Sean Sullivan joined the Wilmington Pediatric Specialty Division in Gastroenterology as an Associate Professor on November 14, 2022. Dr. Sullivan earned his MD from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in 1996. He completed his Pediatrics Residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego in 2001 and a Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins University in 2006. Dr. Sullivan has served as a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth since 2015 and as a Pediatric Specialty Leader with the U.S. Navy since 2020. Dr. Sullivan also served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth from 2016 to 2019. Welcome Sean!

Members of the Pediatric Rheumatology division co-author 6 research abstracts presented at the 2022 ACR Convergence Conference. In addition, Dr. Eve Wu was invited to moderate a scientific session on an international workgroup’s effort to develop ACR/EULAR CNO classification criteria.

Dr. Eve Wu was recently invited to present at the 2022 CRMO Foundation patient and parent meeting on “CNO/CRMO Diagnosis and Monitoring: Challenges and Successes”.

Matthew Vogt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology, is the 2022 recipient of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society’s Hall Award for Clinically Innovative Research Paper. The award is presented annually to a junior or mid-career investigator who is the first or senior author of a paper that best illustrates the innovative approach to clinical research demonstrated by Dr. Caroline Hall, for whom the award is named.

Congratulations to Dr. Sam Schilling!  Samantha Schilling, MD, MSHP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, has joined the NRSA Primary Care Research Fellowship program to serve as Associate Director of Pediatrics. Dr. Schilling has great expertise on mechanisms of child abuse prevention and conducts primary care-based studies of parenting interventions on the impact of parental self-efficacy, effectiveness, and reducing severe discipline and abuse. For years Dr. Schilling has been an important participant in the recruitment piece of the fellowship, meeting with potential fellows and providing key feedback. Dr. Schilling will expand the core faculty expertise within the program and enhance the fellowship experience.

Congratulations to Dr. Sam Schilling!  Samantha Schilling, MD, MSHP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, has joined the NRSA Primary Care Research Fellowship program to serve as Associate Director of Pediatrics. Dr. Schilling has great expertise on mechanisms of child abuse prevention and conducts primary care-based studies of parenting interventions on the impact of parental self-efficacy, effectiveness, and reducing severe discipline and abuse. For years Dr. Schilling has been an important participant in the recruitment piece of the fellowship, meeting with potential fellows and providing key feedback. Dr. Schilling will expand the core faculty expertise within the program and enhance the fellowship experience.

Aliese Sarkissian, MD recently published a paper in Pediatric Quality and Safety based on her Rheumatology fellowship QI project: Improving Vitamin D Screening in a Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic Using Structured Quality Improvement Process. Congratulations Aliese!

Natalia Akopyants, joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Associate Professor in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine on October 31, 2022. Dr. Akopyants, earned her PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Research Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia in 1988. In 1998, Dr. Akopyants completed post doctoral training in Microbiology with the Department of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University in Saint Louis, MO. Since 1999, Dr. Akopyants has continued her research career as faculty in the Department of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine. Welcome Natalia!

Congratulations to Wesley Jackson, MD MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health, on their election to membership in the Society of Pediatric Research (SPR).

The Society for Pediatric Research encourages and supports pediatric research endeavors by creating a multi-disciplinary network of diverse researchers to improve child health. Collaboration among SPR members creates meaningful progress for the future of children’s health. Active Members are independent researchers conducting hypothesis-driven research in a field related to pediatrics that have been nominated and seconded by SPR members and approved by SPR Council.

Congratulations Sue and Wes!

Isabelle Dagher, MD, third-year Pediatric Resident, was awarded First Place in the Resident Clinical Research group of the Virtual Poster Competition at the North Carolina Medical Society LEAD 2022 Conference.  She won with her poster presentation: “Progression of Upper Airway Manifestations in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Throughout Childhood”.  Congratulations Isabelle!