Peds R Us
Department of Pediatrics
Rutgers RWJMS
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Enjoy our newsletter. Your feedback and comments are welcome! |
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In Memory of Suzanne Anderson |
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We would like to dedicate this issue of the newsletter to our dear colleague and friend, Suzanne.
As you know, she was responsible for the newsletter, took upon the task with enthusiasm and flair, and produced exceptional publications, which made us shine.
Suzanne was an invaluable member of our Administrative team. She will be missed more than words can express.
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Spring 2021 Highlights
Co-directors Named for New Health Equity Curricular Thread- Shilpa Pai, MD
The Curriculum Committee has approved a new thread for the four-year curriculum to join the current threads in evidence-based medicine and health systems science. The health equity thread will integrate key content across courses and clerkships and will be overseen by co-directors Shilpa Pai, MD and Brad K. Kamitaki, MD. The inaugural co-directors will ensure that health equity is “hard-wired” into everything we do as teachers, learners and health care providers by working with faculty, students and community partners, creating an advisory panel, and developing learner and faculty educational programming.
Dr. Pai is associate professor of pediatrics, and practices pediatrics at Eric B. Chandler Health Center.
Dr. Kamataki is an assistant professor of neurology. He joined the medical school in 2018.
Dr. Sally Radovick Named Chair of the NIH Integrative and Clinical Endocrinology and Reproduction Study Section
Chair of Pediatrics Sally Radovick, MD, was named chair of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Integrative and Clinical Endocrinology and Reproduction Study Section, beginning July 1. Study sections review grant applications submitted to the NIH, make recommendations on the applications to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board and survey the status of research in their fields of science. These functions are of great value to medical and allied research.
Dr. Radovick was nominated because of her demonstrated competence and achievement in pediatric endocrinology as evidenced by the quality of her research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors.
The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities provides COVID-19 Resources
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities has developed a number of resources to address the informational needs of the developmental disabilities community in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Department of Human Services and The Boggs Center recently partnered to produce a webinar for COVID-19 vaccination sites about considerations for individuals with disabilities. The webinar serves as a guide to help ensure vaccines are accessible to all New Jerseyans. The suggested accommodations provided in the webinar can be applied broadly to any health care setting or to promote a healthier New Jersey for everyone.
The Boggs Center also created fact sheets and social stories to provide accessible information about COVID-19 vaccines, help people with developmental disabilities understand what to expect at vaccination appointments and increase comfort with face masks. Resources including information on emotional well-being and mental health, employment and financial assistance, supporting students with disabilities, emergency planning and grief and loss can be found on The Boggs Center’s Information and Resources Related to COVID-19 web page here.
Roseann Marone Named Distinguished Alumni by School of Public Health
Congratulations to Roseann Marone, MPH, BSN, RN, assistant professor of pediatrics and program coordinator of the Robert Wood Johnson AIDS Program, who was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Rutgers School of Public Health. Ms. Marone earned her master's of public health from the school in 1993 and gave an address to the Class of 2021 during the school's virtual Convocation ceremony.
The Boggs Center celebrated the graduation of the 2020-2021 NJLEND Fellows
In May, The Boggs Center celebrated the graduation of the 2020-2021 NJLEND Fellows at the New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NJLEND) program’s 5th annual Maternal and Child Health Leadership Symposium. Held virtually, the event featured a keynote address, “The Meaning of Resilience: Building Self-Healing Communities,” by Dave Ellis, founding executive director of the Office of Resilience, New Jersey Department of Children and Families. There were brief video presentations by each of the 20 graduating NJLEND Fellows sharing their personal definitions of leadership, the culmination of the year-long Defining Leadership: Charting Your Trajectory Learning Exercise.
NJLEND Fellows presented their Leadership Project Posters at a separate virtual session on Friday, April 30, sharing the culmination of their year-long projects with each other and the NJLEND Faculty.
Congratulations to the 2020-2021 NJLEND Fellows and Boggs Center Interdisciplinary Trainees: Alexandra Gil, MA; Alexis M. Morgan, BS; Ana Carolina Ford, BSN, RN; Angela Otto-Ryan, BSN, RN, CBC; Angela Alberti, MEd, BSN, RN; Brie Marisa Latini; Isabella Massaro, BA; John Palatucci, MPA; Karen Stanfar, MPH, RDN, LD; Kelly McGrath, BA, CSW, LSW; Lena Qasem, BSN, RN; Michelle Shulman-Repole, MSN, MPH, APN, CPNP-PC; Nadejda Tomarev, MD; Norna P. Jules, BS; Odeilis Dominguez, MD; Samantha Breitbart, BSN, RN; Sharon Plafker Artz, PsyD; Stephanie L. Michael, BA, IMH-E; Susan Colacello; Tara Palamarik; Ariana Gover-Chamlou; Dillon Reitmeyer, MSW; Morgan Neumann; and Marina Khrizman, DO.
