Journal of Paediatrics and Neonatal Disorders

Dr. Miles Weinberger is a Professor of Pediatrics and Co-director at University of Iowa Cystic Fibrosis Center, United States. He is a Director of Iowa Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening Program and he was a Director of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonary Division. He is an Editorial Board member and reviewer for various international journals. 

Dr. Michael Van Doren Johnston is a pediatric neurologist and the Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP of the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research interests are in the pathogenesis and treatment of hypoxic-ischemic and inflammatory brain injuries in premature and full term infant as well as in hypothermic circulatory arrest used as a support for complicated cardiac surgery. He is a faculty member in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Nursery (NICN) at Johns Hopkins Hospital where babies with asphyxia and other brain disorders are treated with moderate hypothermia and other therapies. He has an active research laboratory in the Hugo Moser Research Institute and Kennedy Krieger and he is also the Director of the Clinical Trials Unit at Kennedy Krieger.

Dr. Michael Sherman has perfectly prepared him for his life-long studies of neonatal infection and its relationship to neonatal immunobiology. His first mentor was Rufus Clay Hatfield, a long-time scientist in the biological weapons program at Fort Detrick, Maryland before that he was a Professor in Microbiology at Cal Poly. His post-doctoral mentor was Professor Elliot Goldstein at UC Davis. In his laboratory, he devised the first aerosol experiments to study the maturation of alveolar macrophages in neonatal animals. He defined the mechanisms by which Streptococcus agalactiae caused deadly neonatal pneumonia. The mentor for my KO8 award was Professor Robert Lehrer at UCLA, and together we showed how the respiratory burst and defensins underwent maturation in neonatal alveolar macrophages. This training resulted in my current studies of the antimicrobial protein, lactoferrin, and the protector of mucosal immunity in the gut. We also determined Paneth cell physiology in neonates. With Nobel Laureate Louis Ignarro, he established many principles related to nitric oxide production and immunobiology. Specifically, he showed that activation of nuclear factor kappa B was associated with the induction of type II NO synthase by lipopolysaccharide in alveolar macrophages. Current studies of lactoferrin effects on dendritic cells and Th1 lymphocytes, in collaboration with Professor Habib Zaghouani, has assisted the understanding of how lactoferrin prevents late-onset neonatal sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. A clinical trial of recombinant human lactoferrin in very preterm infants allowed us to determine the effects of lactoferrin on the intestinal microbiome. His research on lactoferrin and probiotics has demonstrated leadership in the USA and many other countries, including Poland. His interest in necrotizing enterocolitis has resulted in important collaborations with the Medical University of Poznan. His goal is to help the neonatologists in Poznan (Professor Janusz Gadzinowski) bring prophylactic therapy with bovine lactoferrin to preterm neonates. He has active and ongoing collaborations with Doctor Tomasz Szczapa in Poznan on the pathophysiology of necrotizing enterocolitis. He also collaborated with Polish colleagues in Krakow, Poland (Professor Ryszard Lauterbach) on the use of anti-inflammatory agents to alleviate the effects of neonatal sepsis and retinopathy of prematurity. These interactions have resulted in either scientific presentations at international pediatric meetings or peer-reviewed publications in prestigious medical journals. These research efforts are continue with Polish colleagues and will result in new knowledge that will improve neonatal care in Poland and many other countries. Currently, he is working with Doctor Marta Knapczyk who is establishing a developmental pediatric center in Krakow for infants and young children. This center will provide diagnostics and rehabilitation. He is proud to work with the Children’s Medical Care Foundation or CMCF. The CMCF sponsored educational opportunities for Polish neonatologists or pediatricians at Universities in the United States. He has hosted multiple Polish physicians for educational fellowships at either UCLA or the University of California at Davis. He also participated as a lecturer at many symposia sponsored by the CMCF throughout Poland and have introduced new concepts in neonatal medicine at these conferences, including introduction of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) at a 1989 symposium. His colleagues in Poznan are now NRP teachers throughout Poland and have greatly improved neonatal care; hence, he is proud of their accomplishments in research and education of neonatal caregivers.

