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Recent Recognitions

Dr. Michael Colburn (General Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine) received a Collegiate Teaching Award from the College of Medicine. He will be honored with other awardees at a reception on April 26 from 3:30 – 5:00 PM.

Congratulations to Dr. Tarah Colaizy (Neonatology) for being named an Outstanding Reviewer by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in recognition of her exemplary contribution to peer review for the Fall 2021 Project Grant competition.

A shout-out to Dr. TJ Boly (NICU Fellow) for being a recipient of an Award to Enhance Diversity in the Research Workforce from the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR)..

Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Goins-Fernandez (Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) on receiving a Diversity Catalyst Award for the 2021-2022 year from the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and the UI Chief Diversity Office. This prestigious award honors individuals, organizations, and departments at the University of Iowa who have gone above-and-beyond to engage in distinctive and innovative initiatives that have promoted an inclusive and diverse campus community. Virtual awards ceremony will be held Wednesday, April 20th at 3:00 PM..

Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Goins-Fernandez (Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) on being featured in an article in the Daily Iowan, “UI Health Care Black Faculty Council Looks to Grow Through Recruitment”, on 2/15/22.

Congratulations to Dr. Donna D’Alessandro (General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine) for being selected by the University of Iowa’s Council on Teaching to receive the 2022 President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence. This award represents the highest level of achievement in teaching given at the University of Iowa, and is awarded to only four individuals per academic year.

Congratulations to Dr. Andy Norris (Endo), Dr. Tim Elgin (Neonatology), and Diane Recker, RN (Genetics, Newborn Screening Program) for receiving a “YOU Make a Difference Award” for awesome patient care!

Congratulations to Dr. Ravi Ashwath on celebrating 5 years with UI Healthcare on January 1, 2022. Thank you for all you do, Dr. Ashwath!

Congratulations to Dr. Ravi Ashwath on receiving  a GME Innovation Award. The award for $7500 is for “QR Code Utilization in Educating Members of Clnical Care Team-Paradigm Shift.”

Congratulations to the newest elected members to the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR): Drs. Aditya Badheka (Critical Care); Anjali Sharathkumar (Hem/Onc); Christina Cifra (Critical Care); Joseph Glykys (Neurology); Madhu Chegondi (Critical Care); Osamah Aldoss (Cardiology); and Riad Rahhal (GI).

Dr. Liuska Pesce from the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes has been invited to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Thyroid Association representing pediatric endocrinology. Congratulations, Dr. Pesce!

Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Bermick on being named Secretary of the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research Leadership Council. Her term will expire in 2026.

University of Iowa Healthcare was recently named a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). This designation is the end result of an effort lead by Dr. Hatem El-Shanti, Division Director of the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and recognizes the amazing work being done by all the Genetics faculty at the University of Iowa. Way to go, team!

Congratulations to Dr. Larson Ode on receiving a Collaborative Pilot and Feasibility Grant Award to better understand the mechanisms of diabetes in children with chronic pancreatitis. The award is funded by the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (IDOM) at the University of Minnesota and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC) at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Ravi Ashwath’s 3-D printing program was featured in a marketing video by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Watch the video on YouTube.

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Schieltz from the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for being named an Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice, a translational journal that provides science-based, best-practice information relevant to the practice of behavior analysis. It is one of the journals owned and overseen by the Association for Behavior Analysis International.

Some of the newest Years of Service recognitions include:

Congratulations to Dr. Christina Cifra in the Division of Critical Care for being named an Associate Editor for the journal, Diagnosis. Diagnosis is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM), and focuses on how diagnosis can be advanced, how it is taught, and how and why it can fail, leading to diagnostic errors.

Dr. Tarah Colaizy in the Division of Neonatology was recently recognized as an Outstanding Reviewer by the College of Reviewers (part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research). The College of Reviewers is a member-focused resource designed to professionalize peer review, enhance review quality, and provide a more stable base of experienced reviewers for all funding competitions.

Congratulations to Dr. Lyndsay Harshman in the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation for being named to the Corridor Business Journal's "Forty Under 40". The "Forty Under 40" group recognizing 40 leaders under the age of 40 who have made a significant impact in their business and community early in their careers. Dr. Harshman and other honorees will be recognized at a reception on October 14 at the DoubleTree hotel in Cedar Rapids.

