Department of Pediatrics

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Dedicated to understanding and promoting child health.

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Faculty Spotlight

Mary C Pierce, MD

Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) and Preventive Medicine

Dr. Pierce’s research interest focuses primarily on injuries in children with an emphasis on differentiating abusive from accidental trauma. Dr Pierce collaborates with a multi-disciplinary lab with emphasis on injury biomechanics. This lab combines the expertise of medicine and engineering and utilizes both a clinical and an experimental approach. Dr. Pierce’s research focus is the development of injury plausibility models, including clinical decision rules, for differentiating abusive and accidental trauma in the young child that combines medical, social, biologic, and engineering knowledge....

Gal Finer, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Nephrology)

–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,...

Joel Charrow, MD

Professor of Pediatrics (Genetics, Birth Defects, and Metabolism)

I have been practicing at Children's for 40 years, and continue to be clinically active, direct the Biochemical Genetics Lab, teach genetics to medical students, residents and fellows, and conduct research on genetic disorders. Board certified in Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics, and Clinical Biochemical Genetics. Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Deirdre I De Ranieri, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Rheumatology)

Dr. De Ranieri’s clinical interests are diverse. She sees children with a broad range of systemic autoimmune diseases, such as childhood lupus, dermatomyositis, periodic fevers, juvenile arthritis, and vasculitis. Dr. De Ranieri uses Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSK US) in her practice to help accurately diagnose, monitor and treat (via guided intervention) joint and tendon disease in children with JIA. She has served on the Examination Development Committee for the Rheumatology MSK US Certification Exam, and she has taught both beginning and advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound courses at nati...

Patrick C Seed, MD, PhD

Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology-Immunology

Patrick C. Seed, MD, Ph.D. is President and Chief Research Officer at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. He is a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is an Attending Physician in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases int eh Department of Pediatrics and past Division Head. Dr. Seed’s lab aims to translate molecular knowledge of microbial/microbiome genetics, physiology, and pathogenesis into diagnostics and treatments for a broad range of pedi...

Ra-id Abdulla, MD

Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology)

Ra-id Abdulla is a pediatric cardiologist with 30 years of experience in treating children with heart diseases; he is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. Dr. Abdulla is Professor of Pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. His interest in the field of pediatric cardiology combines education and clinical work. Throughout his career, Dr. Abdulla has graduated generations of young physician trainees in pediatric cardiology and cared for thousands of children with heart disease, many are now healthy adults. Dr. Abdulla’s academic efforts ext...

Marta Perez, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology)

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.

Paul Tannous, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology)

Dr. Tannous was born and raised in Iowa City, IA, and completed his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He then joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where he completed medical school and earned his PhD studying mechanisms of myocardial remodeling. Dr. Tannous remained in Dallas for pediatric residency, and then relocated to Boston Children’s Hospital for general cardiology fellowship, followed by a senior year in interventional cardiology. As a member of Invasive Cardiology, Dr. Tannous specializes...

Lisa N Akhtar, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)

I am a Pediatric Infectious Diseases physician and scientist. Research in my laboratory is focused on understanding how viruses infect and cause pathogenesis in the pediatric brain. The approach that we take is to identify clinical viral isolates associated with pediatric infection and poor neurologic outcomes, and bring these isolates back to the lab to assess the mechanism by which this occurs. We use viral whole genome sequencing, human and murine neuronal in vitro models, and murine in vivo models, as well as reverse genetics to understand clinical viral virulence factors. The current focu...

News

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Study Explores How Brains Store, Retrieve Memories

Dirajlal-Fargo and Fant Named Co-Directors of Center for Global Pediatric Health

Weese-Mayer Honored with 2025 Stern Award

Umbilical Cord Blood Biomarkers May Improve Preterm Infant Care

Investigating the Youth Mental Health Crisis

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Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Lurie Children's is the Feinberg School of Medicine's affiliated hospital dedicated to pediatric care. Lurie Children's is Illinois' only freestanding hospital exclusively for children and offers patients access to world-class care in a modern, kid-friendly environment.

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Faculty Development

Our faculty is one of our greatest resources. To support them on the paths to successful, fulfilling careers, we make faculty development a priority.<

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