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This Month In Pediatrics
September 2025
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Saving NIH Grant Aims for Childhood Vaccine Against HIV
Dr. Sallie Permar, along with Drs. Genevieve Fouda and Ashley Nelson, are leading a collaborative, multi-institutional team that has received a five-year, $20.8 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support the preclinical development of a promising experimental HIV vaccine. Read more here!
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How Studying Kids' Immunity Might Lead to a Universal Flu Vaccine
Children under five are especially vulnerable to flu, second only to seniors in hospitalization rates, according to the CDC. Dr. Patrick Wilson is leading research to understand how we can develop a universal flu vaccine that would offer lasting protection against multiple flu strains, starting in early childhood. Read more here!
| | | Appointments & Promotions | | Dr. Asim Shahid has been appointed Director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program. In this new role, Dr. Shahid will work closely with Dr. Juan Pascual, Division Chief of Child Neurology and Pediatric Neurosurgery, to expand pediatric epilepsy and pediatric epilepsy surgery services. He will also provide guidance in the development and implementation of new programs and services in the division. | | Dr. Kalliope Tsirilakis has been appointed Director of Pediatrics Quality and Patient Safety Initiatives at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. In this role, she will provide strategic leadership and active support for service excellence across the Medical Center. Working in close collaboration with the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and the Vice President of Ambulatory Quality and Care Coordination, Dr. Tsirilakis will evaluate and advance the quality, patient safety, and clinical experience within the pediatric care delivery model. As the physician lead for the Department of Pediatrics in quality and patient safety, she will also serve as a key resource and mentor in these areas. In addition to this appointment, Dr. Tsirilakis will continue to serve as Director of Pediatric Pulmonology and Clinical Director of the Pediatric Asthma Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. | | Dr. Jennifer Lee has been appointed Inpatient Medical Director of Greenberg 6N/6C. In this role, Dr. Lee will report to Dr. Bruce Greenwald, Executive Vice Chair of Operations, and will work closely with Dr. Erika Abramson, Section Chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Lee will collaborate with NYP nursing leadership, ACQO, and ACMO. She will also serve as Director of Inpatient Quality, working closely with Dr. Nena Osorio to advance the department’s quality mission. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities for inpatient care, Dr. Lee’s priorities will include furthering the quality program for the inpatient setting. | |
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Dr. Zachary Grinspan will have five Weill Cornell medical students presenting posters at the upcoming Child Neurology Society Annual Conference this October.
Student projects include:
- Ashwin Mahesh – Developing a seizure detection pipeline for SLC6A1-related epilepsy
- Nuran Golbasi – Evaluating LLM-generated clinical summaries in pediatric epilepsy transitions
- Asmita Mittal – Reproductive and bone health counseling for adolescent females with epilepsy
- Zion Iverson – Measuring linguistic bias in medical records of children with drug-resistant epilepsy
- Lexa Harpel – Assessing diagnostic approaches to pediatric autoimmune encephalitis
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Lisa Goto, MD
Division of Critical Care
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Sushma Krishna, MD
Division of Neonatology
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John Mascari, MD
Division of Neonatology
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Paridhi Shah, MD
Division of Child Neurology
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Ranjini Srinivasan, MD
Division of Cardiology
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Dr. Sallie Permar and the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) have received a four-year, $648,000 grant to support the program’s mission of strengthening the pediatric workforce. The funding will help sustain and expand efforts to develop early-career pediatric subspecialists with strong research potential.
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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. This month's presenters are:
Paul Mandaro, MD (Third Year Critical Care Fellow)
Topic: "The Effect of Simulation Based Educational Initiatives on Pediatric Trainee Educational Outcomes in Pediatric Critical Care Units: A Systematic Review"
Kasia Stoj, MD (Second Year Hospital Medicine Fellow)
Topic: "Impact of a Pediatric Reflex Urine Testing Algorithm Across a Multihospital Network"
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Advocacy in Action
The 411 on Advocacy
Reminder that University Policy 4.18, Political Campaign Activity means that we can’t use work email address, Cornell name, logo, seal, or insignia for political advocacy activities. But you can use your personal email address and personal social media to continue to use your OUTSIDE voice. You can still act in your capacity as a private citizen and constituent. And we really need a loud chorus of voices right now!
Our government relations team is here to help if you have any questions.
Advocacy Update Reminder
This fall, vice chairs will share updates on their advocacy goals from the advocacy retreat we had with Dr. Glenn Flores in May. Please send your top 3 goals to Ilina Ewen by Friday, October 10.
When shaping your plan, consider:
- 2–3 key policy areas that match your expertise
- Who represents you at the state and federal level
- Partners who can support your advocacy
- Skills you want to strengthen
Ilina is available to consult, speak with your department, draft communications, or help navigate advocacy efforts.
Join an Advocacy Group
From clinic to community to Capitol Hill, our new advocacy groups unite learners, faculty, and staff to champion child health. Together we’ll provide tools, tips, and turnkey ways to raise your voice.
Our four priorities:
- Workforce & Medicaid – Fair pay and access to quality care
- Vaccines – Access, trust, and strong policy
- Mental Health – Youth-centered care in schools and clinics
- Gun Safety – Safe storage and lifesaving policies
We need all your outside voices so join a group today! Email Ilina Ewen at ide4003@med.cornell.edu with the focus area you’d like to support.
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Dr. Elliott Gordon has been awarded the Pediatrics Young Investigator Award. This award is to assist talented, promising, and motivated junior investigators during the transition to academic junior faculty positions with the ultimate goal of developing an independent academic career.