Dr. Philip Rosenthal is a Professor of Pediatrics and Surgery at the University of California, United States. He is a member in various international Professional organizations. He is a Director, Pediatric Clinical Research and Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplant Research at University of California, San Francisco. He is an Editor and Reviewer for various international journals.

Research: Dr. Philip Rosenthal’s areas of interests include Bilirubin metabolism, pediatric liver disease, pediatric liver transplantation, hepatitis, biliary atresia, neonatal hepatitis, metabolic liver disease, fulminant liver failure, bioartificial liver support, quality of life after liver transplantation.

Dr. Jonathan Muraskas grew up on the South Side of Chicago and attended Brother Rice High School.  He graduated from Ripon College Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Chemistry.  He graduated in the last 3 year class at Loyola-Stritch in 1982.  He completed his residency in Pediatrics and Fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine from Loyola in 1987.  He was Chief Resident in Pediatrics and has held numerous positions as Director of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Division, Fellowship, Research and Co-Director of the Regional Perinatal Center at Loyola.  In 2001, he was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics and in 2008 was given an appointment as Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology. Dr. Muraskas’ research activities have resulted in over 180 publications in peer review journals, books and abstracts.  He has published in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.  He has given over 200 outside presentations, both nationally and internationally.  He serves as a reviewer for 14 peer review journals and belongs to 15 medical societies. Dr. Muraskas has a passion for teaching.  For the last 20 years, he has had 1st and 2nd year students shadow him on a weekly basis.  He has mentored over 50 students in research projects. In his 31 years at Loyola, Dr. Muraskas has received numerous awards, such as the Golden Apple Teaching Award in 1988 and 1989, Attending of the Year in 1999 and 2001, Outstanding Clinical Professor in 1999, and Chicago Magazine Top Doctor in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine for 13 consecutive years from 1999 to 2012.  He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.  He was also awarded an Honorary Degree from Ripon College and was the Commencement Speaker in 2007. Dr. Muraskas received the Master Teacher Award in 2010.

Dr. Fayez M. Bany-Mohammed, a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and a staff Neonatologist at University of California, Irvine Medical Center. He also worked as the Program Director for the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM). His primary clinical responsibility include care of sick newborns, particularly premature infants, and infants with congenital diseases, including complex congenital heart disease and congenital malformations. On the average, He spends 15-20 hours per week in fellow and resident clinical supervision and teaching. In addition, He involves in clinical and quality improvement research within the NICU and has mentored fellows towards graduation and published several peer-reviewed papers.

Research: Dr. Fayez M. Bany-Mohammed interests include oxygen radical diseases of neonatology like retinopathy of prematurity and bronco pulmonary dysplasia. He is also interested in clinical research in neonatal hematology and how to preserve neonatal blood and prevent blood transfusion. Examples of recent clinical research include IRB approved study to utilize placental venous blood as a substitution for neonatal blood in admission laboratory evaluation of NICU patients and delayed cord clamping to boost neonatal red blood cell mass.  

Dr. Chia-Yi (Alex) Kuan is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, United States. Dr. Kuan earned his M.D. from National Taiwan University, Taiwan, and Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Yale University in Connecticut, USA. Dr. Kuan completed his postdoctoral training at Yale University and took a faculty position at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center before moving to Emory University. Dr. Kuan served at the National Institute of Health (NIH) study section and is an Editorial Board member and reviewer for several international journals. 

Research: Dr. Chia-Yi Kuan’s current research focuses on the pathological mechanisms and novel therapies of acute perinatal brain injury.  His laboratory uses a variety of experimental disease models, including neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury, inflammation-sensitized HI brain injury, prematurity-related brain hemorrhage and the consequence of hydrocephalus, as well as neonatal thrombotic stroke.

Dr. Joanne Baerg is presently working as an associate professor in department of pediatrics surgery at Loma Lindal University Children's Hospital, United States. She is active in academic and administrative committee activities at loma linda university. She is member in various professional organizations. She is acting as editor and reviewer for various international journals.

Dr. MJ Hajianpour is currently working as a Clinical Associate Professor of Paediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Director of Clinical Cytogenetics Fellowship Training Program, Division of Medical Genetics/Cytogenetics and Molecular Laboratory at University of Iowa. He is member in Founding Fellow American College of Medical Genetics (FACMG) and Member American Society of Human Genetics.

Dr. Jaime Morales-Arias is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Hematology/Oncology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, United States. He is a Director of Hemophilia Treatment Center at Children’s Hospital and Bleeding Disorders and Thrombosis Program, Department of Pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA. He is member in various international societies. He was honored with American Cancer Society Spirit Award for his contributions to fight against cancer. He is an Editorial Board member of various international journals. Dr. Jaime Morales-Arias research Interests include Pediatric bleeding disorders, hemophilia, thrombosis, Ewing’s sarcoma, and Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Dr. Amir A. Bajoghli, Named Top Dermatologist and MOHS Surgeon in the Washingtonian magazine for every year starting in 2005 to 2012, Dr. Amir A. Bajoghli is a  board certified Dermatologist in private practice in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Prior to his current position as chief of Dermatology at Fairfax Hospital, Dr. Bajoghli was the director of Mohs micrographic surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He also teaches at Georgetown University Department of Dermatology and Inova Fairfax Hospital. Dr. Bajoghli completed his dermatology training at Tufts University/BU combined program and had additional training in dermatologic surgery/Mohs surgery at Boston University, where he also served as a faculty member. Before moving back to his native Northern Virginia, Dr. Bajoghli was an attending physician at the West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Hospital, responsible for teaching Harvard University dermatology residents and medical students. He has presented several scientific papers at national meetings and has written numerous articles and chapters for medical textbooks in the area of dermatology and the latest technique in skin cancer surgery. Dr. Bajoghli also gives lectures on BOTOX® Cosmetic and Restylane® injections, and was the medical director of Palomar Laser Technology, specializing in laser treatment for hair, tattoo removal as well as birthmarks and wrinkle removal. He specializes in Mohs surgery for the removal of skin cancers and is board certified in both Dermatology and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Patricia Denning is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University Medical School, United States. Dr. Denning earned her M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and completed her Pediatric Residency training at Baylor College of Medicine and Boston University Medical School. She completed her clinical neonatology fellowship in Neonatology and gastroenterology research fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She is member in various international committees. She is an Editorial Board member and reviewer for international journals.

Research: Dr. Patricia Denning’s current research focuses on the developmental regulation of intestinal innate immunity. They are specifically interested in bacterial-host interactions and how normal bacterial colonization may influence maturation of intestinal innate immune responses.  

Dr. Henry Lawrence Dorkin is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, and he is also working as Director of Pulmonary Clinical Research Program, Co-Director at Cystic Fibrosis Center and at CF Foundation Therapeutic Development Center, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital. He did his post-doctoral training in Pulmonary Medicine at Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, MA. He is an editorial board member for many journals and has membership in several associations and committees. Dr. Henry Lawrence Dorkin received many honors and awards honored. He has numerous publications in peer reviewed international journals. 

Research: Dr. Henry Lawrence Dorkin is interested in new therapies in Cystic Fibrosis, Novel methods of lung function in early detection of endpoints in clinical trials.

Dr. Mohamed Amin El Gohary is a Professor and Head of Pediatric Surgery Department at Burjeel hospital, UAE. He is an Executive member of the ISHID (International Society of Intersex). He is member in various international associations. He has number of presentations and publications to his name. 