Shout out to Dr. Tarah Colaizy in the Division of Neonatology for her recentl recognition in receiving a "YOU Make a Difference!" Award. Nominated by fellow team members, the award reads: "Thank you for coming in from home to see a patient and her husband needing to speak with a NICU provider. This familys delivery planning changed last minute at 37 weeks and Tarah was able to help calm their fears while explaining a complex medical condition. Your Maternal Fetal Medicine teams appreciates your willingness to go above and beyond!” Well done, Dr. Colaizy!

Congratulations to Dr. Regan Giesinger in the Division of Neonatology for being appointed a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography - one of a very small handful of neonatologists globally to hold this distinction. Way to go, Dr. Giesinger!

Shout out and congratulations to Dr. Lane Strathearn in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for his recent grant from the NIH to create and develop a "University of Iowa Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (HAWK-IDDRC)". This grant from the NIH provides just over a whopping $6.1 million over 5 years to get this center off the ground. Well done, Dr. Strathearn!

Drs. Lukasz Weiner (ID) and Bryan Koestner (GenPeds/hospitalist) were recently recognized with "YOU Make a Difference" Awards.

  • From Dr. Weiner's nomination:
    • "Lukasz is a fabulous Peds ID clinician and the director of our developing Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. He's also an amazing teammate. While on inpatient consult service this week, he heard about an outpatient who had an unusual and concerning ID test result during her evaluation for a new diagnosis of a non‐infectious complex disease. The patient had been referred and scheduled for an outpatient appointment with me in Peds ID clinic next week. Interpreting the test is going to require tracking down various results, including imaging and pathology and will require discussions with pathologists, the microbiology Lab, and the referring service and may ultimately end up in admission of the child. Rather than letting all that fall onto my shoulders next week when I am in the middle of a busy outpatient clinic, he started tracking all the info down today. He then stopped by my office and discussed the case with me so that I would be involved in the decision making. Lukasz's duties this week don't require him to do all this extra work. He did it because it will enable us to take MUCH better care of this patient and also keep time available for the other patients who are scheduled for clinic next week. He makes a huge difference every day ‐ he improves the care of our patients and the wellness of his teammates. Thank you Lukasz!"
  • From Dr. Koestner's nomination:
    • "Due to the unknowns of my case, Dr. Koestner consulted with many teammates. He made sure to go into detail explaining all testing, procedures, and images so we knew what was going on. His upbeat personality really put a smile on my face when I needed it. He listened to me very closely when I told him I was sick. He made sure to give me meds I needed and to feel comfortable. Hopefully in your spare time your baseball skills can improve like your basketball skills!!"

Congratulations to Dr. Jason Misurac in the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation for being elected to the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research (MWSPR).

Dr. David Dickens from the Division of Hematology/Oncology was featured in an article by the BIG Cancer Research Consortium, published on July 8, 2021. The article "Big Ten cancer researchers aim to close gaps, break barriers in AYA research and care" highlights a working group co-chaired by Dr. Dickens aiming to improving care and outcomes for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Congratulations, Dr. Dickens!

A big congratulations to Dr. Michael Colburn in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine for being award the James C. Taylor Award by this year's graduating class of residents. This award is presented annually to a faculty member for superior contribution to resident education through clinical instruction, and whose dedication to teaching and patient care endear them to the residents

Years of Service Recognitions! Congratulations to the following faculty and staff on achieving years of service milestones:

  • Dr. Bijoy Thattaliyath, Division of Cardiology - 5 years as of 7/31/21
  • Dr. Aaron Boes, Division of Neurology - 5 years as of 7/31/21
  • Dr. Ana Cary, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine - 5 years as of 7/18/21
  • Dr. Katherine Patrick, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine - 5 years as of 7/1/21
  • Dr. Sarah Haskell, Division of Critical Care - 10 years as of 7/29/21
  • Dr. Vanessa Curtis, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes - 10 years as of 7/15/21
  • Dr. Ben Darbro, Medical Genetics and Genomics/Cytogenetics Lab - 10 years as of 7/29/21
  • Dr. Katie Larson Ode, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes - 10 years as of 7/1/21
  • Dr. Andrea Reasoner, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics - 10 years as of 7/1/21
  • Angelia Shea, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology - 15 years as of 7/24/21
  • Dr. Michael Tansey, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes - 20 years as of 7/1/21
  • Dr. Deb Lin-Dyken, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics - 30 years as of 7/1/21
  • Lisa Neff-Letts, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics - 30 years as of 7/15/21

Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Bassuk in the Division of Neurology. An article about Dr. Bassuk’s research was featured in the June 17, 2021 APS Digest, an email newsletter of the American Pediatric Society. It includes a link to a February 2019 article in Psychology Today highlighting his work, “How AI and Genomics Can Treat Epilepsy”.

