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Two outstanding Department of Pediatrics faculty members were named recipients of the 2017 Dean's Excellence Awards, an honor recognizing exceptional contributions made by the School of Medicine faculty in service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement and mentorship. 

Hussein Abdul-Latif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology, has been selected for the 2017 Dean's Excellence Award in Teaching, Senior Faculty. 
Nicole Jones, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine, has been selected for the 2017 Dean's Excellence Award in Diversity Enhancement, Junior Faculty.
Click here to read about each of the 2017 winners and their accomplishments. 

 

 

A reception to honor the award recipients will be held on Tuesday, June 6 at 4 p.m. inside the Wallace Tumor Institute. All Department of Pediatrics faculty and staff are invited to attend in support and celebration of their colleagues. Congratulations to Drs. Abdul-Latif and Jones and all other Department of Pediatrics nominees. Click here to view the reception invitation.

The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) has selected Mike Chen, M.D., Pediatric Surgery, to be on the APSA Board of Governors. Dr. Chen will serve as the APSA treasurer for a three-year term.

More information.

Ariel Salas, M.D., Neonatology, has been selected as the Southern SPR Awardee of the SPR Travel Awards to Enhance Diversity in the Research Workforce. Dr. Salas was nominated by the Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR). 

Children's of Alabama and the Department of Pediatrics receives a generous donation from the Chu Family to support educational initiatives. From this donation, a portion has been set aside for Pediatric Fellows. The selection committee for the Chu Family Educational Scholarship recently met on Wednesday, May 17, and selected two fellows to receive this educational scholarship. Candidates were selected on a competitive basis. These awards will provide funds for tuition, books and fees related to their educational endeavors.

Please join us in congratulating the Chu Family Educational Scholarship recipients for the 2017-2018 academic year:

Courtney Crayne, M.D. – Upcoming 2nd year Pediatric Rheumatology Fellow.
Dr. Crayne will use funds to obtain a Certificate in Public Health through the UAB School of Public Health.

Erinn Schmit, M.D. – Upcoming 2nd year Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow.
Dr. Schmit will use funds towards completing a Medical Education Certificate Program through the University of Cincinnati.

Since 1988, the Dixon Foundation has endowed a fellowship training program in Pediatrics expressly aimed at supporting postdoctoral training and research in Pediatric subspecialties. The selection committee met on Tuesday, May 16, and selected three fellows for 2017. Candidates were selected on a competitive basis. These awards will provide funds for tuition, and an educational stipend.
 
Please join us in congratulating the Dixon Fellow recipients for the 2017-2018 academic year: 
 
Jamie Aye, M.D., Pediatric Hematology & Oncology.
Project: “Investigation of Focal Adhesion Kinase and the Kinome in Metastatic Wilms Tumor.” Her Mentor is Dr. Elizabeth Beierle.

Miranda L. Curtiss, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric Allergy & Immunology.
Project: “Location Dependent Signals Fine Tune Dendritic Cell Control of TH2 Responses.”
Her Mentor is Dr. Fran Lund.

Corey Falcon, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Project: “Generation of novel suicide gene modified anti-CD19 CAR redirected T cells.”
His Mentor is Dr. Fred Goldman.
 
Current Dixon Fellow, Claudette Poole, MD, Infectious Diseases, will continue the second year of her award.

If you were not able to attend last week’s CHRU open house, you missed some great cookies and a wonderful new child-friendly facility. The Unit is officially open and several researchers are already scheduling patients. If you are interested in using the Unit or would like to set up a tour, please contact Cheryl Perry. Click here to see photos from the event.  For more information, visit www.uab.edu/chru.

Traveling with children can be stressful, but preparation can significantly improve the situation, according to Candice Dye, M.D., General Pediatrics. 

“First and foremost, be safe and think safe,” said Dye, assistant director of the UAB Department of Pediatrics Residency Program. “Plan ahead for the needs of your infant. Think ahead for how you will keep your infant safe. Go ahead and enjoy traveling with your child.”

Read the UAB News story. 
Watch the segment on WBRC Fox 6

Regions Bank recently announced efforts to make its 1,500 branches autism friendly. Justin Schwartz, M.D., Developmental Pediatrics, worked with Regions Bank in this effort. In addition this story features KultureCity, and its focus on accessibility for those with autism.

Listen to the story on WBHM.

The Department of Pediatrics elects members to the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee (APTC). This year, 118 faculty participated in the vote for a new faculty representative on our APTC. Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Professor/Director, Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship and Vice Chair for Outcomes in the Department of Pediatrics was elected by a vote of the faculty.  Ambika Ashraf, M.D., Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, was appointed to the Committee. Each will serve a three-year term. Many thanks to Drs. Michele Nichols and Randy Cron, for their long-standing commitment to the success of the faculty. Michele and Randy are completing their terms of appointment and will rotate off the committee. 

Mitchell Cohen, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, has been elected to serve as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Executive Committee. His 3-year term will begin on November 1, 2017.  Dr. Cohen was also appointed to the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) Education Committee and New Chairs Program Committee, each for a two-year term, effective April 2017.

Join us in welcoming Erik Westin, Ph.D., to the Department of Pediatrics!

Erik Westin, Ph.D., Instructor, in Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, earned his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Iowa. Dr. Westin recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry and molecular genetics at UAB. His clinical and research interests include studying the mechanisms related to blood and bone marrow failure disorders such as Dyskeratosis Congenita and Diamond Blackfan anemia in addition to research that utilizes CRISPR to correct underlying genetic mutations in patients’ cells.

