Yamini Virkud, MD, MPH was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Virkud has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2021. Dr. Virkud received her medical degree from Washington University in 2008. Dr. Virkud completed her pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 2011 and clinical and research fellowships were completed at Duke University in 2014. Before joining us at UNC Children’s, Dr. Virkud was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

Allison Burbank, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Burbank has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2017. Dr. Burbank received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in May 2010 and remained in Little Rock, AR to complete her Pediatric Residency in June 2014. She completed her Allergy-Immunology Fellowship Postdoctoral Training at with us at UNC Chapel Hill.

Dr. Matthew Pizzuto, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics has been appointed Physician Service Leader of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) in the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. He has served as interim PCICU service leader since 2021. We look forward to Dr. Pizzuto’s continued leadership in his new role.

Children’s hospital care is now concentrated in fewer locations, and this has important implications for hospital planning and readiness, according to a new study led Michael Steiner, MD, MPH, of UNC Health.

The Department of Pediatrics and Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health, along with Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Nursing and subject matter collaborative partners, have received a $4 million Cooperative Agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Advance Best Practices to Improve Postpartum Care In and Beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (“Care for NICU Families”).

The American Pediatric Society (APS) council members have formally elected Kori Flower, MD, to Active membership with the society. Active member nominations are accepted for individuals who reside in the United States or Canada who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose important contributions are recognized nationally and/or internationally, as determined by the Council, and who have well-established credentials as teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose contributions have advanced child health.

Congratulations to Corinne Keet, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy/Immunology, and Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research, and Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR,
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases, 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 Corinne and Peyton!

Dr. Cara Beth Carr, Assistant Professor in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Dr. Clara Hildebrandt, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Genetics & Metabolism, Dr. Elisabeth Leong, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, and Dr. Lindsay Marszal, Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine have been selected to be a part of the 2023-2024 Passing the Torch Cohort.

The Be Loud! Center for Young Adult Cancer Care, opening this fall, was designed by former UNC cancer patients and is led by Lauren Lux and Andrew “Smitty” Smitherman, MD, at the UNC Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Jaelyn Pulkrabek is the newest pediatric Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP), specializing in solid organ transplantation. She completed her undergraduate degree at Buena Vista University and Doctorate of Pharmacy degree at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, followed by residency training at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. Her clinical practice will be both inpatient and outpatient-based, initially focusing on the kidney transplant population. Welcome Jaelyn!!