The American Pediatric Society (APS) council members have formally elected Kori Flower, MD, to Active membership with the society. Active member nominations are accepted for individuals who reside in the United States or Canada who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose important contributions are recognized nationally and/or internationally, as determined by the Council, and who have well-established credentials as teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose contributions have advanced child health.

Dr. Cara Beth Carr, Assistant Professor in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Dr. Clara Hildebrandt, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Genetics & Metabolism, Dr. Elisabeth Leong, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, and Dr. Lindsay Marszal, Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine have been selected to be a part of the 2023-2024 Passing the Torch Cohort.

Lauren Baumgardner, MD joined the Pediatric Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine on October 4, 2023. Dr. Baumgardner’s appointment is a combined position in Complex Care and Palliative Care. She will work closely with Dr. deJong on the continued expansion of the Complex Care Program. Dr. Baumgardner completed her fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at UNC on the Pediatrics track, and previously completed Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at MetroHealth Cleveland, where she was also chief resident. Welcome Lauren!

We are excited to congratulate Pediatrics department members who were recently included in the 2023-2024 cohort of the AOE FLAGship Program!

Molly Berkoff, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has been elected to the ACGME Board of Appeals for Pediatric Child Abuse.
In addition, Dr. Berkoff has been elected to the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption and Kinship Care Executive Committee. The Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care promotes the health and development of children and youth who are at risk for or have experienced family disruption. The Council accomplishes this by developing policy guidelines for comprehensive and trauma-informed care, advocating for child and youth to thrive, and providing education and support to the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, other health professionals, and the child welfare community. Congratulations Molly!

Dr. Colin Orr, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, received a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a part of the United States National Institutes of Health. Dr. Orr’s funded project is titled “Understanding and Addressing Food Insecurity and Obesity Among Infant-Parent Dyads.”

Dr. Desmond Runyon, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has been listed in the Research.com 2023 Ranking of Best Scientists in Social Sciences and Humanities.  Dr. Runyon was ranked 444 in the US across all social scientists and humanities!  What a great statement about his long and distinguished career in child maltreatment, and the enduring impact of his work. Congratulations Des!

Jesse Hart, MD joined the Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine on July 17, 2023. Dr. Hart completed her pediatric residency at UNC and has provided pediatric primary care at WakeMed, where she was also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Hart has been very involved in student and resident medical education, including serving as the Co-Director of the Community Based Longitudinal Curriculum for the Raleigh campus. Dr. Hart will provide primary care, alongside Dr. Rao, at UNC Panther Creek, and will spend one day a week in our UNC Children’s Primary Care Clinic at Carolina Pointe II, supervising our pediatric residents. Welcome back Jesse!

Bianca A. Allison, MD MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, sought to examine the awareness and knowledge that adolescents have about the legal landscape of abortion and how these changes might affect them and their communities. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that many adolescents – across a diversity of ages, genders, and geographies – are aware of and concerned about the potential impacts of abortion restrictions.

Tisu Mvalo, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective June 1, 2023. Dr. Mvalo has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2016. Dr. Mvalo practices at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. He also provides on-the-ground mentorship for the rotating learners and is the PI for several ongoing research studies at UNC Project Malawi.