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Orthopaedics: Sports injuries need to be monitored.

Ophthalmology: MicroRNAs may play a role in retinoblastoma progression.

Neurosurgery: Epigenetic mechanisms and neural tube closure. C. Shekhar Mayanil, PhD

Faculty

  • Division of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery
  • Carl Backer, MD, A.C. Buehler Professor of Surgery, Division Head
  • Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD
  • Hyde Russell, MD
  • Division of Neurosurgery
  • Tadanori Tomita, MD, Yeager Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Division Head
  • Tord Alden, MD
  • Robin Bowman, MD
  • Arthur DiPatri, Jr., MD
  • C. Shekhar Mayanil, PhD, Eleanor Clarke Research Scholar in Developmental Neurobiology
  • David McLone, MD, PhD
  • Division of Ophthalmology
  • Marilyn B. Mets, MD, Lillian Sherman Cowen Reiger and Harold L.S. Cowen Research Professorship in Pediatric Ophthalmology, Division Head
  • Bahram Rahmani, MD, MPH
  • Yana Kiesau, MD
  • Hawke Yoon, MD
  • Janice Lasky Zeid, MD
  • Division of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • John F. Sarwark, MD, Martha Washington Foundation for Handicapped Children Professor in Pediatric Orthopedics, Division Head
  • Rebecca Carl, MD
  • Luciano Dias, MD
  • Craig Finlayson, MD
  • John Grayhack, MD
  • Joseph Janicki, MD
  • Erik King, MD
  • Cynthia LaBella, MD
  • Shubhra Mukherjee, MD
  • Michelle Sagan, MD
  • Michael Shafer, MD
  • Vineeta Swaroop, MD
  • Division of Otolaryngology
  • Lauren D. Holinger, MD, Paul H. Holinger, MD Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Division Head
  • Kathleen Billings, MD
  • Stephen Hoff, MD
  • Jonathan Ida, MD
  • John Maddalozzo, MD
  • Robert Miller, MD
  • Jeffery Rastatter, MD
  • James W. Schroeder Jr., MD
  • Nancy M. Young, MD, The Lillian S. Wells Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Division of Pediatric Surgery
  • Marleta Reynolds, MD, Lydia J. Fredrickson Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Division Head
  • Katherine Ann Barsness, MD
  • Marybeth Browne, MD
  • Anthony Chin, MD
  • Mary Beth Madonna, MD
  • David Rothstein, MD
  • Erin Rowell, MD
  • Riccardo Superina, MD, Robert E. Schneider Chair in Transplantation, Head of Transplant Surgery
  • Division of Urology
  • William Kaplan, MD, Division Head
  • Antonio Chaviano, MD
  • Earl Cheng, MD
  • Edward Gong, MD
  • Bruce Lindgren, MD
  • Max Maizels, MD
  • Elizabeth Yerkes, MD

Research Honors

  • In 2010, Children’s Memorial Hospital was named a recipient of the internationally recognized Extracorporeal Life Support Organization’s “Excellence in Life Support” award. ELSO is a consortium of health care professionals and scientists dedicated to the development and evaluation of novel therapies for support of failing organ systems.
  • Hospitals designated as “Centers of Excellence” with this award demonstrate a commitment to exceptional patient care, specialized equipment and supplies, defined patient protocols, advanced education of all staff members, and high quality standards.
  • Rebecca Carl received a scholarship for the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) degree program at Northwestern University for the 2012 academic year.
  • John Maddalozzo has been initiated into the Triological Society.
  • Mary Beth Madonna received an award from the Super Jake Foundation for her study of chemotherapy resistance in neuroblastoma cells.
  • C. Shekhar Mayanil was named the Eleanor Clarke Research Scholar in Developmental Neurobiology and promoted to Associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the Feinberg School.
  • The Institute of Medicine of Chicago honored David McLone with the Henry P. Russe, MD Citation, which demonstrates that humanitarianism must characterize the practice of medicine and medical education.
  • Tadanori Tomita was named President-elect of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
  • Guifa Xi, MD, PhD was a winner of the Research Award at Children’s Memorial’s Research Scholars Day.
  • Nancy M. Young was honored by CHOICES for Parents, an Illinois-wide coalition of parents and professionals who ensure that children with hearing loss and their families receive the necessary resources, advocacy, information, services and support.
  • Young received the Scientific Achievement Award from the Alfred Mann Foundation, granted to a scientist who has contributed to a significant, unrecognized scientific breakthrough, works in an interdisciplinary manner, shares work with other members of the scientific community and is a mentor and role model.
  • Young was the course co-director for a symposium on cochlear implants in children. She is co-investigator on a study regarding spoken word recognition for children with hearing loss.

Surgery

The department seeks to develop substantive research programs to achieve our goal of becoming a national leader in academic, clinical and research activity.

We pursue a wide-range of research initiatives aimed at advancing pediatric surgical care. We place special emphasis on multidisciplinary and collaborative research efforts to reflect, foster and enhance our multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to clinical care.

The department has active research programs across its ten divisions. This reflects our core belief that productive research programs enrich our clinical practices as well as enhance our position as a national leader in pediatric surgery. We attract top-tier faculty and trainees. We are committed to exploring opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations and faculty recruitment efforts that support academic as well as clinical productivity, such as our surgeon-scientist program and academic grant initiative.

Impact:

Neurosurgery: Epigenetic mechanisms rescue neural tube closure. In an animal model that fails to show proper neural tube closure, resulting in spina bifida, a team demonstrated that folic acid rescued the proliferation potential of neural crest stem cells via epigenetic mechanisms.

Ophthalmology: MicroRNAs may play a role in retinoblastoma progression. Marilyn Mets and other members of the Retinoblastoma Center of Excellence are investigating why some genes are overexpressed in this cancer of the retina. These discoveries may lead to new therapies.

Transplant Surgery: The leading cause of liver transplant in children is a major focus. Children’s Memorial is one of 12 clinical research centers participating in the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium (BARC), which is designed to propose, develop and undertake trials related to biliary atresia.

Orthopaedics: Sports injuries need to be monitored. Rebecca Carl is researching the level of sports concussion knowledge in young contact sport athletes, their parents and coaches.

Otolaryngology: Newborn hearing screenings don’t identify all children at risk for hearing loss. About 25 percent of children who have a known cause of or risk factor for hearing loss pass the screening; these children are older at the time of cochlear implant.

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