Dr. Paris joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty as faculty in the Division of Cardiology on September 27, 2021. Dr. Paris received her BS in Nursing from the University of Texas in 1980 and received her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Science School of Medicine in 1992. She currently serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Baystate in Springfield, MA. Dr. Paris will spend her time performing clinical activities in Wilmington, NC.

Dr. Leong joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in the Division of Critical Care Medicine on August 1, 2021. In 2012, Dr. Leong completed his degree in Osteopathic Medicine from Touro College in New York City and in June of 2021, he completed a Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the University of Maryland in Baltimore

Neva Howard, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective August 1, 2021. Dr. Howard has been a faculty member in Pediatric Emergency Medicine since 2014.

Dr. Hildebrandt joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in the Division of Genetics & Metabolism on August 1, 2021. Dr. Hildebrand received her MD from Wayne State University in 2016. She completed her Pediatric Genetics Residency and a Medical Biochemical Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Robert Hartman, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective August 1, 2021. Dr. Hartman has been a faculty member in Pediatric Cardiology since 2018

Neal deJong, MD, MPH was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective August 1, 2021. Dr. deJong has been a faculty member in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine since 2015

Dr. Smeekens joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in the Division of Allergy-Immunology on July 26, 2021. Dr. Smeekens received her PhD in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2017.

We are excited to announce Hannah Coletti, MD, MPH has been named Associate Director of Medical Student Education in Pediatrics. Dr. Coletti is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. 

“This summer, we’ve seen RSV and another virus called parainfluenza. Both of those are having a spike at our hospital right now,” explained Dr. Michael Steiner, the pediatrician in chief at UNC Children’s. “We think this is, in part, related to the fact that through the winter season people were socially distancing, and spacing, and wearing masks, and the viruses didn’t have their usual time where they peak.”

Michelle Hernandez, MD, Division of Allergy-Immunology, was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics effective July 16, 2021. Dr. Hernandez has been a faculty member in Pediatric Allergy-Immunology since 2007.