Russell Cunningham Memorial Research Program Announcement
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The Russell Cunningham Memorial Research Program was established to honor the memory of Dr. Russell Cunningham, a long-time member of the Department of Pediatrics and a strong advocate for medical student education.
Data Release at Kick Butts Day Event Highlights Health Risks of Tobacco to Area Middle and High School Students
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“Nationally about 90 percent of smokers start using tobacco regularly by the time they are 18, and we know from the December 2016 Surgeon General’s Report that three million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2015. The nicotine in tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, is addictive. Teenagers, with their developing brains, are more likely to become addicted to nicotine than adults so it is crucial to prevent them from using tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, in this critical period of their lives,” said Susan Walley, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine.
Read the story on Childrensal.org
Dr. Ashworth Receives Becky Trigg Outstanding Faculty Member Award
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The commission will present awards to those honored as Outstanding Women for 2017 at a reception on Thursday, March 23 at the UAB Alumni House. Click here for more information on these awards.
UAB RNICU 'Golden Week Program' Receives 2017 Gage Award Honorable Mention
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Dr. Yee Wins Basic Research Awards for Fellows
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Children's of Alabama and UAB Pediatric Residency Program Host 11th Annual Spring Scramble 5k
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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.
Read the story on Childrensal.org
UAB and Children's Name Dr. Boppana as Hugh Dillon, M.D., Endowed Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease
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Boppana is a professor in the UAB Department in Pediatrics. He served as the director of the research faculty development in Pediatrics and director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Training Program.
Read the story on Childrensal.org
How to Keep an Infant Safe While Flying
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“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 this story at UABNews.
Technological Advances in the Hands of a Gifted Team Results in Saved Lives
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Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or the condition of babies born with only one ventricle, is a condition requiring surgery at birth, at 4 to 6 months, and again at 3 to 5 years of age. We discovered that a certain percentage of babies between the first two surgeries could be expected to die suddenly at home.
Read this blog post by Yung Lau, M.D., Pediatric Cardiology, on the Birmingham Medical News Blog.
UAB Employees to be Honored During Annual Service Awards
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Dr. Simpson Recognized for Commitment to Mentoring Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows
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This award celebrates those who have made an impact on the lives of medical students and physicians in training, going above and beyond what is required, and actively reaching out to those around them to help guide students in their career paths.
“Over the years, I have had such influential mentors and take great pleasure in being able to provide similar encouragement and support to students and trainees,” Simpson said.
Dr. Simpson along with Marisa Marques, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Pathology, will be presented their awards during the AMWA’s 102nd Anniversary Meeting on Saturday, April 1, in San Francisco, CA.
Read this story at UAB News.
Dr. Pruitt Elected to SPPR Executive Council
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UAB to Bring Proton Therapy For Advanced Cancer Treatment to Birmingham
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“Proton therapy is particularly beneficial for children, as they are especially vulnerable to damage from radiation,” said Alyssa Reddy, M.D., professor of hematology/oncology in the UAB Department of Pediatrics. “Conventional radiation can help cure a child’s cancer, but it carries an increased risk of damage to surrounding tissue. In children, tissue damage, particularly in still-developing organs such as the brain, can leave the child susceptible to myriad health issues that may not emerge for years. Proton therapy offers the opportunity to successfully treat pediatric tumors and minimize the risk for side effects later in life. This will improve the health and quality of life of pediatric cancer survivors, most of whom we expect to live long and productive lives.”
Read this story at UAB News.
Dr. Feig Elected as Chair of Subboard of Pediatric Nephrology
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The subboard is responsible for the development of the certifying exams and their analysis. In addition, they will be overhauling the content specification for the exam, which is done in concert with the ACGME and ASPN (American Society of Pediatric Nephrology) Committee of Training Program Directors. Over the next couple of years, the subboard will also be tasked to develop the transition from secured exams to the MOCA program, which includes short quarterly sets of questions with the associated educational material, a program being rolled out for General Pediatrics in 2018.
Visitation Policy for Critical Care Patients Changed Till April 1
Beginning Feb. 16, visitors to the hospital’s critical care units must be at least 12 years of age and symptom-free to visit. This policy includes Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
Read this story at www.childrensal.org
UAB Department of Pediatrics Wins Big at SSPR Conference
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For more information about these awards, click here.
