Department of Pediatrics

I am interested in the diagnosis and management of pediatric and adult congenital arrhythmias. In addition to medical management of infants, children and adults with congenital heart disease with arrhythmias or inherited cardiac diseases, I perform noninvasive and invasive cardiac electrophysiology studies and catheter ablations as well as implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators

I am an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician in Cardiology at Lurie Children’s Hospital. I completed a post-graduate degree in public health from Yale University with a focus in epidemiology and biostatistics; clinical fellowship in pediatric cardiology from Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Ohio State University) and non-invasive cardiac imaging at Children’s Hospital Boston (Harvard Medical School). My interests include clinical pediatric cardiology and non-invasive cardiac imaging; including echocardiography, fetal...

I got M.D and Ph.D degrees in China and post-doctoral training in Japan and U.S.A.

Dr. Nia Heard-Garris is a pediatrician and a researcher in the Department of Pediatrics at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University; and also in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics and Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research, Outreach, and Advocacy Center at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Heard-Garris is an active member in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and serves as the Chair and founding member of the Provisional Section of Minority Health, Equity, and Inclusion.Dr. Heard-Garris recently completed a prestigious Robert ...

My interests and experiences in education, healthcare delivery, and quality improvement, as well as my MPH in clinical effectiveness, all influence my current and future endeavors. These interests are reflected in my educational, research, clinical, and administrative pursuits.

My clinical focus is on the respiratory care of patients with neuromuscular weakness, and I am the pulmonologist who works in the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinic at Lurie Children's Hospital. My other clinical interests include asthma and chronic cough. Additionally, I am interested in medical education and curriculum development as well working to recruit a diverse medical workforce.

Dr Perez's research interest is in neonatal pulmonary development, pulmonary hypertension and glucocorticoid signaling. Specifically, Dr Perez's research focuses on the impact of hydrocortisone, a glucocorticoid commonly used in the NICU, on alveolar and pulmonary vascular development as well as effects of glucocorticoids on pulmonary vascular remodeling and nitric oxide signaling pathways.

I have intense curiosity and passion regarding infants with respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension. Through clinical and research efforts, I have been studying the patterns of disease progression in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and the impact of pulmonary vascular disease in these patients. More specific interests include the interactions between respiratory and circulatory dysfunction in these infants. Collaborations with other researchers and clinicians has led to the development of programmatic approaches for the care of th...

My clinical and research focus is cystic fibrosis (CF). My research interests are development of new diagnostic tools and therapies, characterizing and treating early lung disease, and improving health equity.  Since newborn screening in cystic fibrosis has been established in the United States, I have been active in evaluating and improving newborn screening processes and infant outcomes, and in extending highly effective therapies into the care of infants and children.