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Claudette Poole, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has been appointed as an associate scientist in the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC). The MHRC was established in 2002 with the mission of eliminating health disparities in Alabama, the Southeast and the United States. As a member of the MHRC, Dr. Poole will be able to use the center's infrastructure and resources and collaborate with other researchers at UAB and around the country on projects aimed at eliminating health disparities. 

Congratulations Dr. Poole!

Marjorie Lee White, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine, has been invited to be a standing member of the Healthcare Systems & Value Research Study Section (HSVR) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The HSVR reviews applications concerned with the development of measures, data, tools, and strategies for reducing healthcare costs and improving quality of care within organizations and/or systems of care, and the organization and functioning of the health care system. Dr. White will serve as a standing member for four years.

Congratulations Dr. White!

Brad Anding, M.D., PGY-2 Pediatric Resident, has been nominated to attend the 2020 Frontiers in Science (FIS) Symposium Friday, Feb. 28 in Long Beach, CA. FIS is hosted in conjunction with the annual Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) meeting and offers residents interested in research the opportunity to hear presentations on new and exciting research.

"I am excited for the opportunity to attend the FIS meeting. As someone who does not come from a strong research background, I look forward to meeting and hearing from the Pediatric Scientist Development Program trainees," said Dr. Anding. "I feel this experience will give me the opportunity to continue to develop my skills as a scientist/investigator, as well as help me grow as an overall academic pediatrician." Dr. Anding was nominated by department chair, Dr. Mitch Cohen. 

Girish Dhall, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected to join the International Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Scientific Programme Advisory Committee (SPAC). The SIOP SPAC was founded in 2008 and consists of experts in specific fields of pediatric oncology. As part of the SPAC, Dr. Dhall will help to plan the SIOP annual congress. He will serve a three year term. 

Congratulations Dr. Dhall!

Congratulations to Suresh Boppana, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Erinn Schmit, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and Andrew Watson, M.D., PGY-3 Pediatric Resident, on being elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society! AOA is a medical professional organization that recognizes and advocates for excellence in scholarship and the highest ideals in the profession of medicine. The official induction ceremony into AOA will be held on March 19.

The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a youth-led council of teens and young adults supported by adolescent faculty, fellows, trainees and staff. YAB members share their invaluable perspectives on adolescent health and create opportunities that will engage other adolescents in the community to live healthier lives. Members can participate in mentoring opportunities, earn community service hours, and gain insight into future healthcare careers. YAB members will be able to strengthen their leadership, organization, planning and outreach skills by participating in International Adolescent Health Week, leading #BHMTeenHealthWeek activities and promoting the #Staywell Campaign.

“We are excited to have this wonderful group of teen and young adults. They speak to the development of adolescent healthcare that directly impact their peers and youth of the greater Birmingham community,“ said Adrianne Marbury, MPA, YAB program manager. 

The YAB is sponsored by the UAB Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Training Program.

Rachel Klein, M.D., Assistant Professor in Academic General Pediatrics, joined the UAB Department of Pediatrics in January 2020.

Rachel Klein, M.D., Assistant Professor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned her medical degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Klein completed her combined internal medicine/pediatric residency at the University of California-Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Klein joins UAB with dual appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She will provide primary care in both departments, teaching residents in the UAB Pediatric Primary Care Clinic in pediatrics and providing primary care to adolescents and adults within the Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center in medicine. Her research/clinical interests include preventative care, quality improvement and transition care.

Smita Bhatia, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected by the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) Survivorship Special Interest Group (SIG) to receive the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes a SIG member for their outstanding work and dedication to survivorship practice in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Dr. Bhatia is being recognized for her consistent, high-quality contributions to the field through publications, presentations, mentorship, and leadership. She was presented the award at the 2020 Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Meeting in Orlando, Florida Feb. 22.

Congratulations Dr. Bhatia!

Please join us in congratulating Nicole Samies, D.O., Second Year Fellow- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, on receiving the 2019-2020 Fall Fellow Research Roundtable/Fellow Core Conference Attendance Award. This allows her to attend a scientific meeting of her choice, within the continental United States.

Our next award will be presented at the end of June 2020 for the fellow with the highest attendance at Fellows’ Research Roundtable and Fellow Core Conferences from January – June 2020. Click here for more information.