Chang L. Wu, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, has been selected for the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Region VIII Co-Chair position. He will be officially recognized at the national APA meeting at the upcoming Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) conference in San Francisco, CA.
 
He wishes to express his sincerest gratitude for all the support he received during the election.

The ImproveCareNow quality improvement leadership team has invited Children’s of Alabama to join the Trailblazers Learning Lab. This selected group of teams includes those who have several years of experience in ImproveCareNow, in addition to impressive results in process and outcome measures.  Responsibilities will include testing innovations ahead of the spread across the network and teaching and mentoring other groups within the network. Our division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition ImproveCareNow team's focus is on quality care and improvement efforts for our pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients and to participate in research through ImproveCareNow. 

For more information on ImproveCareNow, click here.

Children’s and the UAB Department of Pediatrics announce the opening of the new Child Health Research Unit (CHRU) on the third floor of Dearth Tower at Children’s. The CHRU is a partnership between Children’s, the UAB Department of Pediatrics and the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) to meet the growing needs of pediatric researchers. The expanded unit will reduce barriers for Children’s and UAB researchers to conduct rigorous clinical and translational research in childhood diseases.

“The CHRU is a crucial tool that enables pediatric investigators to improve our understanding of childhood diseases and bring new therapies to children. I am proud of the role that Children’s of Alabama plays in child health in this state, the region and beyond,” said Mitchell B. Cohen, M.D., Chair, UAB Department of Pediatrics and Physician-In-Chief, Children’s of Alabama.

The facility has more than 2,500 square feet of space and includes a reception area, triage room, six exam rooms, office and conference space, workspace with monitors, a lab with centrifuge and freezer, and a storage room for equipment.

The CHRU will host an open house on Friday, May 12 from 1 - 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the unit. For more information on the CHRU, visit www.uab.edu/chru. 

Read the story at Childrensal.org

As a young nurse floating among assignments at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Southern California in the mid 1980s, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing Associate Professor Wendy Landier, PhD, RN, often found herself working the pediatric oncology unit when others wouldn’t.

The more Landier worked there and saw the interactions among the nurses, their young patients and the families, the more she grew to love it. 

Continue reading the story highlighting Wendy Landier, Ph.D., RN, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, on the UAB School of Nursing website. Photos courtesy of UAB School of Nursing.

Child abuse is a serious and prevalent public health problem throughout the United States including Alabama. In 2015, there were 21,722 reports made to the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) involving 30,647 children1. After investigation, 8,466 children were determined to be child abuse victims. With an overall population of just over 4.8 million and 1.1 million children under 18, this amounted to nearly 3% of Alabama’s children being involved in investigations and 1% determined to be victims of child abuse for that year. Child abuse is divided into four categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, & psychological (emotional) abuse. The health consequences for abused children are substantial, including short term risks such as physical injuries (fractures, bruising, lacerations, abdominal injury, head trauma), sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, mental health problems (anxiety, fear, depression), and death. In 2015, there were 1,670 deaths due to child abuse in the US, 13 of those deaths occurred in Alabama. The long-term consequences of child abuse in adults include significant increases in substance abuse, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality. The financial cost to society is substantial, estimated at $2.3 billion annually (2013 dollars) in Alabama alone2. 
 
Every April, the Children's Bureau of the US Department of Health & Human Services observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month “to raise public awareness of child abuse and neglect, recommit efforts and resources aimed at protecting children and strengthening families, and promote community involvement through activities that support the cause.” Children’s of Alabama and the CHIPS Center stay busy all month in an effort to increase awareness of this common and serious public health problem affecting all aspects of society, but most especially, our children. Some of the many activities planned for the month include: awareness in the hospital, handing out posters to local school systems, participating in Child Fun Day, and cosponsoring the International Association of Forensic Nurses-Alabama Chapter annual conference. For more information on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website.

Michael A. Taylor, M.D.
Click here for references. 

Attending the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in San Francisco? You're invited to join Children's of Alabama and UAB Department of Pediatrics on Saturday, May 6 at 6 p.m. in the Hilton San Francisco, Union Square. Mark your calendars and invite your friends! 

Download the invitation.

Maaike Everts, Ph.D., Pediatric Infectious Disease has been named as the recipient of the International Society for Antiviral Research William Prusoff Young Investigator Lecture Award. This award is given to outstanding young scientists who have demonstrated dedication and excellence in the field of antiviral research and future potential for contribution to the field and the society. Dr. Everts will receive the award at the upcoming 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) in Atlanta, GA in May. 

The UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) recently acknowledged Department of Pediatrics (DOP) members who participated in the CCTS Panels Done Quickly (PDQ)/ Nascent Panel Project (NPP) team this past year. 

PDQs and NPPs provide investigators across the UAB Campus and throughout the CCTS Partner Network with expert feedback during a critical window of grant development - within 6 weeks of an application deadline. Reviewing proposals at this stage requires an agile, highly focused response that is only possible with the involvement of accomplished scientists. Those who participated from the Pediatrics include: Drs. Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Randy Cron, Maaike Everts, Tom Harris, Ken McCormick, and Matthew Stoll.

Thank you for your participation! 

Children’s of Alabama and the UAB Pediatrics Residency Program will host the 11th annual Spring Scramble 5K on Saturday, April 22. The 5K begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center, followed by a Fun Run at 6:30 p.m.
 
The registration fee is $20 for UAB and Children’s employees; $25 for the general public and free for children under 12 with an adult entry. The registration fee covers a 5K T-shirt and goodie bag. To register, visit www.springscramble.org.