Faculty

Tara K. Bastek, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician and neonatologist with WakeMed Physician Practices, a division of the WakeMed Health and Hospital network in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is an attending neonatologist at the Raleigh, Cary, and North campuses and medical director of the Raleigh neonatal intensive care unit. Prior to joining WakeMed, Dr. Bastek was an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Bastek received her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, completed an internship and residency at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, and a fellowship in newborn medicine/neonatology at Boston Children’s Hospital through Harvard Medical School. Dr. Bastek earned her master's degree in public health at the Harvard School of Public Health and completed a fellowship in medical ethics at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Bastek has been the principal investigator on research projects involving studies of both regional and international prenatal consultations for extremely premature infants. Her published work includes a chapter on decision-making and ethical dilemmas in the Manual of Neonatal Care, as well as articles in the Journal of Perinatology and Pediatrics. Dr. Bastek serves as chair or in a leadership capacity for numerous WakeMed committees. Her national affiliations include membership in the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities.

Michaela Berroya, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC, is a nurse clinician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She also serves as an adjunct pediatric clinical instructor at the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, also in New York City. She received her master of science in nursing/nursing education degree from the University of Phoenix, Arizona.

Ms. Berroya is a charge nurse in a 60-bed, level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), one of the busiest and most highly regarded in the country. Her responsibilities involve overseeing the nursing care for critically ill infants and for educating and orienting new staff to the unit. She serves on the hospital’s Developmental Care Committee representing the needs of the NICU team, its patients and their families, and on several other committees.

Recognizing the special concerns of parents whose infants spend time in the NICU, the hospital offers multidisciplinary developmental monitoring and nutritional support for the first three years of life—six years in the case of high-risk infants—through periodic follow-up milestone visits and evaluations.

Francis (Frank) Bloomfield, MBChB, MRCP(UK), PhD, is director of the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute in New Zealand. Dr. Bloomfield earned his MBChB at the Victoria University of Manchester in England and a PhD in pediatrics at the University of Auckland. He completed fellowships at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.

The Liggins Institute is an internationally recognized facility dedicated to improving life-long health through research into the consequences of early life events. Much of Dr. Bloomfield’s research focuses on the role of nutrition in fetal and neonatal growth and development including the multidisciplinary nature of neonatal care.

Dr. Bloomfield is the principal investigator of the DIAMOND trial investigating the role of nutritional support for moderate-late preterm infants born at 32 to 35 weeks’ gestation. Although survival rates for these infants are excellent, over the past couple of decades, several studies that have followed them into childhood and adulthood indicate that they are at increased risk, later in life, of a variety of adverse long-term health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as development issues such as learning and cognitive ability.

One of the factors affecting these long-term health issues may be the care these preterm babies receive after birth. Since there is little evidence guiding optimal feeding practices in neonatal intensive care units, protocols tend to vary widely. The DIAMOND trial will address the role of parenteral nutrition, milk supplementation and exposure of the preterm infant to taste and smell with each feeding during their first few weeks of life. The trial will provide the first direct evidence to inform feeding practices in moderate-late preterm infants to optimize their growth, metabolic and development outcomes.

Dr. Bloomfield is the author of approximately 200 peer reviewed journal articles, abstracts and book chapters and is a frequently invited lecturer on preterm infant nutrition. He serves on a number of boards in Australasia and is an elected member of the United States’ Perinatal Research Society. He is a past president of the Perinatal Society of New Zealand and of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand. 

Lars Bode, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology and the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Bode earned his PhD degree from the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. He completed a fellowship in immunology at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and University College’s Institute of Child Health in London, England, and a fellowship in glycobiology at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Bode is the Endowed Chair of Collaborative Human Milk Research and founding director of the Family-Larsson Rosenquist Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence at UCSD. The Center’s mission is to advance the understanding of human milk by fostering collaborative investigation across research, education and clinical practice to improve the health of infants, mothers, and society as a whole.

Dr. Bode’s research focuses on human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) including which maternal factors influence the composition of HMOs and how they impact the health and development of the breast-fed infant and, potentially, the breast-feeding mother.

Most recently, Dr. Bode’s research has involved several studies related to the coronavirus pandemic and breastfeeding. As part of the research center’s COVID-19 emergency response, Dr. Bode and his colleagues were able to show that the coronavirus is not transmitted via human milk and therefore breast-feeding is safe during the pandemic. In addition, studies show that the breast milk of women who have recovered from COVID-19 offers a source of COVID-19 antibodies.

The results of Dr. Bode’s research have been published extensively, and according to a Stanford University database of standardized citation indications, he is in the top two percent of the most cited scientists in the world in the “Nutrition and Dietetics” category.

Laura Davidson Brown, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Section of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Brown received her medical degree from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at the University of Colorado (Children’s Hospital Colorado) and was awarded a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine by the University of Colorado (University Hospital).

At the University of Colorado’s Perinatal Research Center, Dr. Brown and her colleagues conduct research studies in maternal, placental, and fetal physiology. The Center is supported by nationally competitive grants, primarily from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Brown has a special interest in optimizing the nutritional management of extremely low birth weight infants and infants affected by placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The focus of her research is to improve the muscle growth during pregnancy of fetuses affected by IUGR, specifically why muscles fail to develop properly even into adulthood. IUGR occurs in about 6% to 8% of pregnancies, with the growth failure often requiring delivery of the baby—frequently preterm or with very low birth weight. There is currently no proven intervention during pregnancy to improve the growth of the fetus. By exploring the cellular mechanisms that control fetal muscle growth and development in IUGR, Dr. Brown’s goal is to provide a better understanding of why there are persistent abnormalities in muscle growth during childhood and adulthood that can lead to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease later in life. These findings will guide the development of nutritional strategies during pregnancy and early childhood that are designed to improve muscle growth and prevent the development of lifelong diseases.

Dr. Brown is the recipient of numerous awards and other recognition for academic excellence and her clinical teaching ability. She is the author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, articles, book chapters, abstracts, reviews and case reports. She is also a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences.

Roberto Berni Canani, MD, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics and coordinator of the Food Allergy Unit at the University Federico II of Naples, Italy. He graduated cum laude with a degree in medicine and surgery and was awarded a PhD in Pediatric Sciences.

Dr. Berni Canani is internationally recognized as an expert in pediatric gastroenterology, food allergy and nutrition. He has developed an interdisciplinary research team and integrated clinical program to better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of food-induced diseases. His research involves the pathophysiology of food allergy, including the systemic and local immune response, intestinal microflora, and mechanisms of oral tolerance. At his clinic?which features specialized teams created by Dr. Berni Canani for specific disorders?his young patients benefit from innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to their care.

Dr. Berni Canani is vice president of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and a member of many other national and international scientific societies. He is the author of more than 150 scientific papers, as well as numerous book chapters and reviews. He has received several awards for his research in pediatric gastroenterology. He is past associate editor of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and associate editor of World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Michael S. Caplan, MD, is chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at NorthShore University Healthsystem, and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from that institution. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics, followed by fellowship training in neonatology at Northwestern University’s Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Dr. Caplan is chief scientific officer and medical director of clinical trials at NorthShore University Healthsystem. His own research activities, funded by a variety of public and private sector grants, include the study of the pathophysiology of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis and the design of specific strategies to prevent the disease, as well as studies involving the identification of factors in human milk that influence neonatal outcomes.

Dr. Caplan’s academic responsibilities include teaching medical students, pediatric residents and fellows. He serves on several departmental, hospital, and medical school committees, as well as a number of external national and international committees.

Dr. Caplan has authored several books and book chapters, peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, and he is a reviewer for more than 20 prestigious medical journals including Pediatrics, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Pediatrics, and JAMA.

Susan E. Carlson, PhD, is the AJ Rice Professor of Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. Dr. Carlson received her doctorate from Iowa State University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Wisconsin and the University of South Florida.

Dr. Carlson is director of the Doctorate in Medical Nutrition Science program at the University of Kansas Medical Center and affiliate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. She has been active in the education of clinicians about maternal and infant health for many years. Her contributions in research, scholarship, and education were recognized when she was named a University Distinguished Professor.

Dr. Carlson was instrumental in the establishment of best-practice guidelines for the intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for infants and pregnant women. Her research has involved conducting numerous large clinical trials to evaluate the effect of DHA supplementation on infants and pregnant women. The studies have focused primarily on the cognitive development of infants, but also on their nutritional, physiological and neurological outcomes, following some subjects for several years.

Dr. Carlson is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her pioneering work, which has been recognized both nationally and internationally. She is a frequently invited speaker, a contributor to numerous peer-reviewed articles, chapters, editorials and abstracts, an editor or expert reviewer for more than two-dozen medical journals, and a consultant to a number of pharmaceutical companies.

Marie Caudill, PhD, RD, is a registered dietitian and professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. After earning her doctorate in nutritional sciences from the University of Florida, Dr. Caudill was appointed associate professor at Cal Poly Pomona in Southern California where she received numerous honors including Outstanding Researcher and Outstanding Teacher awards.

In her current position at Cornell, Dr. Caudill teaches the upper level course Nutrition and Disease, examining disease pathology and its intersection with nutrition. She recently received The State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Caudill is internationally recognized for her research work on both folate and choline, focusing on identifying optimal intake levels to promote health and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Dr. Caudill is co-editor of the textbook Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition, and has written numerous peer-reviewed research papers. She is on the editorial boards of Journal of Nutrition and Frontiers in Nutrigenomics and also has served on advisory boards for the National Institutes of Health.

Mirna Chehade, MD, MPH, is associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine and Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai. She completed her medical degree and internship at the American University of Beirut, a residency at SUNY Children's Hospital of Buffalo, and a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Mount Sinai, where she also received her MPH degree.

Dr. Chehade is the founding director of the Mount Sinai Center for Eosinophilic Disorders at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute. Patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach provided by gastroenterologists, allergists, dietitians and a psychiatrist. Care plans may include special diets, medications, psychiatric consultations, as well as a support group to help young patients manage behavioral and emotional issues associated with their disorders.

The principal investigator for several multicenter trials on eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) disorders, Dr. Chehade received the 2018 Hope APFED/AAAAI Pilot Grant Award, funding her research on the effects of proton pump inhibitor therapy on genes associated with EoE for two years. The award recognizes new and inventive ideas likely to lead to improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Chehade is an active member of many national and international organizations. She is the author of numerous publications, a frequently invited speaker, and an invited reviewer for several medical journals.

