, says pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Elaine Barfield, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian.

For people with celiac, the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in certain foods and non-food products, results in damage to the small intestine. And that damage leads to malabsorption of nutrients by the body, with major ramifications for health and wellness.

It is estimated that 1 percent of the world’s population has celiac disease. That’s one in a hundred people. And a person who has a first-degree relative with celiac—a parent, sibling or child—has a 10 percent chance of developing the disease.

But whichever way we calculate the prevalence of celiac, the total does not include roughly 2.5 million Americans who are living with undiagnosed celiac disease, Dr. Barfield says: “Remaining undiagnosed puts them at risk for long-term health complications.”

Read on to see her answers to your FAQs about celiac disease.

Dr. Sallie Permar and Collaborators Awarded R01 for Study of Natural Killer Cells in Pregnancy Maintenance and CMV Transmission

May 4, 2022

Celebrating Dr. Perlman's Years of Service to Newborn Medicine

May 4, 2022

On Tuesday, members of the department of pediatrics, former colleagues and patients gathered to celebrate Dr. Jeffrey Perlman for his 18 years of service as the Division Chief of Newborn Medicine. His visionary leadership of the NICU team at Weill Cornell Medicine has resulted in outstanding patient outcomes and has transformed how neonatal intensive care is delivered. His work on neonatal brain injury, neonatal resuscitation, and newborn global health have impacted many children around the world, undoubtedly saving lives and improving outcomes. He has inspired a generation of neonatologists and other newborn care providers. Although Dr. Perlman is stepping down, his legacy of selfless dedication and unwavering commitment to providing the best care for those who are at risk at the start of their lives, will live on.

Dr. Oksana Lekarev Promoted to Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

April 29, 2022

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the promotion of Oksana Lekarev, DO to Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, effective April 1, 2022.

Dr. Oksana Lekarev is the Associate Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Medicine Comprehensive Care Center for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) and an Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is the Director of the Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program and is board-certified in Pediatric Endocrinology and Pediatrics.

Dr. Lekarev received a B.A. in Linguistics from Barnard College of Columbia University, graduating cum laude with departmental honors. She received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, NJ. There, she completed her pediatric internship at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center before moving to Boston, Massachusetts where she completed her pediatric residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Dr. Lekarev moved back to New York City to complete her fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She served as a faculty member for two years in the Division of Adrenal Steroid Disorders before joining Weill Cornell Medicine in 2013.

Maria Lame, MD Named Recipient of the 2022 Pioneer in Diversity Bruce Laine Ballard, MD Award

April 11, 2022

This article was originally posted on WCM Emergency Medicine News

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Maria Lame, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, on being named the recipient of the 2022 Pioneer in Diversity Bruce Laine Ballard, MD Award by the Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Office of Diversity & Inclusion. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates commitment to improving student life and to fostering a nurturing and supportive environment where students are able to thrive and succeed.

Dr. Lame has played key roles in both the Department of Emergency Medicine and WCM’s many diversity initiatives. She serves as the diversity champion for the Department and was instrumental in the creation of our DiversifiED program. DiversifiED focuses on enhancing awareness and sensitivity to diversity, inclusiveness and belonging for all clinical and non-clinical providers through education, collaboration, and outreach. She has served as a mentor for both WCM’s Diversity Center of Excellence Mentorship Cascades Program and Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) pediatric residents.

Dr. Virginia Pascual Receives Funding to Study Efficacy of Next Generation Influenza Vaccines in Older Adults

April 6, 2022

Virgina Pascual, MD, Director of the Gale and Ira Drukier Director of Children's Health Research, has received a U01 subaward from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases for her study, “A deep longitudinal analysis of next-generation influenza vaccines in older adults.” The study aims to understand whether and why next-generation influenza vaccines might be more efficacious in older adults.

The WHO estimates that annual epidemics of influenza result in 3-5 million cases of severe illness and 300,000- 500,000 deaths. 90% of influenza-related deaths occur in older adults despite widespread vaccination programs with vaccines tailored for this high-risk group. The estimated effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in the U.S. for the 2018-2019 influenza season overall was 47%, but only 12-13% in older adults ((≥65yrs). Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms that are turned on/off in older adults that result in their limited response rate to the most commonly used influenza vaccine, Fluzone® High-Dose.

Dr. Steven Pon Named 2022 Physician of the Year by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Department of Nursing

March 30, 2022

Congratulations to Dr. Steven Pon on being named the 2022 Physician of the Year by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Department of Nursing.

Each year the Department of Nursing honors a small number of physicians who work with a spirit of collegiality and actively contribute to the safe clinical care of patients at all NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) campuses. The award specifically “recognizes physicians, fellows, house staff and medical students who show competence and caring in the clinical setting and work together with the nurses to attain the highest standards of quality patient care.”

Dr. Steven Pon is the Associate Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Medical Director of Respiratory Care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where he is also an associate attending pediatrician. Highly regarded and greatly respected as a physician, a master clinician, and a superb medical educator, Dr. Pon devotes his clinical practice to caring for critically ill and injured children in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Dr. Pon, who is also an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, was selected for this prestigious award because of his dedication to patient care excellence and steadfast leadership, which was crucial at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the COVID Trenches, a Plea to Follow the Facts and Vaccinate Children

March 27, 2022

This op-ed was originally posted on InsideSources

As experts in pediatric infectious diseases, vaccination and epidemiology, we are on the frontlines when it comes to COVID-19 and children. Collectively, we have cared for hundreds of children with severe cases of COVID-19, experiencing firsthand the complexity of caring for a child battling this novel illness and the agony of seeing a child succumb to its ravages.

We cannot stay silent as we witness the barrage of misinformation deterring parents from vaccinating children 5 years old and older against COVID-19. Americans need facts, not agendas.

First, the sheer number of very sick children should be every parent’s wake-up call.

The vaccination data are alarming. As of March 9, only 27 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 11 and 56 percent between 12 to 15 are fully vaccinated, leaving tens of millions of children still unvaccinated. And while most of those children who will get COVID-19 will have mild to moderate illness, the small percentage of this huge pool of unvaccinated children that will become severely ill translates into large numbers of children needing specialized care.