News | Page 8 | Pediatrics

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.

Dr. Jennie Ono Appointed Chief of Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens

August 14, 2023

We are delighted to welcome Jennie G. Ono, M.D., M.S. as the new Chief of Pediatrics at NewYork- Presbyterian Queens (NYP-Q), effective October 1, 2023. Dr. Ono is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She received her undergraduate degree at Vassar College and earned her medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine, Dr. Ono has extensive experience and expertise in inpatient care, newborn medicine, and pediatric asthma. Dr. Ono is also a leader in research and education, with a master's degree in clinical and translational science, and has authored numerous prestigious publications in peer-reviewed journals. She joins NYP-Q from NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she most recently served as the Medical Director for Inpatient Pediatrics and the Director of the Pediatric Asthma Program.

Dr. Alexander Ja-Ho Chou Promoted to Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

July 28, 2023

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Alexander Ja-Ho Chou, M.D., to Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, effective July 1, 2023. This well-deserved promotion acknowledges Dr. Chou as a nationally recognized expert in the field of pediatric hematology-oncology, specifically in managing metastatic osteosarcoma and other solid tumors.

July Fellow Spotlight -- Damla Gonullu-Rotman, M.D.

July 17, 2023

Dr. Damla Gonullu-Rotman is a second-year fellow in the Divisions of Medical Genetics at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). She was a member of the inaugural class of New York University Abu Dhabi. Afterwards, she attended the NY State-American Program of Tel Aviv University School of Medicine. Dr. Gonullu-Rotman went on to complete her residency in OB/GYN at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

What's life like for a fellow at WCM and MSKCC?

As of July 2023, I am the second year Medical Genetics fellow here at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I spent most of my first year in the WCM and MSKCC outpatient genetics clinics, as well as doing inpatient consults at WCM. My second year will again be a mix of the outpatient clinics and inpatient WCM consults with six months dedicated to research, which I am very excited about.

Dr. Jane Chang Named Section Chief of Adolescent Medicine

July 12, 2023

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the appointment of Jane Chang, M.D. as Section Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, effective July 1, 2023. In this new role, Dr. Chang will work closely with Ambulatory Care Network (ACN) leadership and Susan Bostwick, M.D., MBA, Division Chief of General Academic Pediatrics, to transform the Adolescent Medicine practice and expand its services to all patients.

We would like to thank Lisa Ipp, M.D. for her outstanding leadership, service and dedication as Associate Medical Director for Adolescent Medicine, where among many other accomplishments as our first director of Adolescent Medicine, she oversaw the development of our adolescent clinical and education programs for over 20 years. We are grateful Dr. Ipp will remain the Director of Adolescent Education as well as continue serving as Chief of Pediatrics at the Hospital for Special Surgery, where she leads the clinical, quality and operations aspects of the pediatric service.

Dr. Perdita Permaul Named Section Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

June 28, 2023

We are pleased to announce Perdita Permaul, M.D. FAAP, FAAAAI has been named Section Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Permaul, an expert in pediatric asthma, will provide strong leadership and oversight for the Division’s activities, including liaising with Department administration and supporting the Department’s vision and missions in patient care, research, and education as well as quality, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Permaul, who has been serving as Interim Section Chief, will continue to serve as Director of Pediatric Research at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.