Stanley A. Cohen, MD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist and founder/director of the Children’s Center for Digestive Health Care in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also an adjunct professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Cohen received his medical degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed a residency and fellowship in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University. After serving as a physician in the United States Air Force, Dr. Cohen was appointed director of pediatrics at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Hospital while completing a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Cohen has conducted extensive research on pediatric gastroenterological conditions and has made significant contributions to the medical literature for both professional and lay audiences. His publications include two textbooks for clinicians, as well approximately 100 abstracts and articles. His books for parents and other caregivers include Healthy Babies, Happy Kids: A Common Sense Guide to Nutrition for Growing Years and What to Feed Your Baby: Cost-Conscious Nutrition for Your Infant.

A sought-after lecturer, Dr. Cohen is recognized for the often-humorous titles of his presentations such as Whatever Goes Down May Come Up; The Same Old CRAP: Chronic Recurring Abdominal Pain; Spit Happens: Gastroesophageal Reflux; and Tube Feed or Not Tube Feed. In order to reach a broader lay audience, Dr. Cohen has written or edited numerous blogposts and articles and he is co-founder and director of the medical advisory board of Nutrition4Kids.com, a website with information on a variety of medical conditions and advice on how to make appropriate food choices for specific cases.

Dr. Cohen was founding chairman of the Committee on Nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Georgia Chapter, and chair of the Physicians Advisory Board of the Georgia Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).  In those roles, he is credited with saving more than $52 million which was directed to providing additional care for women and children in Georgia. Dr. Cohen has been recognized by the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities and received the Outstanding Physician Award for the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. He is also a recipient of the Lay Education Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics for his work to promote non-abusive behaviors for students and for the development of a curriculum utilized in school systems throughout the United States.

Tarah Colaizy, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, followed by Pediatric residency and Neonatology fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, OR.  During fellowship Dr. Colaizy became intrigued with neonatal nutrition, growth, and breastfeeding, and obtained a masters degree in public health to prepare her for a clinical research career in these fields. She became a member of the faculty of the University of Iowa in 2014, and currently holds the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure.  Dr. Colaizy is an active critical care clinician and teacher. She has an active research program in breastfeeding, growth, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants fed donor human milk.  She serves as the alternate PI for the Iowa center of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network. She also serves as medical director of the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa, a HMBANA member bank.

John Colombo, PhD, is director of the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, and a professor of psychology at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, Kansas. Dr. Colombo received his doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

In addition to being an active participant in the Brain, Behavior, and Quantitative Science doctoral program in the Department of Psychology at KU, Dr. Colombo is affiliated with three interdisciplinary doctoral programs: Child Language, Clinical Child Psychology, and Neuroscience. He has also served as director of the KU research institute for many years and the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, as well as private companies and foundations.

Dr. Colombo’s research studies have included the measurement and evaluation of neurocognitive development in infancy and early childhood in both typically developing as well as at-risk populations of infants and young children. In recent years he has worked to include innovative laboratory measures of neurodevelopment into clinical trials evaluating the effects of nutrients and micronutrients on the development of cognitive function.

The International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS) recently honored Dr. Colombo with the organization’s Translational Research Award for his more than three decades of research. ICIS is the largest scientific society in the world dedicated to the study of human development during infancy and early childhood. The award honors scientists who have successfully moved basic research findings on early human development from the laboratory to the applied world. Dr. Colombo was recognized not only for his own research accomplishments but also for mentoring, over the years, the many scientists whose research has had a significant impact on enhancing the lives of infants and their families.

Dr. Colombo has authored or coauthored six books, more than 100 peer-reviewed chapters and articles, and has been an invited speaker at national and international symposia. He serves on the editorial boards of several medical journals including the International Journal of Pediatrics, Infancy, Child Development, and Infant Behavior and Development.

Mark R. Corkins, MD, is division chief of pediatric gastroenterology and professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center/Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He holds the St. Jude Endowed Chair for Excellence in Pediatric Gastroenterology and is a consultant to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Dr. Corkins received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. He completed a pediatric residency at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics and a joint fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Dr. Corkins is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric gastroenterology, and he is a certified nutrition support clinician.

Upon joining Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Dr. Corkins expanded the pediatric gastroenterology program’s research, teaching, and clinical components. Under his leadership, the hospital instituted a gastroenterology fellowship program and added specialized clinics to increase access for infants, children, and adolescents with digestive, liver and nutritional issues, and to create a more coordinated plan of care. As an example, for children with short bowel issues, a clinic now offers access to a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, a dietitian, and a pharmacist, all in one setting. This clinic was named a Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, an honor recognizing excellence in interdisciplinary clinical nutrition practice.

The specialized clinics have also allowed the division to expand its research efforts. Le Bonheur is home to The Morgan Foundation, which supports the research of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease. Other current research projects include the national ImproveCareNow network for inflammatory bowel diseases, and research focused on gaining a better understanding of eosinophilic esophagitis.

Teresa del Moral, MD, MPH, PhD, is a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She received her MD and PhD degrees from the University of Granada in Spain and completed residencies in pediatrics at University Hospital San Cecilio, Granada, and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami. Dr. del Moral was awarded fellowships in neonatology by the University of Miami, where she also earned her MPH degree. She is board certified in pediatrics and in neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Jackson Memorial Hospital is home to one of the largest neonatal intensive care units in the nation, known worldwide for its cutting-edge research and care for critically ill infants. Dr. del Moral’s responsibilities encompass teaching medical students, residents, and fellows, providing clinical care, and conducting research.  She is a member of the Hospital’s Medical Executive Committee and the University’s Medical Group Leadership Council.

Dr. del Moral is the site principal investigator for a phase 3 clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a drug for the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low-birth-weight infants. Other current research projects include a study on the impact of microbiota on body composition and growth, and a study looking at restoring airway symbiosis through the gut.

Dr. del Moral is as an ad hoc reviewer of policies and guidelines for the American Academy of Pediatrics section of epidemiology. She also serves on the editorial board of Anales Españoles de Pediatria and as an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Pediatrics, Neonatology, and the Journal of Perinatal Medicine.

Magnus Domellöf, MD, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Umeå University, and senior consultant in neonatology and director of research and quality improvement in the neonatal intensive care unit at Umeå University Hospital in Umeå, Sweden. Dr. Domellöf received his medical degree from Umeå University, and his PhD degree in pediatrics at the same institution, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Domellöf ranks in the top two percent of influential researchers worldwide. His research, that encompasses national and international networks within pediatric nutrition, neonatology, and perinatology, focuses on early interventions to improve long-term health in children.

Dr. Domellöf currently leads several large research projects studying the relationship between nutrition and brain development. Results of his research on iron supplements show that iron given to marginally low-birth-weight infants reduces behavioral problems in children up to school age and that delayed umbilical cord clamping in normal deliveries improves iron status and fine-motor function at 4 years of age. Recent research also demonstrates the positive effects of milk fat globule membrane supplementation of infant formula on cognitive function at 12 months of age. Another study evaluates the effects of a human milk-based fortifier and polyunsaturated fatty acids given to preterm infants.

A major, long-term study, with Dr. Domellöf as its principal investigator, is currently underway. Titled NorthPop, the study will eventually involve up to 10,000 pregnant women, following their children from fetal life to school age. More than 8,000 women are currently enrolled in the trial. Since a majority of lifestyle-related diseases are established early in life, NorthPop provides a valuable biobank of data on children and their young adult parents. More than 40 researchers are involved in a variety of research projects designed to answer questions about topics that include asthma/allergy, obesity, brain development, epigenetics, gut microbiota, environmental toxins, mental health, and lifestyle/socioeconomics, with the number of researchers and studies expected to increase significantly.  

Dr. Domellöf is a member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences National Committee for Nutrition and Food Science, chair of the nutrition committee of the Swedish Neonatal Society, and a longstanding member of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and has had more than 230 of his own articles and other material published in international scientific journals.

Sharon M. Donovan, PhD, RD, is the Professor and Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health, director of the Personalized Nutrition Initiative, and professor of biomedical and translational sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Donovan received her doctorate from the University of California at Davis and completed a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Donovan conducts basic and translational research in pediatric nutrition, a critical phase of life in which nutrition plays a key role in growth, development and long-term outcomes such as cognition and immune response, and is the key determinant of microbiome composition and function at a time when infants may be receiving human milk or infant formula as sole-source nutrition. Her research involves studying the influence of nutrition on the gut microbiome and its relationship with diseases associated with dietary intake. Dr. Donovan’s research has contributed to improvements in infant formula composition, with the goal of narrowing the gap between the derived nutritional benefits for breast- and formula-fed infants. An additional area of Dr. Donovan’s research interest is the prevention of childhood obesity.

Dr. Donovan was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, which honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding and continuing achievements as well as their commitment to service in their area of specialization. Her work has also been recognized by the International Life Sciences Institute North America and the American Society for Nutrition.

Dr. Donovan has served as president of the American Society for Nutrition and the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation. She has authored 225 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and is a member of the editorial board of Gut, associate editor of Breastfeeding Medicine and serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of Nutrition Reviews.

Raquel Durban, MS, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian at the Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She received her MS degree in nutrition from the University of Maryland and completed a dietetic internship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Ms. Durban is a recognized authority on the dietary and nutritional management of food allergies. Working with patients, their families and other healthcare providers, she conducts detailed assessments and creates personalized plans tailored to patients’ specific nutritional needs, taking lifestyle issues into consideration.

Ms. Durban is the founder of the Food Allergy Institute of Charlotte, and administrator for disease-based support groups and community outreach programs. She is the cocreator of a mentorship program which provides an opportunity for dietitians to expand their knowledge of food allergies through a partnership with dietitians specializing in the field. Ms. Durban’s initiatives also included acting as program facilitator for Camp ROAR (Really Outstanding Allergy Retreat) a food allergy friendly summer camp held in Pineville, North Carolina for kindergarten through 8th grade students.

A frequently invited speaker at allergy and immunology conferences, Ms. Durban has also contributed her expertise to numerous peer reviewed publications and continuing education programs. She is a steering committee member and cochair of the internship program of the International Network of Dietitians and Nutritionists in Allergy and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis. She plays an active role in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), serving on several of the organizations’ committees, collaborating with other healthcare professionals and patient advocacy groups to improve the quality of life and advance understanding for patients and families living with the challenges of food allergies.

Jonathan M. Fanaroff, MD, JD, is director of the Rainbow Center for Pediatric Ethics and co-medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children'™s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and associate professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

Dr. Fanaroff obtained his medical degree and completed a pediatric residency at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in obstetrics-gynecology at McGraw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago, and a fellowship in neonatology by UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia, and an ethics fellowship from MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. His special interests are high-risk neonates and ethical and legal issues in their treatment.

