Pulmonology
UNC Pediatric Pulmonology provides state of the art diagnosis and treatment of lung disease in children, cutting edge research into many aspects of pulmonary disease, and one of the discipline’s leading fellowship training programs. Our goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of children living with conditions such as aerodigestive disorders, asthma, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), neuromuscular disorders, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), rare or genetic lung diseases, and others. Our team provides care to children all across North Carolina as well as neighboring states and across the globe.
PULMONOLOGY NEWS
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Welcome New Physician Faculty: Laura Dosier, MD
Dr. Dosier joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the division of Pediatric Pulmonology on January 20, 2026. Dr. Dosier received her BS in 2005 from the University of Southern California, and earned her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010. She completed her Pediatric Residency at the University of Texas, Southwestern Dallas and remained as Chief Resident until 2014. She completed her pediatric pulmonology fellowship at Duke University, in 2017, and her sleep medicine fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018. Since then, she has been an Assistant Professor at Duke University from 2018 – 2020, and then an attending physician and Medical Director of the Sleep Lab at Wake Med Hospitals in Raleigh, NC. Welcome back Laura!
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Stephenson Awarded $700,000 from The Duke Endowment to Expand Statewide Care for Infants and Children with Premature Lung Disease
UNC Children’s is proud to announce that The Duke Endowment has awarded $700,000 to launch “Expanding Care for Infants and Children with BPD across North Carolina – an Interdisciplinary Care and Outreach Program”, a new statewide initiative led by Nicole Stephenson, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology.
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Welcome New Physician Faculty: Alex Despotes, MD
Dr. Despotes joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the division of Pediatric Pulmonology on July 31, 2025. Dr. Despotes received her BS from the University of Notre Dame in 2011. She earned her medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015. She remained with us at UNC as a Med-Peds resident and for her subspecialty training in Pediatric Pulmonology, graduating in 2025. Congratulations Alex!
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Hoekstra Named Simmons Scholar
Dr. Nadia Hoekstra, Instructor in Pediatric Pulmonology, has been named a UNC School of Medicine Simmons Scholar. Congratulations!