Dr. MacKenzi Preston was awarded the Brause Family Award for Medical Education, Research and Patient Care for her project, “Leveraging Large Language Models to Enhance OSCE Feedback and Competency Tracking.”

Dr. Sallie Permar received a $20.8M grant from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases for a project entitled “Translating germline-targeting HIV Env SOSIP immunization of infants: targeting bnAbs in early life.” 

Dr. Ashley Nelson received a $6.3M grant from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases for a project entitled “An early life multivalent immunization strategy for induction of neutralization breadth.” 

Pediatric Fellows' Research in Progress takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Third and second-year fellows present their ongoing academic scholarship work. Stay tuned for this month's presenters.

We Need Your Voices for Vaccines

Pediatricians’ chat groups have been busy in the aftermath of the recent ACIP meetings. American Families for Vaccines have made it easy to contact your representatives. Weigh in with your thoughts on issues like:

• Upholding evidence-based vaccine protections in your state
• Supporting strong pediatric and infectious disease expertise on advisory panels
• Pushing back against federal decisions driven by ideology, not science
• Defending families’ right to protect their children from preventable disease

Just click here for turnkey activation to reach your lawmakers. Remember to use your personal email since you are reaching out as a constituent rather than a Weill Cornell representative.

Social Media Influence & Advocacy 

Social media has evolved as more than a medium to share family photos and memes. More and more people are looking to social media channels for news and information. Fellow pediatricians and even the Academy of Pediatrics have taken note. AAP has enlisted an inaugural team of pediatrician influencers to share their expertise and knowledge through short videos. Their candor and authenticity are evident in how they use storytelling techniques to convey complex information and enlist advocacy support. Chief among the issues they cover are vaccines, Medicaid, loan repayment, and debunking misinformation on a variety of fronts. Let Ilina Das Ewen know if you’re interested in honing your social media advocacy skills. 

Dr. Kimberley Chien will be co-director of the NASPGHAN Junior Faculty Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Virginia Pascual was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S).

Dr. Sallie Permar was elected to the Association of American Physicians (AAP). 

Anya Knoblock was honored with the Game Changer Award as part of the Cornell University President’s Awards for Employee Excellence.

Drs. Hadley Brighton & Jimin Lee

Parent and Clinician Perceptions of Suctioning in Hospitalized Children With Bronchiolitis 

Dr. Lisa Giulino-Roth

On the CHOPping block? Rethinking initial therapy for PMBCL

Dr. Nitya Gulati

Advances in the diagnosis and management of pediatric Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Rosai-Dorfman disease: therapies, biomarkers, and response assessment

Dr. Nicole Kelly

Admissions for Pediatric Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders: A National Database Study 

Dr. Sallie Permar joined Jim Strong and Mitchell Silverman to kick off this year’s NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Thanksgiving Day Pediatric Meals Drive 2025. Twenty-three years ago, Jim’s family spent Thanksgiving on the 6th floor and discovered that no holiday meal was available for pediatric patients and their families. He committed to ensuring that no family would spend Thanksgiving in the hospital without a special meal, sparking a lasting tradition. Since then, Jim and his college friend Mitchell, in partnership with the Family Advisory Council, have made sure pediatric patients and staff enjoy a festive Thanksgiving meal every year. What started at Komansky has since expanded to include the Brooklyn and Queens campuses.

They expressed gratitude to the donors, families, physicians, and friends who keep the tradition alive. They also invited others to join them in supporting the effort by clicking the provided link.

Dr. Zachary Grinspan delivered a presentation at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, during the SLC6A1 Connect annual family and scientific gathering.

Dr. Sallie Permar highlights the critical importance of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns in a recent Here’s What We Know segment. She explains that the vaccine provides lifelong protection against a serious and potentially life-threatening infection, helping prevent chronic liver disease and liver cancer. Health experts strongly recommend that all newborns receive their first dose shortly after birth. Watch video to learn more.

Dr. Shipra Kaicker served as a moderator at the 3rd International Congress of the Global Action for Sickle Cell & Other Inherited Blood Disorders.

She also delivered two oral presentations at the Annual Society of Hematology Meeting in Orlando, Florida, presenting research on the use of germline genetic testing to identify inborn errors of immunity in children with single and multi-lineage immune cytopenias in a large U.S. cohort, as well as the end-of-study results from the ICON3 Pines Phase 3 randomized trial comparing eltrombopag with standard first-line therapy for newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia in children.

Happy Holidays from the Micro Lab, which is sharing its festive agar art crafted by Renata, one of their talented Medical Laboratory Scientists. This year’s design features both bacteria and yeast—because why stick to bacteria when fungi can join the celebration too?

We’re excited to announce the launch of our department’s new blog — a space to share stories, research, and insights from across our community. From research highlights to personal reflections, our blog is designed to be a platform where every voice can be heard. Our latest post explores why communicating science effectively is essential to reach everyone.

Schedule your Professional Headshot

External Affairs has established "headshot days" to fill the business need for standardized institutional headshots, particularly for clinical faculty profiles. 

Employees in need of headshots may sign up for a 10-minute time slot through Microsoft Bookings (login required).

Stay tuned for upcoming headshot days here!

Department of Pediatrics Holiday Party

Enjoy great food, music, and festive fun to celebrate the work you do all year long!

Date: December 22, 2025

Time: 5:30-7:30 PM

Location: Griffis Faculty Club

RSVP Here!

2nd Annual Multidisciplinary Care of Autistic Youth Conference

This two-day virtual event is open to all, including mental health and pediatric professionals and trainees, parents and caregivers, self-advocates, and members of the community.

CME and CE credits will be offered.

Dates: January 22, 2026 | 8:30am-4:30pm

January 23, 2026 | 8:30am-4:15pm

Location: Virtual

Register by emailing wcmpsychiatryce@med.cornell.edu

Global Infectious Diseases Across a Woman's Lifespan Course

Date: May 13-15, 2026

Email wgh@med.cornell.edu for more information.