Researchers from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California Elected into Renowned Pediatric Research Society

Six investigators elected into the Society for Pediatric Research

From left to right: Robinder Khemani, MD, Vincent Wang, MD, MHA, Toni Frederick, PhD, MSPH, Douglas Vanderbilt, MD, Jamie Wood, MD. Not pictured: Yong-Mi Kim, MD, MPH, PhD (Photo: Business Wire)

LOS ANGELES--()--Six researchers from The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) were recently selected to join the Society for Pediatric Research. Membership in the Society is based solely on peer nomination and election, and marks the member’s standing as an internationally recognized pediatric researcher.

“This is an elite honor and recognition for the accomplishments of each of our investigators,” says Brent Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute and chairman of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Their dedication, expertise and scientific advancements are recognized by membership in this Society, and reflect positively on our institution as a whole. The achievements of our clinical, translational and laboratory investigators are ultimately what allow us to deliver the best possible treatments and care to our patients, today and in the future.”

The newest members will be honored at the Society for Pediatric Research annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada on May 3, 2014. Researchers to be recognized include:

Jamie Wood, MD, is director of the Clinical Diabetes Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and specializes in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and clinical care. Her program was recently selected to take part in a multi-center study to test the efficacy and safety of metformin—a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes—in overweight patients with T1D. Wood is also an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Robinder Khemani, MD, works in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. His research involves children on mechanical ventilation, and he is a part of an international consensus group to define pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Khemani recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop and validate new techniques that quantify upper airway obstruction after endotracheal tube removal in children.

Vincent Wang, MD, MHA, is the associate division head for Emergency Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He is involved in various research projects with colleagues, including the multi-center bronchiolitis “WIND Study,” which is investigating causes of severe bronchiolitis in children. Wang is also working on other emergency medicine-related projects involving asthma, urinary tract infections and bacteremia.

Yong-Mi Kim, MD, MPH, PhD, is an investigator in the division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She investigates acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. She is working to characterize the biological pathway of cancer and develop new ALL treatments for children who are resistant to traditional chemotherapies.

Douglas Vanderbilt, MD, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He heads the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship and other interdisciplinary training programs to train the next generation of leaders in the field. Vanderbilt also assesses high-risk infants for developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders, and conducts clinical research to examine the interaction of patients with these conditions and caregiver psychological distress.

Toni Frederick, PhD, MSPH, is an epidemiologist and research associate professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She previously worked as chief epidemiologist for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and continues to act as a liaison between educational and governmental institutions in Southern California. Frederick’s work concentrates on the prevention of perinatal HIV infection in the United States and across the world.

The Society for Pediatric Research fosters progress in research that benefits the health and well being of children. Election into the SPR provides a gateway for investigators to enhance their own research through annual conferences and journal publications. This interdisciplinary communication fosters advancements in the field of pediatric research, and ultimately, in the treatment and care of children.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the top five in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.

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Contacts

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Ellin Kavanagh, (323) 361-8505
ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu

Release Summary

Six researchers from The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of USC were recently selected to join the Society for Pediatric Research.

Contacts

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Ellin Kavanagh, (323) 361-8505
ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu