Inside Pediatrics Summer 2019

News, Honors and Awards

BHATIA RECEIVES AWARDS IN CANCER RESEARCH Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) School of Medicine Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship and vice chair for Outcomes Research in the Department of Pediatric Oncology, has received an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The highly competitive award will enable Bhatia and her team to continue making promising advancements in pediatric oncology. Bhatia received a seven-year, $6.2 million grant to continue her research into how personalized treatment of childhood cancer can further minimize toxicity. The award provides funding to investigators with exceptional records of productivity in cancer research to continue or embark upon new projects of unusual potential in cancer research. Award recipients are cancer researchers who have served as principal investigators on an NCI grant for the last five years and have demonstrated outstanding productivity. Bhatia has also been selected to receive the Second Annual Northwestern Mutual Award for Excellence in Childhood Cancer Survivorship. Bhatia was recognized at the 2019 American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in May. ASPHO has partnered with the Northwestern Mutual Foundation to administer this award, which in its second year recognizes an individual who is translating research findings into intervention-based approaches and/or making outstanding contributions to the clinical care of survivors of childhood cancer. LEBENSBURGER NAMED INCOMING CRTI CO-DIRECTOR Jeffrey Lebensburger, D.O., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected to serve as the incoming Clinical Research Training Institute (CRTI) co-director for the American Society of Hematology. Lebensburger will serve as incoming co-Director for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2019. After serving as the incoming co-director, he will serve as junior co-director for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2020 and then serve as senior co-director for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2021. CARLO ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PEDIATRIC SOCIETY Wally Carlo, M.D., Neonatology, has been elected as Council Member of the American Pediatric Society. He will serve a five-year term from May 2019 to May 2024.

KHATRI, SCHWARTZ NAMED BIRMINGHAM PARENT FAVORITE KIDS’ DOCS Snehal Khatri, M.D. and Justin Schwartz, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, were named among Birmingham Parent magazine’s Favorite Kids’ Docs in 2018. Birmingham Parent readers nominated Khatri and Schwartz for providing the best care for their children. They were recognized along with other honorees in the December 2018 issue of Birmingham Parent.

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