Professor Carmelo Romeo obtained Medical degree cum laude 1986, University of Messina. Specialist in Pediatric Surgery cum laude 1991, University di Napoli Federico II. University Diploma in Laparoscopic Surgery 2001, University of Strasburgo (F). Scholarship Lions International Rhode Island Hospital USA 1987. Scholarship Fondazione Bonino-Pulejo Pedaitric Surgery Clinic University of Bologna 1988. Scholarship National Council for Research - Great Ormond Street Hospital UCL London 1998. Prize on “Congenital Malformation”, Lions Club 1986/1987, with the paper on “Esophageal Atresia”. Winner of the resident best paper award at the international congress of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons (Montreal, 1999) with the presentation: “Gastric motility disorders in patients operated on for esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula: long term evaluation”. Researcher in Pediatric Surgery from 1990 at the University of Reggio Calabria. Associate Professor in Pediatric Surgery from 1999 at the University of Messina. Professor in Pediatric Surgery from december 2009 at the University of Messina. Authors of 266 papers: 150 on peer reviewed National and International journals; 4 monographies; 12 book chapters; 100 abstracts e 7 videos presented at National and International Congress. He is Editorial board member of various international journals.

Research: Dr. Carmelo Romeo’s research Interests include Congenital malformations: Esophageal atresia congenital diaphragmatic hernia; physiopathology of the surgical neonate and neonatal sepsis; physiopathology of congenital hydronephrosis and megaureter; pediatric andrology: cryptorchidism, varicocele, torsion of the testis. CO2 pneumoperitoneum in surgical animal models. 

Dr. Intan Hakimah Ismail is a Senior Medical Lecturer in Paediatrics at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). She also holds the rank of Associate Professor (Medicine). She is currently the Head of Department and the Head of Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM. Dr. Ismail obtained her degree in Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Master of Medicine (Paediatrics) from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). She obtained vast experience in General Paediatrics, Nephrology, Oncology and Haematology, Cardiology, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Genetic, Infectious Disease, Emergency Paediatrics, Paediatric Intensive Care, Endocrinology and Developmental Paediatrics. She was also trained in Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care. She further sub-specialised in Clinical Immunology and Allergy in Melbourne, Australia. Currently, she works as a Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist at Serdang Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia. As an academician, she is actively involved in teaching and research in the field of Paediatrics, Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Dr Ismail is on the editorial board of the Malaysian Journal Medicine and Health Sciences. She also serves as a reviewer for the African Journal of Microbiology Research and Lung India. 

Research: Dr. Intan Hakimah Ismail’s research interests include Allergic diseases, Regulatory T cell, Probiotic and Microbiota, Primary immunodeficiencies and Paediatric infectious Diseases. 

Dr. Hüseyin Özbey is Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Division of Pediatric Urology at Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul. He was an Associate Professor at Department of Pediatric Surgery, Karl-Franzens University, Graz Medical School, Austria. He is member in various international societies. He is also an Editor and reviewer for various journals. Dr. Hüseyin Özbey research interests include are newborn surgery, paediatric urology and disorders of sex development.

Dr. Raju Shah is a professor of pediatrics at GCS Medical College, Ahmedabad, India. He was a National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (2005) and he was a President of Pediatric Association of SAARC (2005-08).  He was a Chairman of Committee on Immunization, IAP (2005-6) and Infectious Disease Chapter of IAP (2003–4). He is Editorial board member for various international journals.

Dr. Hemant S. Agarwal is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of New Mexico, United States.  He is a member in various international Committees. He is an Editor and reviewer for various international journals. He has Certifications of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).

Dr. Jing Lin is working as the associate professor and has been an active member of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine since 1999. The Division of Newborn Medicine in Mount Sinai. He has organized and performed an American Academy of Pediatric sponsored Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) related research project and several other clinical studies in China. He has authored and co-authored over 40 peer reviewed journal articles. As a clinical educator, he is also interested in global health, mainly focused on improving the perinatal care in China. Since the year 2001, he has been using almost all of his spare time traveling to China 3-4 times a year as a visiting professor to promote the perinatal care and help to implement a new graduate medical education/residency training system in China. In addition, he has been working with the colleagues from the Canadian Neonatal Network on a project in Shanghai to train neonatologists in China. His work in China has made a significant impact and improved the care of neonates in China.  

Research: Dr. Jing Lin's main research focus has been on the role of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the pathogenesis of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a disease mainly seen in premature infants and a source of significant morbidity and mortality in the NICU.  His other research activities are on the clinical part of the neonatal medicine. By taking advantage of their large patient population.