In 1969, Dr. Fanaroff's father, Avroy Fanaroff, MD, former chief of neonatology and chairman of pediatrics at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, had just started a fellowship in neonatology at the hospital when his son, Jonathan, was admitted to the NICU for a three-week stay. Fast forward to 2012, and Dr. Jonathan Faranoff and his wife, Kristy Fanaroff, MSN, NNP, a neonatology nurse practitioner in the NICU, became the parents of Mason, a son born at 32 weeks and admitted to the NICU. The three members of the Fanaroff family are among the authors of the article "Stronger and More Vulnerable: A Balanced View of the Impacts of the NICU Experience on Parents" published in the September 2016 issue of the journal Pediatrics. Their professional and personal perspectives, that they willingly share with other providers, now help to guide the policies and procedures of the NICU at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.

Dr. Fanaroff has numerous other publications to his credit. He serves on the editorial board of ISRN Critical Care and is a reviewer for several medical journals, including Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics, Journal of Perinatology and Pediatric Research. A sought-after speaker, Dr. Fanaroff has presented on neonatal medicine and ethics to national and international pediatric medicine and nursing conferences.

Dr. Fanaroff is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Medical Liability and Risk Management. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Legal Medicine as well as a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, the Northeast Ohio Regional Pediatric Ethics Consortium and the Northeast Ohio Neonatology Group.

Alessio Fasano, MD, is a professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital, also in Boston, where he holds several positions at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. They include the W. Allan Walker Chair and division chief in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, and associate chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research. Dr. Fasano is also on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Dr. Fasano received his medical degree and completed a residency and internship at the University of Naples School of Medicine in Naples, Italy. He completed additional internships in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and pediatric social medicine at other hospitals in Italy.

Dr. Fasano is recognized internationally for his research in the fields of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, including his groundbreaking study that established the prevalence of celiac disease in the United States as 1 in 133 people, a rate nearly 100 times greater than the previous estimate. He also led a University of Maryland School of Medicine team responsible for the discovery of zonulin, a protein that modulates the permeability of tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract that is known to be a major factor in the condition known as “leaky gut.”

At the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Dr. Fasano and his team care for patients of all ages with gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity, as well as for infants and children with challenging gastrointestinal problems. His research encompasses basic science, focused on bacterial pathogenesis, gut microbiome and intestinal mucosal biology, as well as translational science focused on interventional clinical trials in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as celiac disease. For example, the intersection of his research and clinical work led to the development of an anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) diagnostic test that is now used, worldwide, as a primary blood-screening tool for celiac disease.  

In his role as director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Dr. Fasano leads a team of scientists researching cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, shigella vaccine, necrotizing enterocolitis, autism spectrum disorder, and the role of the gut microbiome in health and disease.

Dr. Fasano is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has published more than 360 peer-reviewed papers. He is an ad hoc reviewer for several prestigious medical journals including JAMA, Pediatrics, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Pediatrics, American Journal of Gastroenterology, and GUT. Dr. Fasano is also the author of educational materials for a lay audience including the books Gluten Freedom and Gut Feelings: The Microbiome and Our Health.

Renowned epidemiologist and dietitian Tanis R. Fenton, PhD, MHSc, RD, is nutrition research lead for Alberta Health Services at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada, a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary and a professor in the Division of Medical Sciences at Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary, where she earned her PhD in epidemiology. She received her master of health science degree from the University of Toronto and her credentials as a registered dietitian from the College of Dietitians of Alberta.

Dr. Fenton is an internationally recognized researcher in pediatric nutrition. She is the developer of the Fenton Preterm Growth Charts that resulted from her work as a dietitian in the neonatal intensive care unit. The charts, which are gender-specific, include the weight, length, and head circumference of preterm infants from 22 to 50 weeks gestational age, recorded in weekly increments. They are based on the birth criteria of over 4 million infants with confirmed gestational ages in several developed countries. The charts are used around the world, have been incorporated into electronic medical records and clinical tools, and included in more than 40 textbooks.

Dr. Fenton’s ongoing research interests include nutrition, premature infant growth, and knowledge translation. In addition to her other roles and responsibilities, she is an evidence analyst for PEN: Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition, a global, dynamic knowledge translation tool that provides practitioners with timely and authoritative guidance on food, nutrition and services on hundreds of topics. PEN was developed by Dietitians of Canada and is managed through a collaborative partnership with the British Dietetic Association and Dietitians Australia.

Dr. Fenton serves on several international and national committees including those of the (US) National Institutes of Health and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Canadian Paediatric Society. A sought-after speaker, she has addressed audiences of healthcare professionals in countries around the world. She is also frequently interviewed by print and electronic media about topics of interest to lay audiences. Dr. Fenton is the author of numerous books, chapters, journal articles, abstracts and other peer-reviewed material.

David M. Fleischer, MD, is associate professor of pediatrics, director of the Food Challenge Unit, and associate medical director of the Research Unit, at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora. He received his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine, and completed an internship and residency in pediatrics, followed by a fellowship in pediatric allergy and immunology, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Fleischer directs one of the world's largest food challenge and allergy units. The goal of the unit's multidisciplinary team is to utilize the most current research to provide medical, psychosocial and dietary support to patients at a young age to enable them to successfully manage their food allergies into their adolescent and adult years.

Dr. Fleischer's clinical interests include allergy, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, and atopic dermatitis. His research focuses on the natural history of food allergy and on novel treatments including oral and sublingual immunotherapies. He is the principal investigator for several national and international clinical trials.

Dr. Fleischer has published numerous chapters and articles of food allergy and gastrointestinal disease. He serves on the board of a number of national and international organizations devoted to food allergy research and education and is a reviewer for several medical journals.

Jennifer Fowler is a clinical pediatric dietitian at Vidant Medical Center, James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina. She received her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Arizona State University.

Ms. Fowler provides patient care for a 50-bed, level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a 21-bed step-down special care nursery. Her responsibilities include conducting nutritional assessments and providing education and support for the families of her young patients. Among the educational instruction that Ms. Fowler provides for other members of the NICU team is training in the use of the Timeless Mother’s Own Milk System (MOMS), a barcode scanning system designed to eliminate misidentification and mismatching of breast milk in the nursery.

Ms. Fowler has a special interest in feeding protocols and she has contributed articles on the topic for a number of medical journals. At the 2019 ASPEN Nutrition Science and Practice Conference she received Poster of Distinction recognition for “Decrease in Central Line Utilization with Improved Growth in VLBWW Newborns Following Feeding Roadmap Implementation.” The complete manuscript for her presentation was subsequently published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Kirsten Frank, RD, CSPCC, LDN, CNSC, IBCLC, is a neonatal dietitian at the Betty H. Cameron Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. She graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University with a bachelor of science degree in coordinated dietetics. She received additional pediatric/neonatal education in high-risk infant nutrition at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Nestlé Nutrition Institute’s Advanced Nutrition Program.

Ms. Frank is a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian/nutritionist. She holds board certification as a specialist in pediatric critical care; as an international lactation consultant; and as a nutrition support clinician.

As a neonatal dietitian in the hospital’s 45-bed level III neonatal intensive care unit, Ms. Frank is a member of an interdisciplinary care team. She provides medical nutrition therapy, lactation support and manages the unit’s quality improvement nutrition initiative to enhance the use of feeding protocols and neonatal malnutrition diagnosis. She also assists with research studies and data collection, and is responsible for patient and medical student education.

Ms. Frank is the primary author of a conference abstract titled “The Impact of a Newly Formulated Human Milk Fortifier on Growth Velocity and Tolerance in Preterm Very Low Birthweight Infants,” published in the July 2023 issue of Current Developments in Nutrition. The abstract describes a study to determine if a new non-acidified liquid human milk fortifier provides similar weight gain and growth patterns, as well as similar or better tolerance and morbidity, compared to an acidified liquid human milk fortifier. Data from the study suggest that the new fortifier is a suitable alternative.

Ms. Frank is a member of several organizations including La Leche League International, American Society for Nutrition, Mead Johnson NICU Advisory Board, US Breastfeeding Committee, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, North Carolina Dietetic Association, and she is a frequently invited speaker at professional conferences throughout the United States.

Christoph Fusch, MD, PhD, is chief of the department of pediatrics at Nuremberg General Hospital and a professor of pediatrics at Paracelsus Medical School in Nuremberg, Germany. Dr. Fusch obtained his medical degree and pediatric training at the University of Tübingen in Germany, where he was awarded a doctorate after completing training in MR research and neonatology in Switzerland. 

Dr. Fusch held a number of academic, clinical and research positions at hospitals and universities in Germany and Switzerland before joining the faculty of McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, one of Canada’s largest pediatric academic teaching hospitals. He was the inaugural holder of the Jack Sinclair Chair in Neonatology at McMaster University and maintains his affiliation with that institution as a professor emeritus. 

As the author or coauthor of more than 150 scientific papers, Dr. Fusch’s work has been published in several prestigious medical journals including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Pediatric Research, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Pediatrics, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA. He has also been a contributor to a number of books on neonatal intensive care, nutrition, and placenta research.

Dr. Fusch’s research focuses on improving short- and long-term outcomes in premature infants and high-risk neonates and he has received funding from numerous government and private sector organizations. His work includes studying the creation of an artificial placenta to reduce mortality and improve survival in infants with severe pulmonary insufficiencies; understanding the role of the placenta to fetal nutrition; and optimizing postnatal growth by targeting the composition of parenteral and enteral nutrition. Dr. Fusch collaborates with neonatal intensive care units in Canada, Germany and Switzerland, as well as with a number of research institutions in the United States.

Dr. Fusch is a member of several international organizations including the Canadian Pediatric Society, the German Pediatric Society, the European Society for Pediatric Research and the Swiss Society for Neonatology.

Michael K. Georgieff, MD, is the Martin Lenz Harrison Land Grant Chair in Pediatrics and a Professor of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Developmental psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. He is Director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Development at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Georgieff received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and completed his internship and residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He was awarded fellowships in neonatology by Children’s Hospital and the University of Minnesota Medical School.

The focus of Dr. Georgieff’s research is on fetal-neonatal nutrition and brain development, specifically the effect of early life iron nutrition and neurocognitive function. For the past 25 years, his research has been continuously funded in this field by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Georgieff’s clinical interests include iron and infant development, and maternal-fetal medicine.

Dr. Georgieff is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for research, teaching, and public service including the Samuel J. Fomon Nutrition Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is an advisor on nutrition and early childhood development to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health, and UNICEF, and he is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences. Dr. Georgieff has published more than 250 scientific articles, and he is a reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals including Pediatrics, the Journal of Pediatrics, and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, and director of the University’s Steele Children’s Research Center in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Ghishan received his medical degree from Ankara University in Turkey, completed a residency in pediatrics at Pennsylvania State University, and conducted postdoctoral research in pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Iowa.

