As a child, I wanted to be a pediatrician or a teacher. I have been fortunate to build a career where I get to be both. Clinically I practice in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), caring for infants born prematurely and those born at full term with various medical conditions. I enjoy the complexity and quick pace of the intensive care environment. In the NICU, there is fantastic team collaboration with everyone: we are aligned toward the single mission of helping our patients improve.
The NICU is unique in that we care for patients from the very beginning of their life. My favorite part of being a neonatologist is the relationships I build with the parents and families of my patients. Welcoming a new baby into the world is exciting but can be challenging for families whose child requires a stay in the NICU. Our goal is to partner with the parents and families of our patients to care for their child and support the entire family as they navigate their newborn’s hospitalization. There is nothing better than receiving updates years later from parents about their ex-NICU babies who are out in the world growing and thriving.
Within neonatology my focus has been on optimizing neurodevelopmental outcomes of high-risk infants. Through the Neonatal Comprehensive Care Program, we are able to continue to see patients we cared for in the NICU during their first two years of life. The Neonatal Comprehensive Care Program provides developmental assessments for our patients via a multidisciplinary team. It allows us to continue to support our patients after discharge. I also participate in research investigating ways that we can evolve our care for critically ill newborns to improve their neurodevelopmental outcomes.
In addition to my clinical and research interests, I am the program director for the pediatric residency at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. In this role I support residents as they pursue careers in general pediatrics or subspecialty pediatrics. I participate in national organizations and multicenter studies with the goal of identifying how we can best train the next generation of pediatricians. I have received educational awards for innovative curriculum and teaching. It is a true privilege to work with trainees as they are building the foundation of their career as a pediatrician. I am a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association of Pediatric Program Directors.