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| | Dr. Emily Ahn from the division of Neonatology has won the Samuel Z. Levine International Fellowship in Child Health Award. | | | |
| | Dr. Oleh Akchurin was designated as a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN). This designation honors members of the Society who have distinguished themselves through excellence in practice or research. FASN status represents recognition by the Society of outstanding credentials, high professional achievement, commitment to the field, and demonstrated scholarship. | | | |
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Dr. Alyson Weiner has been nominated by her colleagues and selected as a recipient of the 2025 Advanced Practice Provider Award. This honor reflects her exceptional commitment to delivering the safest, highest-quality care to our patients.
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Dr. Ramon Gist has been accepted for Fellowship in the American College of Critical Care Medicine. This acceptance into the College was based on Dr. Gist's commitment to the ideals and practice of interprofessional critical care.
| | | | Click here to view publications by faculty members published in the last 30 days! | | |
| | A new study led by Dr. Katie Travis reveals that “kangaroo care” — skin-to-skin contact — may have neuroprotective effects in preterm infants. Conducted by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, Burke Neurological Institute, and Stanford Medicine, the study found even short sessions were linked to positive changes in brain areas related to emotional regulation. This is especially promising, as over half of preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental challenges. Read full story here! | | | |
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Members of the Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) are once again participating in the NYC Marathon! Dr. Jennifer Salant is running for her fourth consecutive year, while Stevie Douglas, PACT Chaplain, is running for the first time. They are fundraising to support PACT’s clinical and educational programs, including bereavement services. All donations are tax-deductible and greatly benefit patients and families.
Learn more and contribute here! Let's help spread the word!
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| | Dr. Nicole Kucine was recently appointed co-chair of the CML/MPN Working Group within the Children’s Oncology Group’s Myeloid Disease Committee and presented on her new role at the COG Fall Meeting in New Orleans this month. She is also a featured speaker at MPN Advocacy & Education International’s 11th Annual Women & MPN Conference in New York. | | | |
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Dr. Michelle Loy has been named a Faculty Fellow at the Cornell Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision and Health. Last month, the Center launched a new podcast titled Conversations from the Precision Nutrition Kitchen, with Dr. Loy as their very first invited guest. In the premiere episode, recorded in their teaching kitchen in Ithaca, she joined the host to explore how culinary medicine, microbiome science, and integrative pediatrics intersect in real-world practice. Together, they discussed the power of food as medicine, shared a nourishing recipe for gluten-free sourdough bread, and reflected on how flavor and function can work hand-in-hand to support healing. Watch and listen via the links below!
Full Video | Podcast
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Dr. Asim Shahid joined the NYP EFMNY Epilepsy Walk in the city, representing with strong support from both Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University Pediatrics and Adult Epilepsy providers.
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Dr. Laurie Gordon and Blakely Rice gave a presentation during the Academic Pediatric Association's APA Advocacy Skills-Building Campaign: Art & Activism webinar.
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Dr. Claire Otero’s abstract, titled "Cytomegalovirus Viral Fc Gamma Receptors as Vaccine Antigens to Enhance Anti-Viral Fc-Mediated Effector Antibody Functions," has been selected for an oral presentation at the Bright Sparks Early Research Session during the 2025 ISV Annual Congress.
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Nominate Your Peers Now for the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors!
Each year, Castle Connolly honors exceptional physicians for their clinical expertise, patient care, and leadership. In 2025, 445 WCM providers across 66 specialties were named Top Doctors.
We invite you to nominate WCM physicians who exemplify these qualities. Please only nominate those not already on the list, as Top Doctor status is typically a lifetime designation.
To check if a colleague is already recognized, look for the Top Doctors badge on their physician profile before submitting.
Nominate here!
Register with Castle Connolly here!
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Celebrating Our Pediatric Physician Assistants
National Physician Assistant Week, observed annually from October 6–12 honors the essential contributions of Physician Assistants and raises awareness of their integral role in healthcare. Within the WCM Pediatric Department, we are proud to have 37 dedicated Pediatric PAs who provide 24/7 coverage across Alexandra Cohen’s Well-Baby Newborn and Transitional Nurseries, as well as the pediatric inpatient, step-down, and ICU units at Komansky Children’s Hospital.
Please join us in recognizing and celebrating their dedication and impact—not just during PA Week, but every week.
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Primary Care of the NICU Graduates
Over the course of the day-long session, attendees will hear from speakers from general pediatrics, pediatric subspecialists, including pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, and endocrinologists, as well as from other departments, including pediatric surgery, ophthalmology, psychology, nutrition, and feeding therapy. The division of neonatology will review prenatal management of a family requiring NICU care and the long-term outcomes of NICU graduates.
Date: November 3, 2025
Time: 9 AM-5 PM
Location: 1283 York Ave DHK 301/302 and Zoom
Register Here!
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Shout-out to Janet Lam for her outstanding dedication to the PSDP program! Praised by departments nationwide, Janet has secured new funding and is now appointing new scholars, leading the program through every challenge with resilience and vision. We’re truly lucky to have her on our team!
Shout-out to Gaby Stern (Child Life Specialist) and Gretchen Greenlee (Transition Coordinator) for co-leading an incredible workshop at the 33rd Annual Florida Association of Child Life Professionals Conference! Their session, “Creating the Pediatric Sickle Cell Child Life and Transition Program: A Model for Expansion of Services,” offered powerful insights into building impactful programs, closing service gaps, and scaling up support — all through the lens of their innovative Pediatric Sickle Cell Child Life and Transition Program.
A heartfelt shout-out from a patient’s parent to Drs. Aimee Parow and Matthew Smith-Raska for their exceptional medical care. They were professional, compassionate, and thorough. Huge thanks to the entire NICU team for their fantastic work!
Drs. Sujit Sheth, Hannah Kim and Zachary Grinspan were among the top pediatric physicians with stellar Google review ratings this month!
Share your appreciation for colleagues by submitting a shout-out for inclusion in the department newsletter here!
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