An internationally renowned expert in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, Dr. Ghishan’s clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and autoimmune disorders.  The majority of these conditions are also the focus of his research, much of which is funded, on an ongoing basis, by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Ghishan’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including the NIH’s prestigious MERIT Award for “Consistent and Excellent Contributions to Scientific Knowledge.” The award, which Dr. Ghishan has received twice, is designed to provide stable, long-term funding support to outstanding investigators whose productivity is deemed superior. 

Dr. Ghishan’s current research projects include the study of a probiotic-derived protein to regulate epigenetic programming in intestinal epithelial cells for long-term prevention of colitis, bile acids in necrotizing enterocolitis, a novel therapeutic delivery system for pediatric IBD, modulation of dendritic cell function in the pathogenesis of IBD, and novel roles of sodium hydrogen exchanger 8 in mucosal homeostasis.

Among Dr. Ghishan’s major scientific contributions are cloning the gene responsible for absorbing sodium in the GI tract, thereby advancing the understanding of diarrheal disorders and their relationship to zinc deficiency. His discovery led to World Health Organization recommendations on zinc supplements which continue to guide the treatment of diarrheal disorders globally. 

The author of more than 500 articles, abstracts, book reviews and chapters, Dr. Ghishan has also made significant contributions to a number of textbooks in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. He was an associate editor of the highly referenced resource, Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, now in its sixth edition.

Benjamin D. Gold, MD, is an attending physician in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the Children’s Center for Digestive Healthcare (CCDHD), co-director of GI Care for Kids, and founder and quality director of the Aerodigestive Center of Excellence at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Gold received his medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and fellowships at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Prior to his appointment at CCDHC, Dr. Gold was chair of pediatric gastroenterology and director of the division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Emory University.  

Dr. Gold is a recognized leader in the epidemiology and pathobiology of acid-related diseases in children, in particular, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other esophageal disease.

At the Aerodigestive Center, Dr. Gold and his colleagues follow approximately 300 medically complex children and at GI Care for Kids, they follow almost 1,100 children with IBD. Dr. Gold has been actively involved in characterizing the gut microflora and its relationship to diet and the management of IBD, as well as GI allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis. His recent research is focused on the role of infectious agents and the microbiome involved in the pathogenesis of pediatric Crohn’s disease as well as the role of probiotics in disease prevention and health maintenance.

Dr. Gold is president of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition and has served the organization in a number of other capacities. He is a sought-after speaker, a reviewer for several prestigious medical journals, and has produced numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, manuals, videos, webinars, teaching aids and other educational material on pediatric GI disease.

Ian J. Griffin, MD, is director of clinical and translational research at MidAtlantic Neonatal Associates (MANA) in Morristown, New Jersey. Dr. Griffin received his medical degree from Leeds University in England. He completed an internship at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds, and residencies in Scotland at Royal Hospital for Sick Children, the Queen Mother’s Hospital, and Southern General Hospital. He was awarded fellowships by Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Royal Victoria Infirmary in England. Prior to joining MidAtlantic Neonatal Associates, Dr. Griffin had a distinguished clinical and research career at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital and the University of California at Davis.

At MANA, Dr. Griffin directs a multidisciplinary program, ranging from laboratory research to quality improvement initiatives in the NICU and postgraduate medical education. The overall goal of Dr. Griffin and his team is to improve survival rates of extremely premature infants.

Dr. Griffin contributions to the field of neonatal education include pioneering work in the development of neonatal growth charts and expanding the understanding of many of the nutrients that contribute to the growth of preterm babies. He was responsible for the development of a curriculum consisting of a series of lectures to teach the basics of statistical analysis to neonatal fellows.

Dr. Griffin is the author or coauthor of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and abstracts. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Nutrition and is an invited reviewer for a number of other medical journals. Dr. Griffin serves on several national committees on neonatal nutrition and is recognized internationally for his research efforts.

Marion Groetch, MS, RDN, is director of nutrition services at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a course director and lecturer in the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. She received her MS degree in clinical nutrition from the New York Institute of Technology and completed a nutrition fellowship at New York Medical College in Valhalla.

As a recognized authority on the dietary and nutritional management of food allergies, Ms. Groetch is a frequently invited speaker at national and international allergy and immunology conferences.  She has contributed significantly to academic research, participating in more than a dozen clinical trials. In addition, she has developed online courses and conferences with the goal of educating dietitians and other health care professionals. 

Ms. Groetch is chair of the International Network of Dietitians and Nutritionists in Allergy and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis. She plays an active role in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and the European Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. She serves on the organizations’ numerous committees and task forces, collaborating with other health care professionals and patient advocacy groups to improve the lives of families living with the challenges of food allergies. 

Ms. Groetch is the author of several textbook chapters, peer-reviewed articles published in prestigious medical journals, and other educational materials. Her credits include the development of international consensus guidelines on food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome. Ms. Groetch’s numerous contributions were recognized with a 2015 AAAAI Allied Health Professional Recognition Award for her service as a leader, mentor and educator in food allergy disorders.

Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a clinical attending at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Gupta received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, completed an internship at the University of Florida Shands Children’s Hospital, a residency at the University of Washington Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She received her master’s degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health.

Recognized internationally for her groundbreaking research in the areas of food allergy and asthma epidemiology, Dr. Gupta has made significant contributions in the areas of prevention, socioeconomic disparities in care, and the daily management of these conditions. Her current research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Food Allergy Research & Education. Active projects for which Dr. Gupta is the principal investigator include two large trials that will explore the early introduction of peanut and other common food allergens, and evaluate interventions designed to prevent peanut allergy.  

Dr. Gupta is the founding director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR), an organization that employs an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to improving the health of children, adults and families living with allergic disease. CFAAR is recognized for its research into the prevalence and the economic impact of food allergy in the United States and for developing and disseminating interventions that inform local, state, national and international policy.

The author of The Food Allergy Experience, written to educate parents, caregivers, teachers, and healthcare providers about how food allergies impact all aspects a child’s life, and Food Without Fear, that provides advice for patients and their families on how to identify, prevent, and treat food allergies, Dr. Gupta has also produced numerous other publications for both lay and professional audiences, including strategies to improve the primary care management of food allergy and asthma.

William W. Hay, Jr, MD, is chief medical officer and a member of the clinical and scientific advisory board of Astarte Medical, a leading precision medicine company based in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He was previously a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

After receiving his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Hay completed an internship, residency and fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.                                            

Dr. Hay has more than 40 years of clinical neonatology and neonatal research experience. In addition to his professorship, his previous positions include scientific director of the University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics/Section of Neonatology Perinatal Research Center, and director of the Early Life Exposure Program at the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.

Dr. Hay’s scientific and clinical interests includes perinatal physiology, fetal and neonatal nutrition and metabolism, intrauterine fetal growth and growth restriction, the perinatal pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, mammalian carbohydrate metabolism, and oxygen transport and oxygen monitoring, as well as child health research advocacy.

Dr. Hay is the principal investigator and program director for an NIH-NICHD T32, a research training grant for postdoctoral trainees in neonatal-perinatal medicine, maternal fetal medicine, and basic science. He also serves as PI, co-investigator or in an advisory capacity for a number of other current research projects supported by the NIH, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other funding sources.

Dr. Hay is widely published and has authored numerous books, scientific papers, articles, abstracts, and invited editorials. He is the recipient of a number of honors including an award from the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizing his career-long contributions to children’s health.

Olle Hernell, MD, PhD, is professor emeritus in the pediatric division of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the University of Umeå in Sweden. He received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Umeå, and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Hernell is internationally recognized for his research in the field of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. His research has included the study of bioactive substances in human milk, fat digestion and absorption in the newborn, iron requirements in infants and children, celiac disease, and probiotics. His most recent research is on bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL), clarifying its structure, characteristics and physiological function in fat digestion, and its role in inflammation.

Dr. Hernell is the recipient of several national and international awards and honors. He has served on committees and working groups including the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, the Executive Committee of the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation, the March of Dimes International Task Force for Nutrition and Optimal Human Development, and the European Union Scientific Committee for Food's working group. He is the editor of a number of books and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

David A. Hill, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a pediatric allergist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He is board certified in pediatrics and in allergy and immunology.

Dr. Hill received both his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.  He completed an internship and a residency in pediatrics at CHOP, as well as a fellowship in pediatric allergy and immunology.

Dr. Hill’s clinical expertise is in food allergy, eosinophilic esophagitis, and severe allergy/anaphylaxis. As a member of the CHOP Allergy Program, designated as a Center of Excellence by the World Allergy Organization, Dr. Hill and his team provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for pediatric patients from around the world.

Dr. Hill’s research focuses on allergy and obesity, particularly on the genetic and immunologic basis of these two most common chronic childhood diseases. By having in-house expertise in both clinical informatics and traditional wet-lab techniques, Dr. Hill and his team are optimally situated to translate observations from the clinic, to the bench, and back.

Dr. Hill has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles, editorials, chapters and abstracts. He is associate editor of BMC Pediatrics and an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Pediatrics, the Journal of Asthma and Allergy and several other prestigious medical publications.

Susan R. Hintz, MD, MS Epi, is the Robert L. Hess Family Professor of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, professor of pediatrics and, by courtesy, of obstetrics and gynecology, and senior associate chief for academic affairs, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is also director of The Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Dr. Hintz received her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed a residency and fellowship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Hintz is a nationally recognized researcher with a primary emphasis on improving outcomes for high-risk, premature infants. She was an early advocate for the creation of the Center for Fetal and Maternal Health at Stanford and has served as medical director since its inception. The program employs an innovative, multidisciplinary approach to providing comprehensive care for complex fetal patients and expectant mothers.

As medial director and principal investigator for the State of California High Risk Infant Follow-up (HRIF) program, Dr. Hintz assesses the extent to which individual HRIF programs are achieving the mission of the California Department of Children’s Services to provide appropriate follow-up for infants requiring specialized care after discharge from the NICU. HRIF clinics follow at-risk infants for the first three years of life to identify and treat existing and new developmental issues as they arise. Dr. Hintz’s research includes analyzing referrals to the programs, identifying risk factors for lost-to-follow-up cases, including sociodemographic disparities, and assessing the impact of factors such as case management on outcomes.

In her role as a professor of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford, Dr. Hintz’s focus is on training the next generation of fetal medicine physician-scientists using a translational approach. The overall goal of her academic, research, and clinical work is to provide exceptional, individualized care to reduce infant morbidity and mortality and to ensure the best possible outcomes for young, vulnerable patients. She is a frequently invited speaker, the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as a contributing editor and invited reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals.