Thank you to all of the fellows who have been dedicated to attending these conferences!!

Jessica Garcia, a nutrition trainee with the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health Training Program, has been selected for the Maternal & Child Health Bureau’s Division of MCH Workforce Development Trainee Ambassador Group (TAG). TAG is designed to foster connections between trainees across the MCH Training Programs, provide trainees with leadership development opportunities, and strengthen the link between trainees and MCHB. TAG provides trainees with the opportunity to conceptualize, develop, and lead efforts to facilitate trainee connections via activities such as mentoring programs, trainee forums, and collaborative research projects.

Congratulations Jessica!

Susan Walley, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, has been elected to the Jefferson County Board of Health. The board has six members, five physicians and the President of the Jefferson County Commission. One physician is elected each year by the members of the Jefferson County Medical Society for a five year term. Dr. Walley will serve as the board secretary as the newest member.

Congratulations Dr. Walley!

Our Pediatric Subspecialty Programs recently completed their match for fellows beginning July 2020. Congratulations to all of our incoming fellows! Click on the link for list of incoming fellows.

Adolescent Medicine

Charisse Graham, M.D.                    
Residency: Morehouse

Allergy/Immunology 

Reena Patel, D.O.                            
Residency: Palm Beach Consortium for Graduate Medical Education

Cardiac Critical Care

Veronica Godsey, M.D.                    
UAB Pediatric Critical Care Fellow

Critical Care

Luke Burton, M.D.                           
Residency: Greenville Health System
                                
Ananya Manchikalapati, M.D.          
Residency: Icahn SOM at Mount Sinai

Emergency Medicine

Reid Burks, M.D.                          
Residency: UAB         

Keven Gutermuth, M.D.                  
Residency: UAB

Mickinzie Morgan, MD                 
Residency: Texas Tech Health Sciences Center

Endocrinology

Heath Pelham, M.D.                       
Residency: University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Whitney Smith, M.D., Ph.D.              
Residency: University of Mississippi

Gastroenterology

Gabriel Lugo, M.D.                          
Residency: UAB

Ana Coronado Reyna, M.D.              
Residency: State University of New York, Brooklyn

Hematology/Oncology

Elizabeth Gunn, M.D.                      
Residency: Carolinas Medical Center
               
Abbey Rocco, M.D.                          
Residency: St. Louis University

Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Peds)

Laurie Jacobs, M.D.                       
Residency: UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Hospital Medicine

Michelle Duplantier, MD              
Residency: Louisiana State University

Meenu Sharma, D.O.                       
Residency: Memorial Health University Medical Center of Savannah

Infectious Diseases

Ayesha Ahmed, MBBS                   
Residency: UAB

Neonatology

Jacqueline Razzaghy, M.D.               
Residency: Greenville Health System

Lucy Weaver, M.D.                          
Residency: UAB

Zaki Yazdi, M.D.                               
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina

Nephrology

Kyle Deville, M.D.                           
Residency: UAB

Pulmonology

Kyle Bliton, M.D.                             
Residency: UAB

Rheumatology

Daniel Reiff, M.D.                            
Residency: UAB

Sleep Medicine (Peds)

Anthony Staples, M.D.                     
Residency: Cleveland Clinic (Child Neuro)

Congratulations to the following pediatric faculty on being elected to the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) membership. 

• Jennifer Guimbellot, M.D. - Pediatric Pulmonology

• Tom Harris, M.D. - Pediatric Pulmonology

• Emily Johnston, M.D. - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

• Vivek Lal, M.D. - Neonatology

• Donna Murdaugh, Ph.D. - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

• Gabriela R. Oates, Ph.D. - Pediatric Pulmonology

The mission of the Society for Pediatric Research is to create a network of multidisciplinary researchers to improve child health. 

The Pediatric Emergency Department presented Augustin Cardenas, M.D., Radiology, with the Friend of the ED Award. Dr. Cardenas was selected for this award for his commitment to the care of children in the Children's of Alabama Emergency Department. The Friend of the ED Award is given annually to an individual who goes above and beyond for patients in the pediatric emergency department.

Congratulations Dr. Cardenas!

