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Welcome New Physician Faculty: Christian Hochhalter, MD

July 31, 2026
Dr. Christian Hochhalter joined the Pediatric Division of Gastroenterology on July 31, 2026. Congratulations!

Welcome New Physician Faculty: Ahmad Sami, MD

July 29, 2026
Dr. Ahmad Sami joined the Pediatric Division of Gastroenterology on July 29, 2026. Welcome back Ahmad!

Duke & UNC Researchers to co-lead $12.9M Study to Improve Care for Autistic Children

April 28, 2026
Duke University has been awarded $12.9 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for a new clinical trial aimed at improving the standard of care for autistic children with chronic digestive discomfort. The study will be co-led by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, underscoring the impact of the partnership between...

Brenner Receives K23 Award to Advance Pain Management Research in Crohn’s Disease

April 21, 2026
The UNC Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce that Erica Brenner, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, has received a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) for Advancing Evidence-Based Pain Management in IBD.

UNC Children’s Offering Sedation-Free Transnasal Endoscopy (TNE)

March 16, 2026
UNC Children’s is now offering Sedation-Free Transnasal Endoscopy (TNE) using the @EvoEndo Endoscopy System. Led by Dr. Sabina Mir and our team, this advanced option gives children a sedation-free experience, helping them spend less time in the hospital and more time at school, in sports, and enjoying time with family.

Kappelman Named in TBJ Health Care Leadership Awards

March 4, 2026
UNC Children's is proud to announce that Michael Kappelman, MD, MPH was honored by the Triangle Business Journal as the recipient of a 2026 Health Care Leadership Award.

UNC Pediatrician Honored with Prestigious Prize for Work to Improve Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children

September 16, 2025
Michael Kappelman, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the UNC School of Medicine, received a $100,000 Sherman Prize for his groundbreaking work to optimize care and treatment for children with IBD and define the burden of these diseases.

Welcome New Physician Faculty: Mimi Omede, MD

September 2, 2025
Dr. Omede joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor with the Division Pediatric Gastroenterology on September 2, 2025. In 2017, Dr. Omede earned her MD from V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine. She completed her Pediatric Residency with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, in Brooklyn, NY, in...

Brenner Receives ACG Junior Faculty Development Grant

March 31, 2025
Erica Brenner, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Gastroenterology, was awarded a Junior Faculty Development Grant from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).  Dr. Brenner received one of three junior faculty awards for 2025 for her project "Safety and Effectiveness of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Women with Crohn’s Disease."

Sami Receives Southern SSPR Young Investigator Award

February 25, 2025
Ahmad Sami, MD, Pediatric GI Fellow and Carolina Child Health Scholar, was awarded a Southern Society of Pediatric Research (SSPR) Young Investigator Award for basic research for his oral presentation titled, “Urolithin A attenuates inflammation and enhances intestinal barrier function in necrotizing enterocolitis.”