Bethany S. Hodges, MS, RD, CNSC, is a neonatal dietitian at Bronson Children’s Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She earned registered dietitian certification and her MS degree in clinical nutrition from the University of Memphis, focusing on inborn errors of metabolism. Her previous professional experience  includes working as a NICU dietitian at Boston Medical Center and Duke University Hospital.

Ms. Hodges has worked in a number of pediatric subspecialty settings including maternal-child health, nutrition support, failure to thrive, oncology, gastrointestinal disorders, and developmental delays. She is the founder and president of Feeding Wisely, Inc. providing consulting services to healthcare professionals and industry leaders.

Ms. Hodges is currently involved in initiatives to continue optimizing growth in preterm infants and promoting interventions based on clinical research.  She also presents best-practice guidelines for neonatal nutrition at conferences and symposia around the country. Recent honors include the 2020 Emerging Dietetic Leader Award from the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Tatyana (Tanya) Hofmekler, MD, MSc, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids/Children’s Center for Digestive Health Care in Atlanta, Georgia, the largest practice specializing in gastrointestinal care for children in the southeastern United States. She is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, and has a special interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and intestinal rehabilitation.

Dr. Hofmekler received her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. She completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Emory University, also in Atlanta, where she was awarded a fellowship in gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. Dr. Hofmekler’s postgraduate research, published in Genome Medicine, involved the study of the microbiome in pretreated, newly diagnosed, pediatric IBD patients.  Her additional research undertaken at Emory University, studying the effect of dosing regimen on infliximab levels in pediatric patients with IBS, was published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 

After completion of her fellowship training, Dr. Hofmekler joined the faculty at Emory University and was appointed director of Intestinal Rehab of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, helping to lead quality initiatives for the group. Her academic responsibilities included the supervision and instruction of pediatric residents and medical students. Her clinical responsibilities included managing a group of over 30 patients with outpatient total parenteral nutrition in a multidisciplinary setting.

During her tenure at Emory University, Dr. Hofmekler completed a master of science degree in clinical research, studying risk factors for hospital admission among pediatric patients with intestinal failure. She also helped to coordinate Interdisciplinary Nutrition Support Rounds between nutritionists and physicians at Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.

Dr. Hofmekler has given numerous lectures and poster presentations and published several peer-reviewed articles. She is a member of a number of professional organizations including the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. She serves as nutrition co-chair of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Katie Huff, MD, MSc, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and an attending neonatologist at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her pediatric internship and residency at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. During her fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, she obtained a master of science degree in clinical research. Dr. Huff is board certified in pediatrics with subspecialty certification in neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Riley Hospital for Children is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care hospital providing specialized care for infants with advanced medical or surgical needs, including premature infants and those with heart, liver or lung disease. It is one of the top ten sites in the United States for pediatric research, attracting significant funding for biomedical research annually.

Dr. Huff’s current research interests include neonatal nutrition, in particular parenteral lipids and the prevention of cholestasis. Her research was recognized by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) which presented her with the Harry M. Vars Award at the ASPEN 2022 Nutrition Science and Practice Conference. The award honors an early career investigator who submits a top-scoring original abstract and demonstrates excellence via a manuscript and oral presentation. Dr. Huff’s presentation featured her research on a randomized trial of alternate lipid therapies for the prevention of parenteral nutrition associated liver disease in surgical neonates.

Dr. Huff has published a number of journal articles, abstracts and book chapters and is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and the Society for Pediatric Research.

Terrie Inder, MD, MBChB, is chair of the Department of Newborn Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. She received her medical degree from Otago Medical School in New Zealand and completed residencies and fellowships at Dunedin Hospital and Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand, and at Boston Children's Hospital.

Dr. Inder is a dual-boarded neonatologist and child neurologist. Her integrated clinical and research activities involve the care of high-risk infants in the neonatal intensive care unit together with her research on the newborn brain. Her research includes the nature and timing of brain injury and alterations in brain development using magnetic resonance imaging and other technologies. The goal of her research is to provide a method of accurate, early diagnosis of brain injury or altered brain development and to develop preventive strategies to improve outcomes. Dr. Inder's research has encompassed longitudinal studies in 3 large cohort studies of high-risk infants that have been followed into adolescence to examine the relationship of alterations in brain structure to developmental outcomes.

Dr. Inder has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers including key publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, NeuroImage, and the Journal of Pediatrics. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and is a peer reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals. She is a member of the Neonatal-Perinatal Sub-Board for the American Board of Pediatrics as well as several other professional organizations.

Flavia Indrio, MD, is a professor of pediatrics at the at the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy. She received her medical degree from the University of Bari and completed postgraduate degrees in pediatric nephrology at the University of Bari and in neonatal ultrasound at the University of Chieti.

Dr. Indrio is director of the pediatric gastroenterology and motility unit and a professor at the University of Bari School of Medicine. She serves as a member of the ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee, secretary of the organization’s working group on gut microbiota, and as a member of the International Pediatric Association’s working group on food safety. Dr. Indrio is president of the World Scientific Association of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Postbiotics in Pediatrics, an international nonprofit organization of scientific experts dedicated to enhancing understanding and collaboration among researchers and healthcare providers on evidence-based recommendations for the use of biotics in pediatrics.

Dr. Indrio is a member of the Italian Society of Pediatrics, the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, the Italian Society of Neonatology and the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology. She has published more than 100 peer reviewed papers and is a reviewer for several pediatric journals.

Rafael Jiménez-Flores, PhD, is the JT 'Stubby' Parker Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods and a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University (OSU). He received his MS degree from Cornell University, and his PhD degree in food science and agricultural chemistry from the University of California, Davis.

At OSU, Dr. Jiménez-Flores develops and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses focused on dairy foods, and engages in dynamic research and outreach programs. His research work has involved developing novel methods for dairy processing, characterization of the milk fat globule membrane, surface interactions of milk components and lactic acid bacteria, spore incidence in dairy processing plants, and biological activity of milk components.

Dr. Jiménez-Flores has developed strong relationships with representatives of the dairy foods industry. He serves as vice president of the American Dairy Science Association, an international organization of educators, scientists and industry representatives, and has held a number of other board, committee and editorial positions with the organization.

Dr. Rafael Jiménez-Flores holds six patents, has authored 10 book chapters and more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles. He was the recipient of the prestigious International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in Dairy Foods Processing.

Olga Kagan, PhD, RN, FHIMSS, FAAAI, is the founder and principal of OKHCC Professional Healthcare Consulting, executive board director of the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders (SONSIEL), an adjunct professor at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, New York, and an adjunct associate professor at the CUNY School of Professional Studies in New York City. Dr. Kagan received her master’s degree in nursing administration and informatics, and her PhD in nursing from the Barbara Hagan School of Nursing at Molloy University.

Dr. Kagan’s research and practice are centered around food allergy management, policy, and innovation through the lens of informatics and leadership. Her goal is to advance the knowledge and practice of nursing informatics, patient safety, and food allergy through research, education, and advocacy with the goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life for patients and communities.

Dr. Kagan is the founder of the Food Allergy Nurses Interest Professional Group, an organization providing an educational forum for nurses interested in the subspecialty of food allergies and anaphylaxis. She is an active member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, serving on the organization’s Adverse Reactions to Foods; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Occupational Diseases; Health Informatics, Technology and Innovation; and Anaphylaxis and Adverse Effects committees. She also serves on the boards and committees of several other professional organizations, including the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Dr. Kagan is the author or contributor to numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and textbooks, and is a frequently invited speaker at professional conferences. Her many professional contributions have been recognized with awards for her research, leadership, and service.

Dr. Karp is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Social Pediatrics Initiative at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center. He received his MD degree from Jefferson Medical College, interned in Pediatrics at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center, and was Chief Resident in Pediatrics at Temple University School of Medicine, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. For eleven years, until 1998, Dr. Karp was Director of the Pediatric Resource Center of Kings County Hospital, a comprehensive health care center providing integrated team-delivered care for high risk inner-city children and families. He is also Associate Director of the New York/New Jersey Regional Center for Clinical Nutrition Education, sponsored by the New York Academy of Medicine.

Among his research interests are the effects of malnutrition and undernutrition among low-income children in the United States.

Julie Khlevner, MD, is director of the Pediatric Gastrointestinal Motility Center and associate professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Khlevner obtained her medical degree from New York Medical College School of Medicine. She completed a residency and internship in pediatrics at Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, with specialty training in motility, at Stony Brook University Medical Center.

Pediatric neurogastroenterology and motility (PNGM) disorders are highly prevalent, accounting for approximately 40 percent of outpatient gastroenterology visits, but they can be challenging to diagnose, with patients often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Many pediatric gastroenterologists lack the specialized knowledge required to manage PNGM conditions and there are few dedicated PNGM centers in North America, with 60 percent of states lacking such a facility.

Recognizing the need for more medical training and support for pediatric gastroenterologists, Dr. Khlevner, who served as co-chair of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Committee of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), helped to develop guidelines for PNGM training in North America. She worked with other pediatric neurogastroenterologists, NASPHGHAN, and the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) to establish a task force to identify the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that a pediatric gastroenterologist, neurogastroenterologist, and/or motility expert should be capable of performing. The task force defined the core knowledge and skills necessary for each EPA and identified the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures clinicians should be able to perform and/or interpret associated with the EPAs. This new curriculum was published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN) in January 2021. In addition to establishing the guidelines for training, Dr. Khlevner and her colleagues developed a database of centers offering PNGM services in North America, with the information published in the JPGN May 2022 issue. The information is designed to ensure that even if physicians have no direct access to a PNGM expert in their immediate area, they can easily locate the nearest center for advice.

Jonathan M. Klein, MD, is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa and staff neonatologist and medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He also serves as medical director of the NICU’s Nurse Practitioner Program at the hospital.

Dr. Klein received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas at the University of Texas SW Medical Center and a fellowship in neonatology at Tufts University in Boston. 

Dr. Klein’s clinical and research interests include high-frequency ventilation, nitric oxide therapy, surfactant replacement therapy, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, sex-specific differences in lung development, and the effects of epidermal growth factor on lung development.

Dr. Klein is the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers, abstracts, and book chapters and has been an invited speaker at a number of regional, national and international conferences. He serves on the editorial board of Frontiers in Neonatology and is a reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals and other publications.

Berthold V. Koletzko, MD, PhD, is the Else Kröner-Seniorprofessor of Paediatrics at Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. He received his medical degree from the University of Munster in Germany, continued his pediatric education in South Africa, Germany and Tanzania, and completed a fellowship in clinical nutrition and metabolism at the Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto in Canada.

