Maureen Petersen, MD joined the Pediatric Division of Allergy/Immunology on July 8, 2024. In 1994, she received her BS from the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, VA and her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), in Bethesda, MD in 1998. Dr. Petersen completed her pediatric residency at the Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI in 2001 and her allergy/immunology fellowship at the National Capital Consortium – Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC in 2009. Through a career with significant clinical roles and academic achievements, Dr. Petersen rose to the rank of Colonel in 2016 and retired from the Army in 2023. We are excited to have her join us at UNC. Welcome Maureen!

This year’s match results show that only 91.8% of pediatric residency slots were successfully filled by programs compared to a higher percentage in years past. This ongoing outcome has many physicians in the field worried about the declining interest in pediatric subspecialties. Katherine Jordan, MD, and Priyanka Rao, MD, at the UNC School of Medicine wrote a JAMA perspective piece asking, “Where are all the pediatricians?”

Kayce Brantham, MD joined the Pediatric Division of Hospital Pediatric Medicine on July 1, 2024. She received her BS from East Carolina University in 2010 and her medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2015. Dr. Brantham completed her pediatric residency at the Carolinas Medical Center, Levine Children’s Hospital in 2018. She was most recently with the HCA Virginia Healthcare System, Chippenham Hospital as a Pediatric Hospitalist. Welcome Kayce!

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is launching a first-in-human clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of an experimental monoclonal antibody against enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). UNC School of Medicine’s Matthew Vogt, MD, PhD, was a postdoctoral fellow in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at VUMC when he co-led the development of monoclonal antibody therapies against EV-D68.

The Department of Pediatrics is thrilled to welcome Samuel M. Young, Jr., PhD as a Roper Investigator, Professor with Tenure and Director of the UNC Gene Therapy Center. Dr. Young joined the Department on June 28th, 2024. Dr. Young joins us from the University of Iowa where he is currently appointed as a Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and serves as the Director of the Molecular Auditory Research in the Department of Otolaryngology.

Rollyn Ornstein, MD joined the Pediatric Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine on June 28, 2024. Dr. Ornstein will serve as the new Section Head of Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Ornstein earned her medical degree at the New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, completed her pediatric residency at Babies and Children’s Hospital of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, and her fellowship in adolescent medicine at the Schneider Children’s Hospital of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, NY.

Dr. Ornstein is a Board Certified Adolescent Medicine physician who is also a nationally renowned expert in eating disorders. With an active career in academic medicine for almost 20 years, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the division.

She was previously a Professor of Pediatrics at Penn State University, where she also served as Interim Division Chief of Adolescent Medicine. Most recently, Dr. Ornstein was the Director of Pediatrics and Adolescent Services at the Veritas Collaborative in Durham, North Carolina.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Ornstein’s experience and leadership in our growing Adolescent Medicine section!

UNC Health Value Superstars are teammates who exemplify our system values and make a positive impact on our teammates, patients, and communities. This month’s Value Superstar is Ashley Wallace, MSN, RN, FNP-C.

Ashley, a Nurse Practitioner in the UNC Hospitals Newborn Nursery, is Leading the Way by ensuring that our tiniest patients receive exceptional Carolina Care. Her dedication to providing the highest quality of care has led her to spearhead several projects aimed at standardizing care, resulting in enhanced patient outcomes and streamlined workflows for her teammates.

Spencer Brady, MHA, will serve as interim associate chair for administration for the Department of Pediatrics beginning July 22. Brady currently serves as manager of academic financial analysis and will step away from this role through the interim period. Pediatrics Associate Chair for Administration Jack Curran accepted a new role at the University of Florida and will begin work in his new role on July 23.

We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Andrea Trembath, Professor of Pediatrics, was named the 2023-24 recipient of the “UNC Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Kcal Award”. The awardee is selected by graduating NPM fellows in recognition of excellence in promoting fellow ‘growth’ over their three years of fellowship.

Sofia Aliaga, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, has been awarded the Educational Research Mentor Award by the Academy of Educators. Congratulations!