In the news
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Annual Clinical Faculty Award Recipients
The Department of Pediatrics announced its 2021 Clinical Faculty Awardees. Faculty were selected based on established criteria and guidelines met according to the categories listed below.
Congratulations to this year's recipients!
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Monica Chugh, MD
Clinical Award for Excellence in Service and Professionalism
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Amisha Malhotra, MD
Clinical Award for Excellence in Quality and Safety
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Jennifer Owensby, MD
Clinical Award for Excellence in Collaboration and Teamwork
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Women G.R.O.W Program | Rutgers Center for Women in Business
Tracey Sharp, Program Manger/assistant to Sally Radovick, MD was selected to participate as a mentee in the Rutgers Center for Women in Business Women G.R.O.W Mentorship Program. The virtual group mentoring experience focused on supporting mid-career women as they advance throughout their careers. The cohort was led by One Mentor and One Coach, and included fellow mentees from a mixture of job functions and industries.
In the news
Immune Response to COVID-19 May Be Proportional to Illness Severity, Duration
People who have had severe or long-lasting cases of COVID-19 are more likely to have high levels of an important antibody needed to fight against future infection, according to a Rutgers study.
The study, co-lead-authored by Daniel B. Horton, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology, appeared in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. It featured more than two dozen Rutgers researchers and was part of the Rutgers Corona Cohort study.
The study showed that most participants had sustained immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies up to six months after infection regardless of symptom severity. However, antibody production varied based on the severity of symptoms: 96 percent of participants who had severe symptoms were found to have IgG, compared to 89 percent of the participants with mild to moderate symptoms and 79 percent who were asymptomatic.
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Fall 2021 Highlights
SIDS Center Hosts Webinar Series During SIDS Awareness Month
The SIDS Center of New Jersey hosted a month-long virtual educational series in October as part of SIDS Awareness Month. The first webinar in the series held on Oct. 6 focused on how the pandemic affects social and health factors that increase the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, including a discussion of vaccine safety. Barbara Ostfeld, PhD, professor of pediatrics and program director of the SIDS Center, hosted the event, which featured an interview with Patricia Whitley-Williams, MD, professor and chief of allergy, immunology and infectious diseases and associate dean for diversity and inclusion, conducted by Patricia Suplee, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden and program manager of the SIDS Center.
Dr. Cato Varlack Selected to AAMC Committee to Foster Anti-Racist Learning Environments
Janice Cato Varlack, MD, assistant dean for student affairs and multicultural affairs, was selected to join the AAMC working group entitled Constructing an Equitable, Inclusive, and Anti-racist Medical Education Learning Environment.
The committee was developed as part of the AAMC's Strategic Action Plan 1 to Strengthen the medical education continuum for transformed health care and learning environments.
Dr. Cato Varlack shared, "I am excited, and I hope through being a member of this working group that I will be able to bring back helpful initiatives for us to use here at the medical school."
Congratulations, Dr. Cato Varlack!
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2021 Department of Pediatrics announced its RBHS Chancellor Awardees |
Suzanne L. Anderson, program assistant in the Chair's Office of the Department of Pediatrics -- Sustained Service Award -- for her unwavering support for a division, a department and to RWJMS in the midst of a challenge, exemplifying a positive attitude, persistence, professionalism and fortitude.
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Kathleen Faup, faculty practice manager, Department of Pediatrics -- Leadership Award -- for being a creative problem-solver and leader during RWJMS clinical services pod reorganization, COVID transformation of services, and EPIC implementation
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Daniel B. Horton, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology -- Clinical or Health Sciences Investigator Award (Early Career) -- for his institutional contributions to advancing child health research at Rutgers
Congratulations to this year's recipients!
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American College of Rheumatology: Meeting Abstracts
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Outcomes of COVID-19 Illness in Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases and Changes in Flares During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Survey
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Methotrexate Withdrawal and Outcomes in Participants with Well-Controlled Non-systemic JIA within the CARRA Registry
In the news
Dr. Kleinman Advocates for Continued Masking and Precautions to Reduce Risks of COVID-19 in Children
Early in the pandemic Lawrence C. Kleinman, MD, MPH, FAAP, professor of pediatrics, cautioned that children were not spared from contracting COVID-19, and in the year since he has been a leading advocate and voice for mindful COVID-19 policy that helps to protect children.
In a recently released video, Dr. Kleinman discusses the risk to children’s health posed by COVID-19 and specifically, the Delta variant. He is hopeful that a vaccine for children age 5 through 12 will receive emergency use authorization during the fall and strongly encourages vaccination. He advocates that parents, caregivers, and all who interact with children, should wear masks even if they are vaccinated, when in public indoor spaces (including schools and stores), and when in close quarters with others outdoors.
