Department of Pediatrics

Dr. Patel is a Pediatric Cardiologist with subspecialized training in Cardiac Imaging. Her research interests lie at the intersection of pediatric and fetal cardiology and clinical medical ethics. She explores the societal, ethical, and legal implications of emerging technology and intervention as it relates to medical management and shared decision-making in patients with congenital heart disease. She also mentors medical students, directs a Bioethics program for medical trainees, is the fellowship director of the Pediatric Cardiology Advanced Imaging Fellowship, and is involved in faculty development.

–Dr. Gal Finer is a Board certified Pediatric Nephrologist, MD, PhD, clinician-scientist, and an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and The Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Finer acquired knowledge in genetic diseases of the kidney while serving the Bedouin population in Israel, and in molecular pathways of renal fibrosis while working in the laboratory of Dr. William H. Schnaper. Her current research interest lies in understanding the pathophysiology of Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT). To this end,...

I have had the opportunity to study problems in a number of areas of endocrinology and metabolism. Recent efforts have included studies of the evolution of the metabolic syndrome led by Dr. Xiaobin Wang. I have been continuing work on thyroid disease including thyroid cancers with recent work focusing on detection of thyroid cancer metastases. I have participated in studies of micro-RNA's in craniopharyngioma and in studies within Diabetes Trialnet.A number of pediatric centers are planning to collate data on treatment of thyroid cancers. Along with some of my Lurie colleagues, I plan to con...

My primary areas of research interest are adolescent sexual and reproductive health and surveillance and control of sexually transmitted diseases. My research focuses on high priority areas of HIV/STI intervention implementation, risk assessment and developing prevention packages specifically for adolescents, with a focus on young women. A new area of interest is understanding the ethical implications of community participation in HIV cure and biomedical prevention research.

Dr. Zessis is a hospital pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. His academic and clinical interests include Hospital Medicine on the medical floor and intensive care unit, medical education, quality improvement, and advocacy. He is a member of the Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators and is currently enrolled in the Medical Education Certificate Program. 

I am the Director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. My clinical interests center on hemoglobin disorders, including sickle cell disease and thalassemia, for which I am also a clinical investigator with active research programs. My major research interests focus on exercise responses, inflammation and vascular function and their relationship to cardiopulmonary fitness, clinical outcomes and physical activity levels in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia. I am also interested in the disease-modifying effects of exercis...

As a pediatric electrophysiologist, I follow pediatric and adult congenital patients with all types of arrhythmias. In addition, I am interested in exercise medicine, exercise testing and cardiac rehabilitation. I am interested in determining appropriate exercise parameters for children with heart disease, cardiac changes from intense sports training, exercise prescription and in cardiac rehabilitation in children with heart disease. I am interested in prevention of heart disease and lead the Lurie Children's Preventive Cardiology Program that focuses on promoting optimal cardiometabolic healt...

Dr. Collins earned BS and MD degrees from the University of Michigan and a MPH from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He’s the medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit and the associate program director of the pediatric residency program at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. He has authored numerous research articles and is a frequent lecturer on issues related to birth outcomes. Dr. Collins has received several awards for his research, teaching, and leadership in infant health.

Originally from upstate NY, I have an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University at Albany State University of New York.  I have also earned a Masters of Public Health with a focus in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.  I completed my medical training at Touro University of Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine.  I have combined post-graduate training in Pediatrics, Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry as a former Triple Board Resident at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.  I am a graduate of the Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine...

Elizabeth Alpern is a Professor of Pediatrics, Division Head of Emergency Medicine, and Associate Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics of the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is both a pediatric emergency physician and clinical epidemiologist with research expertise in the use of large databases within research networks to improve the quality of emergent care delivered to children through application of evidence-based work. Dr. Alpern was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as the...