Funded by numerous public and private organizations, Dr. Koletzko’s research focuses on metabolic and nutritional modulators of child health and disease prevention. He is rated a “World Expert” by Expertscape, ranking in the top 0.01% of researchers worldwide over the past decade. Expertscape provides an objective ranking of healthcare professionals and institutions based on knowledge demonstrated by the publication of material that has undergone the rigorous review process that characterizes scientific publications. The categories in which Dr. Koletzko was rated the world’s top researcher included “infant nutritional physiological phenomena,” “child nutritional physiological phenomena” and “child nutrition science.”

Dr. Koletzko is president of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, a strategic advisor on nutrition to the International Pediatric Association, a member of the executive committee of the European Academy of Paediatrics, and a member of several other German and international organizations. He is the author of more than 1000 scientific journal articles, numerous books, book chapters, and monographs. Dr. Koletzko is editor in chief of Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism and World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics, and associate editor of Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care.

Dr. Koletzko is a scientific advisor to the German Federal Government, the European Commission, the World Health Organization, and other national and international governmental organizations. He is a past president of the Federation of International Societies of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (FISPGHAN), a not-for-profit umbrella organization composed of pediatric societies in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia, and a past president of ESPGHAN, its European counterpart.

Satyan Lakshminrusimha, MD, is the Nancy and Dennis Marks Chair of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, California. He received his medical degree from Mysore Medical College of the University of Mysore in India, where he also completed an internship in surgery-pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a residency in pediatrics. He also completed a residency in pediatrics at Brooklyn Hospital Center of New York University in New York City, and was awarded a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

Dr. Lakshminrusimha is a renowned neonatologist, whose philosophy of care is to provide his young patients with evidence-based, family centered care, enabling them to thrive and develop to their fullest potential. His clinical interests include early detection of critical congenital heart disease and neonatal respiratory diseases using pulse oximetry and other indices of oxygenation. His research focus is on understanding the pathophysiology of neonatal transition and evaluating the science behind neonatal resuscitation and to develop new techniques to improve the efficacy of resuscitation, particularly in resource-limited settings.

As a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Steering Committee, Dr. Lakshminrusimha is involved in developing worldwide guidelines for neonatal resuscitation. The goal is to simplify the neonatal resuscitation algorithm to hasten the return of spontaneous circulation in order to improve survival, without neurological morbidity, in asphyxiated neonates. The committee is evaluating techniques to simplify chest compressions and epinephrine administration more adaptable to low- and middle-income countries.

A prolific scholar, writer, and artist, Dr. Lakshminrusimha has published 11 book chapters and approximately 150 peer-reviewed articles. He enjoys the art of medical illustration and is the developer of Illustrative Neonatology, a free app designed to help parents understand basic aspects of neonatal intensive care. He has produced more than 300 illustrations for use in pediatric and neonatology textbooks and journal articles, and his distinctive artwork is featured in many of his sophisticated audio-visual presentations.

John Lantos, MD, is nationally recognized for his work in neonatal and pediatric bioethics. He is director of the Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, and professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Dr. Lantos received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed a residency at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and a fellowship in clinical medical ethics at the University of Chicago.

After 20 years on the faculty of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Lantos moved to Kansas City where he founded the pediatric bioethics center at Children’s Mercy Hospital. His research, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, includes physician/patient communication, research ethics—particularly with respect to clinical trials, organ transplantation, and end-of-life decision making. 

Dr. Lantos is co-chair of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Clinical Trial Advisory Board, a member of the executive committee of the Section of Bioethics of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Advisory Board of the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development Global Research Network Advisory Board, as well as a former president of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities and the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics.  

Dr. Lantos has published more than 320 journal articles and book chapters and written or edited 8 books on bioethics. He serves on a number of editorial boards and is a reviewer for several prestigious medical journals including JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Bioethics, as well as Oxford University Press and Johns Hopkins University Press. He is a sought-after speaker on pediatric bioethical issues for both professional and lay audiences.

Jenifer R. Lightdale, MD, MPH, is the associate chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lightdale received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and completed her residency and internship at the University of California in San Francisco, followed by fellowships at the University of California in health policy, at Harvard Medical School in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, and pediatric health services research. She received her master’s degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Lightdale specializes in evaluating and treating infants and children with a broad range of gastrointestinal disorders, especially feeding difficulties, abdominal pain, constipation, GERD and food allergies. She is recognized as an international expert in the areas of endoscopic safety and for her significant contributions to national and international guidelines. Dr. Lightdale was a pioneer in the use of hand-on training for teaching the principles of both diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy in children and she designed curricula that are used internationally.

In 2022 Dr. Lightdale played a significant role in helping manage a severe shortage of infant formula that resulted from a product recall by a manufacturer with a dominant market share. Recognizing that parents and caregivers were distressed and frustrated with the lack of guidance on appropriate substitutes for the recalled products, Dr. Lightdale developed information on formulas that are safe substitutes for each other. This resource—posted on the website of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)—was continuously updated, providing physicians, other healthcare providers, and families with information on how best to navigate the formula shortage.

Dr. Lightdale is the author or coauthor of more than 130 peer-reviewed books, chapters, and articles and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international events. She serves on several committees of the Food and Drug Administration and has held a number of leadership roles in NASPGHN, and currently serves as the organization’s president. She is a member of the medical advisory board of the International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis, chair of the editorial board of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and an ad hoc review for other medical journals including the American Journal of Gastroenterology, BMJ, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, International Journal of Pediatrics, JAMA, JAMA Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics Gastroenterology, and Pediatrics.

Bo Lönnerdal, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis. He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Uppsala in Sweden, and the University subsequently awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Dr. Lönnerdal is a world-renowned expert in infant nutrition. He has an active research program and has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scientists from all over the world. His research focuses on bioactive components in breast milk, the effect of breast milk on the infant, and mechanisms underlying the protection against infection. With collaborative projects in Peru, China, and Sweden, Dr. Lönnerdal's research includes the micronutrients iron and zinc, how they are secreted into milk and how these components are utilized by the infant.

Dr. Lönnerdal has published more than 500 scientific articles, as well as a number of books and book chapters. He is a member of the American Society of Nutrition, the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation. He serves on the editorial board of several scientific journals, World Health Organization expert advisory panels, and as a scientific advisor to manufacturers of infant formula.

Jonathan Malka, MD, is director of allergy and immunology at Pediatric Associates in Miami, Florida. Dr. Malka received his medical degree from Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela Luis Razetti in Caracas, Venezuela, and completed a medical/surgical internship at the Venezuelan Red Cross. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an internship at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx. He also completed diagnostic radiology internships at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York and Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Malka was awarded a research fellowship by the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center and a fellowship in allergy and immunology by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Malka is board certified in pediatrics and in allergy/immunology.

Prior to joining Pediatric Associates, Dr. Malka was an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver and worked as a general practitioner in an outpatient clinic in Caracas.

Dr. Malka’s professional accomplishments were recognized when he received the Harold J. Gold MD Research Achievement Award and also the International Fellow Distinguished Award in Allergy and Immunology from the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center. His clinical and patient relations skills were recognized when he was named by his peers and the parents of his young patients as their Favorite Pediatric Specialist, for two consecutive years, in a contest sponsored by Broward Family Life Magazine! 

Dr. Malka is the author or co-author of numerous articles, book chapters and abstracts in both English and Spanish on topics associated with pediatric allergies, asthma and immunology, and he has given a number of oral and poster presentations in the United States and in Central and South America.

Paolo Manzoni, MD, PhD, is director of the Division of Pediatrics and Neonatology in the Department of Maternal and Infant Medicine at Nuovo Ospedale degli Infermi in Ponderano (Biella), Italy. Dr. Manzoni earned his medical degree from the University of Turin School of Medicine and completed a residency in pediatric pulmonology and a fellowship in infectious diseases and immunology at Azienda Ospedaliera OIRM – Sant’Anna in Turin, Italy.

Dr. Manzoni’s previous positions include a professorship and more than 20 years’ experience in pediatrics, neonatology, and the NICU at Sant’Anna hospital, and as coordinator of the Neonatology Network of the Clinical Trial Center at the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù in Rome.

An internationally renowned neonatologist, Dr. Manzoni’s extensive clinical experience includes the management of more than 10,500 newborns and infants, many with challenging medical conditions.  His primary research includes pediatric and neonatal infectious diseases, fungal infections and prevention, RSV-related diseases, retinopathy of prematurity, and neonatal nutrition. Dr. Manzoni was the leading investigator of the first multicenter clinical trial of prophylactic fluconazole in preterm neonates, as well as the first international, multicenter clinical trial of probiotic and lactoferrin feeding in preterm neonates.

Dr. Manzoni serves on the scientific board of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine (EAPM); the board of the Neonatal Infectious Diseases Collaborative Group of the Italian Society of Neonatology; and as a consultant in pediatrics and neonatology to the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). He is the author of more than 200 research articles published in peer-reviewed international medical journals.

Camilia R. Martin, MD, MS, is an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and associate director of the NICU at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She received her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She was awarded a fellowship in perinatal-neonatal medicine at Boston Children's Hospital and earned a masters degree in epidemiology from Harvard University School of Public Health.

Dr. Martin is an internationally recognized expert in neonatal nutrition. Her research focuses on the impact of nutrition on health and disease in premature infants, and its effect on short-term morbidities and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Dr. Martin's state-of-the-art translational research allows for the rapid assessment of potential therapies that can be brought from the bench to the bedside.

Dr. Martin's academic responsibilities involve teaching residents, clinical and research fellows. She has authored or edited several textbooks and is an ad hoc reviewer for more than a dozen prestigious medical journals. Dr. Martin is a frequently invited speaker at both national and international events, and her peer-reviewed and other educational material has been published extensively in print and other media.

Fernando R. Moya, MD, is director of the Division of Wilmington Pediatric Subspecialties in the Department of Pediatrics, and professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Board certified in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine, Dr. Moya is also medical director of the Pediatric Subspecialty Clinic at Novant Health—New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Dr. Moya has been involved in clinical and translational research throughout his career. As a principal or coinvestigator on more than a dozen clinical trials, Dr. Moya’s research focused on preterm infant nutrition and respiratory care, among other topics. Dr. Moya has disseminated his research and expertise in more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and 200 articles, presentations, and book chapters.

He has lectured on the topic of preterm infant health in more than 25 countries throughout the world. He is a reviewer for numerous prestigious medical journals, including the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, European Journal of Pediatrics, The Journal of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Pediatric Research, Genetics in Medicine, and Journal of Perinatology.

Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Allergy Program at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health in New York City. She received her medical degree from Jagiellonian University in Poland, where she also completed an internship. Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn completed pediatric residencies at Polish-American Children’s Hospital in Cracow, and the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She was awarded a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn received her PhD degree from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Poland. She is one of the few physicians, worldwide, who is board certified in pediatrics, allergy and immunology.

Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn has an international reputation as an expert in pediatric food allergies, anaphylaxis and food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). She is the principal investigator for a number of clinical trials, and her research interests include egg and milk allergy, food-induced anaphylaxis treatment and risk factors, diagnostic issues in food allergy, and FPIES. Landmark research studies led by Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn of baked milk and egg diets changed the standard of care for millions of milk- and egg-allergic children by allowing them to ingest these foods in baked products.

Brenda Poindexter, MD, MS, is chief and system medical director of the Division of Neonatology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Marcus Professor in Neonatology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Poindexter received her medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo and an MS degree in clinical research from Indiana University in Indianapolis. She completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Indiana University’s Riley Hospital for Children.

Dr. Poindexter’s primary research interests, involving both observational and interventional trials, relate to the role of early nutrition in growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants. She also formed a multicenter consortium to evaluate the impact of prenatal opioid exposure on outcomes. Prior to joining Children’s Healthcare, she served as director for clinical and translational research for the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and for more than a decade she was a principal investigator for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Neonatal Research Network.

Dr. Poindexter serves as a member of the American Board of Pediatrics Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Subboard, providing direction for subspecialty certification. She is a co-editor of Nutritional Care of Preterm Infants: Scientific Basis and Practical Guidelines, a textbook and practical resource for neonatologists, dietitians and nurses. Written by a team of experts from around the world, the book summarizes current knowledge about the nutritional requirements of preterm infants, addressing the complexity of meeting those requirements, and presenting unambiguous recommendations.

Sara E. Ramel, MD, is an associate professor in neonatology and a member of the faculty of the Center for Neurobehavioral Development/Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine where she completed her residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatal/perinatal medicine. Dr. Ramel is board certified in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Dr. Ramel’s research focuses on the impact of neonatal nutrition, illness and growth on long-term neurodevelopment and body composition. She has been the principal investigator on a number of growth studies sponsored by the University of Minnesota, the National Institutes of Health, as well as the March of Dimes and the Minnesota Obesity Center. Dr. Ramel and her research team have uniquely shown that optimizing linear growth in the first year of life is as important as adequate weight gain in improving long-term neurodevelopment amongst preterm infants. Additionally, the team found that increased fat-free mass gains, rather than fat-mass gains, are associated with improved speed of processing and cognitive and motor scores later in life. Dr. Ramel and her colleagues worked on the development of growth curves for preterm infants in fat mass and fat-free mass, as well as examining factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional, associated with improved linear growth and fat-free mass gains. In addition, the team examined the difficult balance between optimizing neurodevelopment and minimizing later metabolic risk amongst preterm infants.

Dr. Ramel is the co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts and book chapters. She is also a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and serves as an ad hoc review for several prestigious medical journals.

Rachel Lee Rosen, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and director of the Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She obtained her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School, completed an internship and residency at Duke University Medical Center, and a fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The hospital’s pediatric gastroenterology division is ranked among the top four in the nation by US News & World Report, recording more than 60,000 outpatient visits and more than 9,500 procedures annually. The division offers 15 specialty programs for specific diagnoses for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), esophageal disorders, liver disease, and celiac disease. In addition, its clinicians are leaders in gastrointestinal research, searching for innovative ways to advance treatments, overcome challenges, and improve the quality of patient care.

The division’s basic research program focuses on the study of epithelial cell/ developmental biology, neurobiology, and mucosal immunology in infection, inflammation, host defense, and gastrointestinal tract development. The clinical research program focuses on IBD, celiac disease, esophageal disorders, congenital enteropathies, liver and biliary disorders, pancreatic disorders, allergic diseases, polyposis syndromes, aerodigestive disease, global nutrition, motility, and functional disorders. Dr. Rosen and her colleagues are currently conducting a number of clinical trials to evaluate therapies to treat IBD, liver and biliary disorders, intestinal failure, motility disorders and allergic gastrointestinal diseases.

The Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, led by Dr. Rosen, sees children who have trouble swallowing or breathing or who have gastrointestinal issues in addition to respiratory symptoms. The center treats functional and structural disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract and lungs due to congenital or developmental abnormality or injury, swallowing dyscoordination, feeding problems, genetic diseases, and neurodevelopmental disability. It is the only center in the United States to be funded by the National Institutes of Health and the model upon which most centers are now based.

Paul Rozance, MD, is The Frederick C. Battaglia Endowed Chair in Neonatology at Children’s Hospital Colorado and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. Dr. Rozance received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.  He was awarded a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

The goal of Dr. Rozance’s research is to obtain a better understanding of how the fetus translates nutrient signals from the placental into anabolic signals for growth, specifically insulin secretion. The research focuses on intrauterine growth restriction and the pancreatic beta-cell. The translational studies revolve around the broad area of perinatal insulin-nutrient metabolism and have led to Dr. Rozance’s clinical interest in glucose metabolism during the transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. His research has been supported by several grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Rozance is the author or coauthor of articles and abstracts published in peer-reviewed journals and he was recognized as one of the best UpToDate authors for his research on neonatal hypoglycemia. Dr. Rozance serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Endocrinology and Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, and is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Physiological Society, Perinatal Research Society, and the Society for Pediatric Research.  

Ariel A. Salas, MD, MSPH, is associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Infant Nutrition Service Center in the Division of Neonatology at Children’s of Alabama, a pediatric acute care hospital affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Salas received his medical degree from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz, Bolivia, completed residencies at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría in Bolivia, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, followed by a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at UAB, where he also earned his master’s degree in public health.

Dr. Salas designed the Infant Nutrition Service Center at UAB to monitor body composition, nutritional practices and the growth of term and preterm infants before and after hospital discharge. Research and quality improvement projects from the Division of Neonatology and the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine are coordinated through the center and its multidisciplinary team of neonatologists, dietitians, speech pathologists, lactation consultants, neonatal fellows, and nurses, coordinates feeding practices across the hospital’s neonatal units. Prenatal counseling is provided for mothers whose babies are known to have complex medical conditions in order to provide them with valuable information and support prior to delivery.

Dr. Salas’ research interests include enteral nutrition and feeding problems in preterm infants. The focus of his current work is the optimization of quantitative and qualitative outcomes of growth to reduce adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood, after the early establishment of full enteral feeding in extremely preterm infants. His long-term research goal is to conduct multicenter randomized clinical trials, particularly in the understudied area of nutrition in very preterm infants.

Dr. Salas is the author of numerous published manuscripts. He is an ad hoc reviewer for the American Society for Nutrition and Pediatric Academic Societies as well as for several prestigious medical journals including the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics, JAMA Pediatrics, Journal of Perinatal Medicine, Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and European Journal of Pediatrics.

Hugh A. Sampson, MD, is the Kurt Hirschhorn Professor of Pediatrics and director emeritus of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Sampson received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Sampson's clinical responsibilities include the supervision of a pediatric allergy clinic and in his academic role he is responsible for teaching fellows and residents.

Dr. Sampson’s research, primarily funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, focuses on food allergic disorders and the basic immunologic mechanisms responsible for these disorders. His accomplishments include identifying food allergy as a trigger for eosinophilic esophagitis, as well as determining the ability of most milk-allergic children to tolerate heat-denatured, or baked, milk products. He was also among the first to clearly delineate the relationship of atopic dermatitis and food allergy. Dr. Sampson’s research earned him the distinction of being named among the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds,” an honor accorded to the top one percent of researchers, based on the number of cited documents in their field. He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine for his research accomplishments.

Dr. Sampson is past chair of the Section on Allergy and Immunology of the American Academy of Pediatrics and past-president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has also chaired working groups and served on numerous committees of professional organizations in his field. Dr. Sampson has edited 13 books and published more than 500 articles and 88 book chapters. Dr. Sampson is chief scientific officer, interim chief medical officer, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the biopharmaceutical company DBV Technologies.  

Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD, is chief of the allergy section and the Stuart E. Starr Chair of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of pediatrics at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Spergel received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Children’s Hospital in Boston. He received his doctorate in biomedical sciences from Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Spergel’s clinical and research expertise is in the diagnosis and management of pediatric allergies including atopic dermatitis, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eosinophilic esophagitis. His research has been funded by both the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, as well as several private sector organizations.

Dr. Spergel and his team were recently honored with a Life Sciences Pennsylvania Patient Impact Award. The annual award recognizes “a significant contribution to the quality of healthcare or length of life of patients.” Their studies revealed that, contrary to existing knowledge, eosinophilic esophagitis is not a lifelong condition. The researchers also found that by applying a skin patch with trace amounts of milk protein they were able to slowly desensitize a patient’s allergic reaction. This research is expected to assist in the development of more effective management of eosinophilic esophagitis.

A sought-after lecturer both nationally and internationally, Dr. Spergel is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He is associate editor for Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, serves on several editorial boards, and as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals including The Journal of the American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet. 

Brian K. Stansfield, MD, is vice chair for research and an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Augusta University in Georgia. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Georgia, followed by a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine and a postdoctoral pediatric research fellowship at Indiana University.

Dr. Stansfield’s research on early life growth is robust and includes factors affecting human milk composition, human milk fortification, and the effects of prematurity and other neonatal factors on adult diseases. Dr. Stansfield has published more than 100 journal articles, abstracts and book chapters on these and other topics related to neonatology, pediatrics, and biochemistry.

At Augusta University, Dr. Stansfield’s academic responsibilities encompass curriculum development in neonatal physiology, research study design, and professional development. He serves as a section editor on the editorial board of Pediatric Research, as a reviewer for the Journal of Perinatology and Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, and an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other medical journals.

Caroline Steele, MS, RD, IBCLC, is an expert on breastfeeding, formula, and infant and pediatric nutrition, particularly the handling of human milk and formula within the hospital setting. She is a registered dietitian with 30 years of experience, a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), as well as a California Children's Services (CCS) Paneled Dietitian. Ms. Steele has worked in a number of settings, including her current position as a clinical consultant for Timeless Medical Systems and her former position as director of Clinical Nutrition and Lactation Services at Children's Hospital of Orange County, California, for 12 years.

