2023 Department of Pediatrics Academic Annual Report

Pediatric Critical Care

PEDIATRIC FACULTY Dr. Nancy Tofil....................................Director | Professor Dr. Vidit Bhargava....................................Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Buckmaster............................Associate Professor Dr. Emily Dodenhoff...............................Assistant Professor Dr. Madhura Hallman.............................Assistant Professor Dr. Leslie Hayes........................................................Professor Dr. Michele Kong......................................................Professor Dr. Jeremy Loberger .............................Assistant Professor Dr. Jordan Newman...............................Assistant Professor Dr. James Odum.....................................Assistant Professor Dr. Priya Prabhakaran..............................................Professor Dr. Robby Richter....................................Assistant Professor Dr. Nicholas Rockwell ...........................Assistant Professor Dr. Chrystal Rutledge...........................Associate Professor

Dr. Will Sasser.........................................Associate Professor Dr. Lece Webb.........................................Assistant Professor

FEATURED RESEARCH

BASIC/TRANSLATIONAL/OUTCOMES SCIENCE Michele Kong, M.D., is leading basic and translational science research focusing on acute lung injury and respiratory viral infections. Her $3.2 million R01 award funds a multicenter Phase III trial of azithromycin treatment in children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced respiratory failure. In addition, she is delineating the role and impact of protease dysregulation in the pathogenesis of RSV infection. Her Phase II trial showing that azithromycin treatment led to decreased days of hospitalization in children with RSV induced respiratory failure was published in JAMA Network Open. Robert (Robby) Richter, M.D., is studying the mechanisms governing vascular endothelial activation and glycocalyx disruption during sepsis under the mentorship of Amit Gaggar, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, UAB Department of Medicine, and Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., Division of Neonatology. He is supported by a K08 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. James Odum, M.D., M.Ed., is developing a predictive model of worsening kidney disease due to sepsis. He is working with Dr. Anupam Agarwal. He received a Kaul Pediatric Research Institute grant award to further this scholarship. Lece Webb, M.D., is studying the effects of social determinants of health on the outcomes of critically ill children, especially as they relate to bronchiolitis, the most common cause of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission in children. She received a Kaul Pediatric Research Institute grant award to further this scholarship. She completed the Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center (MHERC) Health Disparities Research Education Certificate Program. She also serves as the Director of our clinical database, Virtual Pediatric Systems, overseeing its utilization for research and enhancing quality in the PICU. Dr. Webb is also the director of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the UAB Pediatric Fellowship Programs. QUALITY-IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE Vidit Bhargava, M.D., is the director of PICU ultrasound. He has developed a curriculum for both pediatric critical care and neonatology fellows, which is published. He is an ultrasound educator for the Society of Critical Care national ultrasound course. He has published a curriculum in ultrasound-guided IV placement for PICU nurses. He is leading the credentialing process for point of care ultrasound for the entire children’s hospital. He received a faculty development grant (FDGP) to study the role of ultrasound in predicting difficult airway. Leslie Hayes, M.D., leads the division’s quality-improvement efforts and is the director for the clinical database, Virtual Pediatric Systems (VPS) and manages its use for research and quality improvement in the PICU. She is a member of the VPS Physician Advisory Group and serves as the national chair of VPS PICU rankings task force. She is the associate quality education officer for UAB Medicine and co-medical director of the UAB Medicine Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has a joint appointment in the UAB School of Health Professions, where she teaches in the Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Safety (MSHQS) and Executive

2023 Academic Annual Report

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