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The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed 10 new faculty members in the month of September. Please join us in making them feel at home!

New Faculty SeptKhalilah Brown, M.D., clinical professor in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics
Samantha Hanna, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Lynzee Head, D.O., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
Caroline Jackson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology
Erin McLeod, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology
Allen Meadows, M.D., MPH, clinical professor in the Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology
Alexis Ricci, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
David Willcutts, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Lauren Van Wagner, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Kristin Canavera, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Khalilah Brown, M.D., clinical professor in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Brown completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Florida in Pensacola, FL.

Samantha Hanna, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned her medical degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Dr. Hanna completed her residency in pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She completed her Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL. Her research interests include quality improvement, bronchiolitis, advocacy, and healthcare disparities. 

Lynzee Head, D.O., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, earned her medical degree from Des Moines College of Osteopathic Medicine in Des Moines, IA. Dr. Head completed her pediatric residency at Mercer University / Navicent Health Children's Hospital in Macon, GA where she served as a Chief Resident. Her clinical interests include caring for children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy as well as children with medical complexity.   

Caroline Jackson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology, earned her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, WA. Dr. Jackson completed her pediatric residency and Pediatric Nephrology fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Her research interests include improving outcomes for children receiving chronic dialysis with attention to social determinants of health, neonatal kidney failure, and utilizing extracorporeal modalities for bridge therapy in pediatric acute liver failure.

Erin McLeod, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL. Dr. McLeod completed a combined residency and fellowship in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham followed by a fellowship in Neuromuscular Neurology also at UAB. Her clinical interests include muscle and nerve disorders.

Allen Meadows, M.D., MPH, clinical professor in the Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, earned his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. Dr. Meadows completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. He completed his Pediatric Allergy and Immunology fellowship at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Denver, CO. 

Alexis Ricci, M.D., assistant professor assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, earned her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock, TX. Dr. Ricci completed her pediatric residency and her pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL. Her research interests include pediatric appendicitis and toxicology specifically regarding cannabis.

David Willcutts, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Dr. Willcutts completed his pediatric residency and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. He completed his Pediatric Advanced Hepatology / Liver Transplant fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, CO. 

Lauren Van Wagner, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. Dr. Van Wagner completed her residency in pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL. Her research interests include child abuse education and simulation: Creation of a curriculum to educate emergency medicine residents on the non-accidental trauma disclosure conversation, using pre-session learning and simulation.

Kristin Canavera, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric  Hematology-Oncology earned her doctorate degree from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. Dr. Canavera completed her Pediatric Psychology fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Her research interests include psychosocial functioning and quality of life in pediatric hematology/oncology as well as psychosocial functioning and coping with critical illness, pediatric bioethics and health policy, and improved integration of mental health care and psychosocial care into medical care.