Jennifer Guimbellot, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonology, and Emily Johnston, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, have been selected for the inaugural class of the Children's of Alabama (COA) Scholars Program. The COA Scholars Program was created to acknowledge and support the academic efforts of junior faculty in the Department of Pediatrics. This program is provides funding to support academic and scholarly enrichment activities of the faculty selected for the program. 

Congratulations Drs. Guimbellot and Johnston!

Anna Hoppmann, M.D., Second Year Fellow-Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected as the T32 post-doctoral trainee candidate for the Cancer Control and Prevention Training Program (CPCTP) at UAB. The goal of the UAB CPCTP is to train future cancer prevention and control researchers in cancer prevention (including epidemiology, chemoprevention and behavioral science), cancer early detection and cancer outcomes, survivorship and palliative care. Trainees participate in a specialized curriculum based on their disciplinary and research interests. 

Dr. Hoppmann plans to research outcomes in underserved populations. "Many children in Alabama live in medically underserved areas that lack access to primary care and are physically distant from pediatric subspecialty care," said Dr. Hoppmann. Through the T32 Training Program, I will investigate how living in an underserved area impacts outcomes for pediatric patients with cancer. My greatest hope is that this research will lead to interventions to improve outcomes for our oncology patients statewide." She will begin her training in January 2020. 

Congratulations Dr. Hoppmann!

The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomes two new faculty members during the month of November.

Andrea Kane, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology
Austin Kane, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology

Andrea Kane, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned her medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Kane completed her pediatric residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL and completed her neonatology fellowship at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Prior to joining UAB, she was a neonatology attending at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Spokane, WA.  

Austin Kane, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, earned his medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, NY. Dr. Kane completed his pediatric residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. He completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA and an additional fellowship in pediatric and congenital electrophysiology. Prior to joining UAB, he a pediatric and congenital electrophysiology attending at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Spokane, WA.

Pictured (L-R): Drs. Shannon Ross, Ricardo Franco and Sonya HeathShannon Ross, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, along with members of the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, participated in The Big Idea Infectious Diseases/HIV Education and Advocacy Day in Washington, DC in Oct. 2019. This advocacy day, in conjunction with IDWeek 2019, provided ID and HIV physicians and other health care providers the opportunity to meet with members of Congress to educate them on federal programs critical to preventing and treating infectious diseases and HIV and improving public health in the U.S. and globally. 

Tina Simpson, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, has accepted the position of vice-chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics (DOP). Dr. Simpson currently serves as the director of the Office of Faculty Development (OFD) in the DOP and will continue in this role. Through her work in the OFD, Dr. Simpson has helped clinicians, educators and research faculty and also addressed the broad issues of engagement and advancement for all faculty in a meaningful way. As a recognition of her efforts and the fact that she is already relied on for critical advice on a wide range of issues, Dr. Mitch Cohen, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, asked her to become a vice-chair. "Faculty development is important and deserves a voice and a seat at the table and I can think of no one better than Tina to have that seat and that voice," said Dr. Cohen. "I am thrilled she will be taking on this new role."

Congratulations Dr. Simpson!

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to honor these faculty members. They have attained a level of excellence recognized by their peers due to their exceptional contributions for the development of the department and in turn, the achievers of tomorrow - our children.

Please join us in congratulating the winners in each category.

2019 DOP Faculty Achievement Awards

Community Educator Award

Vera Egorshin, M.D.
Jefferson County Department Of Health

Research Achievement Award

Senior
Randy Cron, M.D.
Pediatric Rheumatology

Junior
Vivek Lal, M.D.
Neonatology

Diversity And Inclusion Award

Brian Sims, M.D.
Neonatology

Educational Achievement Award

Senior
Ann Klasner, M.D.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Junior
Sarah Novara, M.D.
Pediatric Neurology

Service Achievement Award

Senior
Joe Chewning, M.D.
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Junior
Erin Swanson, M.D.
Pediatric Rehab Medicine

Mentoring Achievement Award

David Bernard, M.D.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Model of Team Excellence Award

Division Of Pediatric Nephrology- Drs. David Askenazi, Erica Bjornstad, Sahar Fathallah-Shaykh, Daniel Feig, Michael Seifert, and Tennille Webb.

Lifetime Achievement Award in Pediatric Healthcare

Carden Johnston, M.D.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Tom Howard, M.D.
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology