In this Issue:

• Midwestern Symposium Explores Environmental Influences on Pediatric Cancer and Congenital Anomalies
• Don't Forget to Register/Submit an Abstract for CHRI Scientific Conference
• CHRI Priorities & Activities: Update from Executive Director Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD
• Haiying Shen, MD, PhD, Named CoNDA Phase II Research Project Leaders
• Using Generative AI to Assist with Peer Review Tasks: What is Permissible?
• Office of Research & Development Announces Research Opportunities
• Disseminating Discoveries - September Publications
• Funding Opportunities
• Welcome New Members

On Oct. 7, the Midwestern Symposium on Environmental Determinants of Pediatric Cancer and Congenital Anomalies provided a platform for research presentations, panel discussions and collaborative opportunities. The symposium took place on the campus of UNMC and was sponsored by the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) and UNMC's College of Public Health. 

Dele Davies, MD, interim chancellor of UNMC, opened the event with a bold vision: to position Nebraska as the state with the lowest cancer rates in the nation within the next decade. While Nebraska currently ranks 22nd in age-adjusted cancer incidence rates (2017–2021), it holds the 10th position for childhood cancer during the same period, according to the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Davies emphasized the importance of collective action and innovative research to achieve this ambitious goal. 

A recurring theme throughout the symposium was the shared challenges in identifying environmental contributors to pediatric cancer and congenital anomalies. Panelists highlighted barriers such as limited access to relevant data, navigating government regulations and the critical need for effective community engagement. Clinicians also underscored the importance of framing these discussions in a way that avoids placing guilt on parents for their children’s illnesses. 

Don Coulter, MD, director of CHRI’s Pediatric Cancer Research Group, and Jesse Bell, PhD, Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Water, Climate and Health, shared insights from their work with agricultural communities. They noted the commitment of farmers to safeguard their families’ health and ensure sustainable, safe farming practices for future generations. This collaboration between healthcare and agriculture sectors exemplifies the potential for cross-disciplinary partnerships to address environmental health challenges. 

One success story presented by Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, PhD, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, highlighted a Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services program that enables private well owners to test their water quality. This initiative has empowered citizens to take proactive steps in ensuring safe drinking water, a critical factor in reducing environmental health risks. 

The keynote address was delivered by Thomas Luben, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Dr. Luben shared his groundbreaking research on the impacts of air pollution and the built environment on birth defects and early-life survival, offering valuable insights into how environmental exposures shape pediatric health outcomes. 

The symposium served as a call to action for healthcare professionals, researchers, patient families, philanthropic groups and government stakeholders to partner to achieve meaningful steps to improve health outcomes through environmental health research and advocacy. 

Pediatric researchers,

Register by Nov. 25 for the CHRI Scientific Conference on Dec. 3 at the Scott Conference Center on the campus of UNO. 

Submit your abstracts by noon, Nov. 3, to share your research at the CHRI Scientific Conference.

Remember, this is your opportunity as a CHRI member to share your best research over the past year, regardless if you have presented it in any other setting. 

The conference keynote speaker will be Marius George Linguraru, DPhil, MA, MSc, the Connor Family Professor and Endowed Chair in Research and Innovation at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. He will present on the subject, "Ethical AI for Children's Health and Rare Diseases." 

Register

Research Submission

Outstanding scientific work will be recognized via opportunities to present during the CHRI Scientific conference. Abstract submission will be open until noon, November 3, 2025. Investigators who submit must be registered or register for the conference by the registration deadline (November 25).

 Abstract Submission Form

Research Submission

Outstanding scientific work will be recognized via opportunities to present during the CHRI Scientific conference. Abstract submission will be open until October 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Investigators who submit must be registered or register for the CHRI Conference by the registration deadline (November 25).

Haiyin Shen, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Neurology, has been named a Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Phase II research project leader. 

Neurocognitive disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling health conditions worldwide. Prevalence of both neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and age-related neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise, presenting an urgent need to identify mechanisms and treatments. The CoNDA Center, a multi-institutional Center of Biomedical Research Excellence based at UNMC, addresses these needs. 

Dr. Shen was selected for his research project, "Modulating PNNs to Mitigate Epileptogenesis and Neurobehavioral Deficits in Mouse Models." 

"Epilepsy is a brain disorder where seizures become frequent and long-lasting over time," he said. "While current medications can help control seizures, they do not stop epilepsy from developing, and their effectiveness often decreases with use." 

A key factor in this process is the breakdown of protective structures around brain cells called perineuronal nets (PNNs). These nets support specific brain cells that help keep brain activity balanced. However, during seizures, harmful enzymes break down PNNs, leading to increased seizure risk and cognitive problems. 

"Our research aims to understand how PNNs influence epilepsy development and whether preserving them can prevent seizures from worsening," he said. "In this CoNDA research project, we will study how PNNs change in different stages of epilepsy, how a key protein, OTX2, helps maintain PNN strength, and whether a safe, FDA-approved drug, dolutegravir, can protect PNNs and reduce seizures." 

By learning how to keep PNNs intact, Dr. Shen and his team hope to develop new treatments that not only control seizures but also prevent epilepsy from progressing. 

The first two posts in this series examined current guidelines and best practices for using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in writing manuscripts and grant proposals. This month we focus on the current state of using generative AI tools to expedite peer review tasks. 

The more you establish yourself as a published researcher, the more frequently journal editors and funding agencies request your voluntary and time-consuming service as a peer reviewer. There is an understandable attraction to AI technology that could speed up the work. Notices by the American Medical Association and Nature Springer are examples of respected publishers openly exploring how to eventually incorporate AI into the peer review processes of their journals. However, there are significant challenges.  

When you take on a peer review assignment, you are entrusted to handle the authors’ confidential submission responsibly, uphold scientific standards and offer expert assessments of the validity and importance of the research. So far, AI tools do not prioritize confidentiality; their summaries of the literature can be biased or based on fabrications; and they cannot weigh the value of new findings with the nuanced discernment of a human expert. With those caveats in mind, what reliable guidelines are currently available? 

Guidance from Journal Publishers 

Many journals align their policies with the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals,” by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The 2025 updated edition briefly addresses the use of generative AI by peer reviewers: 

“Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript as outlined above, which may prohibit the uploading of the manuscript to software or other AI technologies where confidentiality cannot be assured. Reviewers must request permission from the journal prior to using AI technology to facilitate their review.”  

A recent study queried 100 top journals for their instructions to reviewers on the use of AI. Forty-six of the journals expressly prohibited peer reviewers from using AI; 22 provided no guidance on the issue; and 32 allowed some limited uses of AI. Among the journals allowing limited AI use, all required reviewers to disclose how they used it, and most of them prohibited uploading manuscripts to a generative AI tool. 

The following excerpts from the websites of two prominent journals in pediatric medicine point out how much the guidance offered by different journals may differ. 

“Pediatrics does not allow the use of artificial intelligence, such as large language models (LLMs), for the peer review of manuscripts. Reviewers are invited based on their personal expertise. This expertise cannot be replicated by LLMs. In addition, there are concerns related to amplification of bias in existing LLM training data and confidentiality issues (e.g., potential incorporation of manuscript data or ideas into LLM training data).” 

Pediatrics Reviewer Guidelines, AAP 

“Reviewers must disclose if AI tools significantly assisted in their peer-review activities . . . AI-generated suggestions or analyses must be carefully reviewed and validated by reviewers for accuracy and relevance . . . Reviewers must ensure AI tools used for peer review adhere strictly to confidentiality and do not risk exposure of sensitive manuscript content.” 

Artificial intelligence (AI) policy, The Journal of Pediatric Research 

Given the lack of consensus, make sure you understand a specific journal’s policy before employing any AI tools in your review. Ask the editor for clarity. Be prepared to make a transparent disclosure when you submit the review. 

Guidance from Funding Agencies 

As noted in the UNMC AI Use Guidelines, current instruction from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on use of AI when reviewing research proposals is quite restrictive. The agency issued a notice in 2023 stating, in part: 

“The NIH prohibits NIH scientific peer reviewers from using natural language processors, large language models, or other generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for analyzing and formulating peer review critiques for grant applications and R&D contract proposals.” 

Foundations and professional societies that offer funding opportunities may have a range of policies in this area, but few seem to have posted such information online. One that has done so is the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA guidance prohibits use of AI tools in the review process just as strictly as the guidance from NIH. If an organization recruits you as a peer reviewer, be sure to ask for clarification before you employ any AI tools in the review.   

Conclusion 

The peer reviewer’s tasks will likely keep evolving as AI becomes more integrated in these processes, but journals and funders will still depend on you to weigh in using your own human intellect and expertise, while guarding confidential information. 

Office of Research & Development Announces Research Opportunities

The office of Research & Development is pleased to announce two opportunities to recognize and support exceptional research talent within our College. Both awards have a submission deadline of 5:00 PM on Friday, December 5, 2025.

Physician-Scientist Training Program

This program provides research-oriented residents, fellows, and junior faculty the opportunity to further develop careers in biomedical research. The award totals $200,000 over two years, comprising:

• $75,000 per year salary plus benefits
• $25,000 per year for supplies and operating expenses

Eligibility: Individuals recently hired as faculty (within 3 years) or as part of a recruitment package

Application Requirements:

• CV
• Four-page document including: brief description of previous research, statement of current research goals, and plan to achieve independent funding
• Letter of nomination from Department Chair and/or Division Chief discussing protected time for research

Joseph P. and Harriet K. Gilmore Distinguished New Investigator Award

This prestigious award recognizes the research accomplishments of faculty members emerging as outstanding independent investigators. Recipients will receive a monetary award and be honored at a symposium and reception sponsored by the Dean.

Eligibility: Assistant Professors with demonstrated excellence and productivity in research at UNMC (both basic scientists and clinical scientists encouraged)

Nomination Requirements:

• Nominating letter from supervisory position (Department Chair and/or Division Chief)
• Current CV of nominee

Submission Instructions

Both submissions should be sent to Mary Anne Phillippi at mphillippi@unmc.edu by 5:00 PM on Friday, December 5, 2025.

For questions regarding the Physician-Scientist Training Program or Gilmore Award eligibility, please contact Dr. Howard Fox at hfox@unmc.edu or (402) 559-4821, or Mary Anne Phillippi at (402) 639-3531.

.

Best,

Office of Research & Development

College of Medicine

Adolescent Sleep as a Transdiagnostic Factor: Associations Between Actigraphy-Derived Night-to-Night Sleep Metrics and Adolescent Psychopathology. Phillips EM, Goldberg EL, Brock RL, Hamburger ER, Nelson JM, Mason WA, Espy KA, Nelson TD*. JAACAP Open. 2025;3(3):701-12.

* Department of Psychology, UNL

Comparison of Immunomodulatory Therapies for Cardiovascular Clinical and Inflammatory Markers Outcomes in Mild to Moderately Ill Hospitalized Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Patients. Dachepally R*, Sarkis R, DonaireGarcia A, Kovvuri M, Jayasimha K, Chaturvedi A, Ali A, Panupattanapong S, Latifi S, Agarwal H. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. 2025;12(9).

* Division of Pediatric Critical Care

Dramatic Response to Neurostimulation in Children With Medically Intractable Epilepsy Related to Pseudoisodicentric Chromosome 15q Duplication: A Case Series. Lockard T, Koh S*, Thodeson DM*. Pediatric Neurology. 2025;170:129-32.

* Division of Pediatric Neurology

Evidence-based review of the nutritional treatment of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in children and adolescents. Karjoo S, Braglia-Tarpey A, Chan AP, Ayala-Germán AG, Herdes RE, Pai N, Sierra-Velez D, Whitehead B, Quirós-Tejeira RE*, Duro D. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2025;81(3):485-96.

* Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Ictal MEG-EEG Study to Localize the Onset of Generalized Seizures: To See Beyond What Meets the Eye. Gumenyuk V, Korzyukov O, Peled N, Landazuri P, Taraschenko O, Parker SM, Frank D, Pavuluri S*. Brain Sciences. 2025;15(9).

* Division of Pediatric Neurology

M344 Suppresses Histone Deacetylase-Associated Phenotypes and Tumor Growth in Neuroblastoma. Brumfield GL*, Doty KR, Knoche SM, Larson AC, Gephart BD, Coulter DW†, Solheim JC*. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025;26(17).

* Eppley Institute

† Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology

Novel biomarkers of fetal and neonatal environmental exposure, effect and susceptibility. Peeples ES*, Molloy EJ, Bearer CF. Pediatric Research. 2025;98(3):813-8.

* Division of Neonatology

Trends in the Management of Complex Febrile Seizures Across Children's Hospitals. Buscher JF, McConnell CR, Ortmann LA*, McLean C*, Kerns E*, Flores R, Lyden E†, Ma J, Yi J, Goodrich NP*, Simonsen K*, Deschamp A*, Koh S*, Nabower AM*. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2025;41(9):e87-e93.

* Department of Pediatrics

† Department of Biostatistics

Use and Outcomes of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Hospitalized Infants. Chegondi M, Ness-Cochinwala M, Schreiber H, Pinto M, Polikoff LA, Kothari H, Bloxham J, Kaipa S*, Bergman-Sieger A, Mancuso B, Harder T, Korn S, Gillette C, Taillie E, Cholette J, Kerris E, Johnson R, Faustino EVS. Hospital Pediatrics. 2025;15(9):748-57.

* Division of Pediatric Critical Care

• Makayla Blackstock, CHRI Clinical Study Coordinator 
• Shafeeque Kunhiabdullahm, MD, Assistant Professor, UNMC Division of Neonatology; Neonatologist, Children’s Nebraska 
• Artha Govind Lotliker, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology 
• Kathy Schall, MD, Assistant Professor, UNMC Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery; General Surgeon, Children's Nebraska 
• Meena Vessell, MD, Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, UNMC; Neurosurgeon, Children's Nebraska