UAB and Children's of Alabama Creates Sarah Katherine Bateh Endowed Professorship in Rett Syndrom
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Alan Percy, M.D., professor and director of UAB’s Rett syndrome clinic at Children’s, is considered one of the world’s leading experts on this unique developmental disorder that affects one in every 10,000 female births worldwide. Rett syndrome causes severe cognitive impairment, including loss of communication and motor skills, reduced growth and unusual breathing patterns. Percy is also a national leader in pediatric neurology and genetics, and highly regarded as a clinician and research scientist. Working with genetic researcher Huda Y. Zogbhi, M.D., Percy diagnosed the first confirmed case of Rett syndrome in the United States in 1983.
Read this story at www.childrensal.org
New App from Children's of Helps Identify Poisonous Plants, Insects, and Animals
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Poison Perils provides users with a detailed description of each insect, animal and plant, as well as the most common household items the RPCC receives calls about, accompanied by a photo of each. Users can also quickly connect to a specialist in poison information in the RPCC in the event of an emergency with just the touch of a button. Poison Perils is available for both Apple and Android devices.
“In an emergency, time is precious, and with this app, parents and caregivers can have information at their fingertips,” Slattery said.
The RPCC handles more than 50,000 poison calls per year, plus an additional 60,000 follow-up calls. The app was developed with support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, UAB and Children’s.
Read this story at www.childrensal.org
Announcing 2017 Kaul Pediatric Research (KPRI) Awards
Children’s of Alabama and the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute (KPRI) are pleased to announce the 2017 awards. The major goal of the KPRI grant program is to allow investigators to obtain data that will advantage applications for additional extramural funding. This will bring new knowledge to the care of children, leverage the investment of the KPRI, and allow projects to be competitive for the very best science on the national stage. A second, but important, goal is to ensure that a dedicated funding source is available to unique segments of the pediatric research, education, and quality improvement enterprise.
This year three categories of grants were funded: New Investigator Awards, Established Investigator Awards, and Quality/Safety/Educational Awards. All funded applications are directed toward the improvement of child health care. Thank you to all who submitted applications! Congratulations to the following awardees.
New Investigator Awards:
Matthew Alexander, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Neurology
“Genetic modifiers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy via genome sequencing of discordant siblings”
Margaux Barnes, Ph.D.Assistant Professor
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition
“Mediational Analysis of Diet, Physical Activity, and Lean Mass in Youth with IBD”
Jegen Kandasamy, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Neonatology
“Mitochondrial Genetic Contribution to Hyperoxia Induced Lung Injury”Charitharth (Vivek) Lal, M.D.Assistant Professor
Neonatology
“The Role of Microbiome Induced Ac-PGP in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia”Colin Martin, M.D.Assistant Professor
Pediatric Surgery
“Maternal and Environmental Influence on Early Neonatal Immunity”
Michael Seifert, M.D.Assistant Professor
Pediatric Nephrology
“Early Life Stress and Cardio-renal Disease in Kidney Transplantation"
Established Investigator Awards:
Elizabeth Beierle, M.D.
Professor
Pediatric Surgery
“Role of PIM kinase in maintaining hepatoblastoma tumor initiating cell population”Karen Fowler, Ph.D.
Professor
Pediatric Infectious Diseases
“Racial & ethnic disparities in congenital CMV infection: role of maternal CMV”
Quality/Safety/Educational Awards:
David Galloway, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition
“Improving Care for Pediatric Constipation: A joint effort between pediatricians and gastroenterologists” Chrystal Rutledge, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Critical Care
“Development of a Novel Nursing-Focused Pediatric Advanced Life Support Training Program”
You're Invited - Beyond the Diagnosis Art Exhibit Reception
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Please also join us on the following day, Friday, March 3, for the Fourth Annual Rare Disease Genomics Symposium. Register here for the symposium: www.ChildrensAl.org/genetics
- UAB Study Shows Children and Parent Over-Report Leukemia Medication Adherence
- Standard Therapy Used in Pediatric Cardiac ICU Challenged by Study in NEJM
- Mending Kid's Hearts: Children's Celebrates Kids' Hearth Health This February
- Mending Kid's Hearts: Children's Celebrates Kids' Hearth Health This February