Ms. Steele is the author and editor of a textbook on infant and pediatric feeding that provides guidelines for the preparation of human milk and formula in healthcare facilities and has authored 11 peer reviewed journal articles on this topic. She is also a contributor and a reviewer for numerous professional journals and consumer publications. Her expertise has been recognized with awards from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the Children's Hospital Association, the American Society for Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

David Stukus, MD, is a professor of clinical pediatrics and founding director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed a residency in pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. 
Dr. Stukus has devoted his career not only to clinical care and research focused primarily on food allergy, but also to communicating evidence-based medicine and best clinical practice to colleagues, other medical professionals, patients, and the general public. Acknowledging that food allergies can be serious and life-threatening, Dr. Stukus reassures patients and their families that with appropriate education, the majority of allergies are also manageable. Through his leadership, the Center provides all-inclusive, patient-specific care and education to help families develop skills to manage their child’s food allergies.

Dr. Stukus was among the first medical practitioners to recognize possibilities associated with the use of social media in the healthcare arena and how it fundamentally changed how information is transmitted and consumed. His popular posts are designed to increase awareness, dispel misconceptions, and support legislative initiatives benefiting patients like his own.

The impressive social media skills of Dr. Stukus were subsequently recognized by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) when he was appointed as the organization’s social media medical editor. He now hosts and produces the podcast series “Conversations From the World of Allergy” and is vice chair of the AAAAI’s Website, Internet and Related Technologies Committee. The American Academy of Pediatrics also acknowledged Dr. Stukus’ expertise by inviting him to serve as faculty for their “Social Media for Medical Professionals” course.

Dr. Stukus is the editor of two textbooks, several book chapters, as well as numerous research publications and articles. He is an associate editor for Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a reviewer for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Journal of Asthma, Journal of Pediatrics, New England Journal of Medicine, and Pediatrics.

Mimi Lai-Kuan Tang, MBBS, PhD, is director of Allergy Translation and group leader of Allergy Immunology at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Parkville, Australia, a pediatric immunologist allergist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Melbourne. Dr. Tang received her MBBS degree, with honors, and a PhD in immunology from the University of Melbourne. She completed her training in allergy and immunology through the Royal Australian College of Physicians and the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia.

Dr. Tang has an international reputation in the field of allergic disorders and is a leading expert in food oral immunotherapy. She is recognized for her research achievements, investigating immune mechanisms of allergic disease and the role of the gut microbiota in modulating immune responses. Dr. Tang was responsible for the discovery of a highly effective world-first treatment for food allergy that induced remission of peanut allergy in eighty percent of children treated.

In addition to her research published in scientific journals and textbooks, Dr. Tang has coauthored two books for lay audiences. Kids' Food Allergies for Dummies, provides valuable resources for parents, caregivers, and educators, and The Allergy Friendly Family Cookbook, provides recipes and reassurance for families of children with food allergies.

Dr. Tang has been recognized for translating research into health policy and clinical practice with respect to food allergy and anaphylaxis management both nationally and internationally. She served on a committee to develop evidence-based Global Guidelines for Food Allergy Management in Schools, published in 2021 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In Australia, she played a key role in lobbying efforts to make EpiPens available through the national health service, developed guidelines for the prevention of anaphylaxis in schools, and worked with patient support groups to lobby governmental agencies to pass legislation requiring that day care and school staff receive training in anaphylaxis and allergy management.

Dr. Tang is the author of more than 440 scientific articles, books chapters, reviews and studies, and, according to the Web of Science citation index, she is ranked in the top one percent of cited researchers in the field of immunology, demonstrating her remarkable influence in the field. She is associate editor of the Journal of Allergy and Immunology and serves on the editorial boards of a several scientific journals including the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Journal, Journal of Allergy and Immunology, Asia Pacific Allergy Journal, and World Allergy Organization Journal. She is a frequently invited speaker at international allergy and immunology symposia.

Sarah N. Taylor, MD, MSCR, is a professor and director of clinical research in the Division of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, and a professor in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Taylor received her medical degree and completed a pediatric residency and a fellowship in neonatal medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She earned a master of science degree in clinical research at the Medical University of South Carolina.  

As director of clinical research at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Taylor leads a team specializing in health outcomes related to maternal and infant nutrition. Funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), their research focuses on infant nutrition and gastrointestinal health with an emphasis on human milk. Studies include disparities in lactation, the biology of milk production, and the role of human milk intake in preterm infant growth and development.

Dr. Taylor is recognized as an advocate for maternal and infant nutrition at the international, national, and local levels. Since her appointment at Yale School of Medicine she has significantly expanded the number of clinical studies. She has also established collaborative clinical and translational research relationships with prestigious academic institutions throughout the United States, as well as increasing international collaboration.

Dr. Taylor’s initiatives have included establishing the NIH-funded Yale Neonatal NOuRISH (Yale Neonatal Nutrition Outcomes Research In Sustaining mother and infant Health) project to investigate how fetal and neonatal nutritional and metabolic exposures impact outcomes. Earlier in her career, Dr. Taylor spearheaded the South Carolina Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Collaborative’s initiative to provide donor human milk as an available supplement to mother’s milk for all hospitalized, very low-birth-weight infants in the state. 

Dr. Taylor is a member of the executive board of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and a member of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed books, chapters and reviews and is a frequently invited speaker at both national and international professional events.

Anna Featherston Tuttle, RD, is a clinical dietitian at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Ms. Tuttle earned an MS degree in clinical nutrition at the University of Memphis, and her extensive experience includes clinical, community, sports, pediatric and long-term care nutrition, as well as school and hospital food service.

Ms. Tuttle is a member of a multidisciplinary team providing nutrition support in the outpatient gastrointestinal clinic and for following patients on admission to the hospital. The gastroenterology clinic features subspecialty components designed to address conditions such as eosinophilic esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease, liver transplants and pediatric intestinal rehabilitation. Ms. Tuttle is responsible for educating patients and their caregivers on specialized diets developed for a patient’s specific medical condition and for providing instruction on both oral and tube feeding. According to the prestigious US News & World’s Best Hospitals Awards, LeBonheur’s pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery programs are ranked among the best nationwide.

Ms. Tuttle is a member of a number of nutritional and dietetic organizations, serving on committees for several of them. She is the author or co-author of articles and book chapters on pediatric nutrition for healthcare professionals, as well as a frequent speaker on the topic.

As a neonatologist, a scientist, and a registered dietitian, Christina J. Valentine, MD, MS, RD, brings a unique, multidisciplinary perspective to infant nutrition. Her clinical responsibilities include the care of high-risk infants; her academic role involves curriculum development and teaching medical students, residents, and nurses; and her research projects address the impact of nutrition on infants in order to assist in the development of products to optimize outcomes.

Dr. Valentine is professor and medical director of perinatal nutrition at Banner University Medical Center of the University of Arizona in Tucson. She is also chief medical officer for Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition. She received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where she completed her pediatric internship and residency, followed by a neonatology fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Valentine’s research encompasses the development of formula that incorporates the nutritional components found in human milk for the benefit of infants for whom human milk is not an option. This involves studying human milk to identify components that, when added to formula, will mimic mother’s milk as closely as possible. For example, at one time it was thought that a defatted formula was a healthier alternative for babies. However, research highlighted the importance of the milk fat globule membrane that occurs naturally in human milk. The research showed that infants who were fed formula containing milk fat from 2 to 6 months of age demonstrated greater cognitive development compared to babies given a formula without supplementation.

Other research, conducted by Dr. Valentine and others, was designed to evaluate lactoferrin, a major protein in mother’s milk, that is found in much lower quantities in cow’s milk. Since breastfed infants have a lower risk of infections than formula-fed infants, the hypothesis is that the presence of lactoferrin and its anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties may be one of the reasons.

Dr. Valentine is a fellow and a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and a member of several other professional organizations including the International Society for Interdisciplinary Research in Human Milk and Lactation. She has given numerous presentations, is the author or coauthor of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, and is a reviewer for a number of prestigious medical journals including the Journal of Pediatrics, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the Journal of Perinatology.

Karen M. Varga, RD, LDN, CNSC, is a pediatric nutrition specialist at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina. She received a bachelor of science degree in dietetics from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and completed a Sodexho Marriott Dietetic Internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

As a certified nutrition support clinician, Ms. Varga provides assessments and medical nutritional therapy recommendations and education for pediatric and adult patients. Her areas of responsibility include the neonatal and pediatric intensive care inpatient units, as well the pediatric surgery G-tube and special infant care outpatient clinics.

Ms. Varga is a member of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She serves on several WakeMed nutritional committees and has been credited with a number of quality improvement initiatives. She is also the recipient of a recent award for providing exceptional patient care.

Carina Venter, PhD, RD, is assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora. She earned her doctorate in allergy/immunology at the University of Southampton in England and is a registered dietitian in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa.

Dr. Venter manages children and adults with allergies including food protein enterocolitis syndrome, eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and IgE and non-IgE mediated food allergies, with an emphasis on the role of nutrition in the prevention, diagnosis and management of allergic diseases.

A founding member and chair of the International Network for Diet and Nutrition in Allergy, Dr. Venter developed evidence-based guidelines and protocols for the diagnosis and management of patients with adverse reactions to food. As a member of the NIH-sponsored Expert Panel of the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases she was involved in creating guidelines to aid clinicians in the early introduction to infants of peanut-containing foods to prevent the development of peanut allergy.

Dr. Venter has authored more than 100 chapters and articles on food hypersensitivity, pregnancy, lactation, weaning, and allergy prevention, and her work has been published in international journals. She is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences.

Carol L. Wagner, MD, is a professor of pediatrics and associate director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center (NEXUS) at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed a residency, internship and neonatal-perinatal fellowship at the University of Rochester/Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.

Dr. Wagner is a board-certified neonatologist whose research focuses on understanding the vitamin D requirements of pregnant and lactating women and their infants, as well as the long-term impact of vitamin D deficiency on health. She has been the principal or co-principal investigator of a number of clinical trials sponsored by the NIH, the Thrasher Research Fund, and the Kellogg Foundation. The studies have focused on neonatal nutrition, particularly the role of vitamin D during pregnancy and early childhood.

Dr. Wagner is a member of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Breastfeeding and Perinatal sections, a fellow in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and an elected member in the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Society for Nutritional Sciences.

The author of more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, Dr. Wagner serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Human Lactation and Breastfeeding Medicine, and is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other prestigious scientific journals.

Michael J. Wilsey, Jr, MD, is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida, associate professor of clinical pediatrics in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and vice chair in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. He earned his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed his pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, followed by fellowship training in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Wilsey is an advanced therapeutic endoscopist specializing in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for infants and children. He is recognized as one of a select group of gastroenterologists with this expertise both in the United States and internationally, and he has developed and implemented multiple clinical innovations related to therapeutic endoscopy in pediatric patients.

Dr. Wilsey has published more than 90 peer-reviewed research articles, consensus statements, and book chapters. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Transplantation and Nutrition, and Frontiers in Pediatrics.