Dr. Kleinman concludes with an important message, “Parents need to remember that coronavirus is still around, it can harm children, and masking and social distancing are critical to reducing the risk for children and the adults that are close to them.”
RWJMS Faculty Collaborate on Family Literacy Program
A family literacy program developed by Manuel Jimenez, MD, MS, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics and family medicine and community health, is helping support school readiness for pre-K children in New Brunswick who come from low-income Latino backgrounds.
For the past two years, the program has been offered via Zoom in the summer, featuring eight one-hour sessions focused on a series of literacy-oriented activities centered on health and wellness themes.
"Our program is based on a comprehensive view of the child and a 360-degree approach to health and well-being," said Dr. Jimenez.
The program, funded in part by a seed grant from Rutgers Global Health Institute, is run in partnership with faculty and staff at the medical school, Eric B. Chandler Health Center, Rutgers Graduate School of Education, Rutgers--Camden Department of World Languages, and the Greater Brunswick Charter School.
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Faculty Promotions Effective 7/1/2021 |
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Katie Devine Recuay, PhD from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor
Joseph Gaffney, MD from Associate Professor to Professor
James Luckey, MD from RBHS Instructor to Assistant Professor
Maureen Madden, DNP from Associate Professor to Professor
Robert Manduley, MD from Associate Professor to Professor
Ian Marshall, MD from Associate Professor to Professor
Cynthia Salvant, MD from RBHS Instructor to Assistant Professor
Michele Takyi, MD from RBHS Instructor to Assistant Professor
Prerna Trivedy, MBBS from RBHS Instructor to Assistant Professor
Shoshana Zitter, MD from RBHS Instructor to Assistant Professor
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Feel-Good Story: Kudos to Dr. Koniaris! |
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Grace Wilgucki, a recent graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, discusses her journey as a student and credits Soula Koniaris, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, as one of the key people who inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.
I told Grace when I diagnosed her that I would do everything in my power to make sure her Crohn's would not interfere with what she wanted to do in her life. I am so proud of her! I am blessed to be in the field of medicine. It is truly a privilege to care for patients and their families.
Congratulations, Dr. Koniaris! Thank you for your contributions to our medical school community and to the community we serve!
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New Faculty/Staff
April 2021
Gaetan Barbet, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Immunobiology
May 2021
Milen Velinov, MD, Associate Professor and Division Director, Medical Genetics
June 2021
Felicia Balsamo, Temporary Research Assistant
July 2021
Soheil Afsharpour, MD, Housestaff, PGY I
Diane Algava, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Sari Bentsianov, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Population Health, Quality and Implementation Sciences/Adolescent Medicine
Clare Bozso, DO, Housestaff, PGY IV
Ezra Chefitz, DO, Housestaff, PGY-1
Sara Fadem, Postdoctoral Fellow
Patricia Hoffman, DO, Housestaff, PGY-1
Cassandra Louis, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Critical Care Medicine
Akreeti Maskey-Pagodin, MD, Chief Resident
Amy Miner, MD, Housestaff, PGY IV
Samanta Mukkamala, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Gabriel Munoz, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Christina Nashed, DO, Housestaff, PGY-1
Jessica Ohiri, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Christopher Ramirez, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Fnu Rhythm, MD, Housestaff, PGY IV
Sruchika Sabu, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Kristine Schmitz, MD, Assistant Professor, Clinical Educator, Division of Population Health, Quality and Implementation Sciences/Primary Care
Esha Shah, MD, RBHS Instructor, Division of Population Health, Quality and Implementation Sciences/Primary Care
Manan Shah, MD, RBHS Instructor, Division of Neonatology
Pardeep Sidhu, MD, Housestaff, PGY-1
Jessica Silver, Temporary Research Assistant
Esther Thoby, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine
Sarah Yavelberg, MD, Chief Resident
August 2021
Susan Dibs, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine
Fahmida Islam, MD, RBHS Instructor, Division of Hospital Medicine
Karishma Parikh, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Child Neurology
September 2021
Jyotsna Grandhi, Temporary Research Assistant
Manette Ness-Cochinwala, MD, RBHS Instructor, Division of Critical Care Medicine
October 2021
Barrie Cohen, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Ashle Laidlaw, Training and Consultation Specialist
Michael Rozylowicz, Temporary Research Assistant
Vadim Ten, MD, Professor and Division Director, Neonatology
Qi Yang, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Immunobiology
November 2021
Zoya Niatsetskaya, Research Scientist III
Sergei Sosunov, Research Scientist III
Anatoly Starkov, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Neonatology
Amanda Spinner, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Child Neurology
December 2021
Kathryn Kean, MD, RBHS Instructor, Division of Emergency Medicine
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