Michael Winstead, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective March 1, 2024. Dr. Winstead has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2017. Dr. Winstead received a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in May 2006 and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago in May 2010. He completed his Pediatric Residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in June 2013. A fellowship in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology was completed at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in June 2016. Dr. Winstead completed his fellowship in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC in 2017.

Yasmina Abajas, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective January 1, 2024. Dr. Abajas has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2016. Dr. Abajas received her medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in May 2009. She completed her internship and Pediatric residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital/Jackson Health System Program/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in June 2012. A Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship was completed at UNC Chapel Hill in June 2015 followed by a year as a Postdoctoral Research Associate with UNC Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

Two Pediatrics faculty members were recently awarded distinguished professorships by vote of the Board of Trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Appointment to a distinguished professorship is one of the highest faculty honors the University can bestow. Faculty recognized with distinguished professorships have shown distinction and leadership in their field or across disciplines. Distinguished awards allocate funds and an honorary title to the recipients. Congratulations Dr. Joyner and Dr. Savoldo.

UNC School of Medicine students completed a half marathon in Durham in early December and donated their race medals to pediatric patients at the UNC Hospitals Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic. The students are part of a new student organization, Medals4Mettle.

Macrina Liguori, MD, a fellow in the Division of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, received the 2023 Emonson Award. Julie Blatt, MD, Professor in Hematology/Oncology received the 2023 Faculty Emonson award, and Nicole Willson, RN received the 2023 Nurse Emonson award. The Emonson Awards, established in 2006, annually recognize the nurse, resident, and faculty member who best represent the mission and spirit of UNC Children’s.

Pediatrics Faculty, Ian Davis, MD, PhD in Hematology-Oncology, and Kori Flower, MD, MPH, MS, in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, named among The American Pediatric Society’s new members for 2024.

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.

UNC School of Medicine’s Jane Little, MD, director of the UNC Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease program, and Maria Boucher, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell program, detail the current struggles of patients with sickle cell disease and how we can help.

Alison Manikowski, PsyD joined the Pediatric Division of Hematology-Oncology on August 1, 2023. Dr. Manikowski completed her PsyD in 2020 at William James College in Newtown, MA. She was a Pediatric Psychology Resident between 2020 and 2021 at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory University School of Medicine. Since then, Dr. Mankiowski has worked as a Clinical Psychologist with WakeMed Health in Raleigh. Welcome Alison!!

Chelsea will meet Wrexham in Chapel Hill on the evening of Wed, July 19. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Clinic at UNC Children’s Hospital. Group and single-match ticket information is available at FCSeries.com. The stateside match will be the first neutral-site meeting of the two historic clubs and is the first international soccer competition UNC’s Kenan Stadium.