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Schieltz in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for her recent recognition as one of several new members highlighted on the website for the Society for Pediatric Research.

Dr. Tope Awelewa from the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was recently one of three poeple in Iowa to be selected for the American Academy of Pediatrics District VI Special Achievement Award. Dr. Awelewa received the award for her efforts in promoting breastfeeding in Iowa. Well done, Dr. Awelewa!

Dr. Joyce Goins-Fernandez in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics celebrates her 10-year work anniversary on May 16, 2021. Congrats, Dr. Goins-Fernandez!

Congratulations to Dr. Patrick McNamara on being named a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE). Dr. McNamara might be the only neonatologist in the world with this designation. Congratulations, Dr. McNamara!

Dr. Liuska Pesce from the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes recently wrote a blog post for the Thyroid Health Blog of the Ameircan Thyroid Association titled "Congenital Hypothyroidism Awareness: The importance of newborn screening". Well done, Dr. Pesce!

Dr. Steven McElroy has been named a facilitator for the Society for Pediatric Research's Grant Writing 101 Program. The program is a 6-month workshop for junior researchers to get matched with highly successful facilitators (such as Dr. McElroy) for individualized hands-on guidance on completing a K grant application.

Congratulations to Dr. Tim Elgin in the Division of Neonatology on receiving an Innovations in Teaching with Technology Award from the UI Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. Dr. Elgin, along with his collaborator in Biomedical Engineering, Colleen Bringman, is awarded $15,000 for their project "Collaboration between undergraduate biomedical design and neonatology for the creation of life-like simulation equipment". WEll done!

Congratulations to Dr. Tim Elgin in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Elgin has developed and leads a neonatal simulation workshop titled "Innovation in Modern Simulation and its Potential to Improve Neonatal Safety, Teamwork Dynamics and Human Factors" that has been selected to be presented at the 2021 Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium (CHNC) Annual Symposium in Houston, TX November 1-3, 2021 (subject to pandemic status). Way to go, Dr. Elgin!

Congratulations to Dr. Christina Cifra from the Division of Critical Care for being nominated and selected to receive the Recognizing Research and Innovation Excellence Innovation in Safety Award from the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). The Innovation in Safety Award celebrates exceptional and ground-breaking innovations that advance safety at the University of Iowa, and the prize is $1,000 and a commemorative gift from the OVPR.

The College of Medicine publishes a quarterly Creative Writing Anthology, highlighting creative works (poems, short stories, etc.) from College of Medicine faculty. Dr. Lee-Son in the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation recently had some poems published in the Winter 2021 issue. Congratulations, Dr. Lee-Son!

Dr. David Dickens, MD in the Division of Hematology/Oncology was interviewed by WHO radio and Simon Conway about what made him come to Iowa and work with kids. WHO is based out of Des Moines and reaches all the Midwest. Link to podcast here. Glad to have you here, Dr. Dickens!

Dr. Aliye Uc, Division Director for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pancreatology, and Nutrition, was recently named to the Editorial Board for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterlogy and Nutrition (JPGN), which is the official journal of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). Her term was effective January 1, 2021. 

Do you listen to the Talk of Iowa podcast on Iowa Public Radio? You may have heard Dr. Lyndsay Harshman on 2/22/21 discussing a recent kidney transplant case. Congratulations, Dr. Harshman!

Congratulations to Dr. Jeff Murray in Neonatology for recently being selected to receive a 2021 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. Dr. Murray has been highly sought this year for his expertise on coronaviruses.

Congratulations to Dr. Mitchell Luangrath in the Division of Critical Care on passing his Critical Care board exam! Way to go, Dr. Luangrath!

The Department is happy to announce that Dr. Lane Strathearn in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics has been invited to be on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Pediatrics. This editorship will be for a 5-year term beginning January 1, 2021. Congratulations, Dr. Strathearn!

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Schieltz and Dr. Christina Cifra on being accepted into the UI Grant Proposal Writing Workshop. This workshop will take place over Zoom February 11-12, 2021.

The Department is happy to announce that Dr. Rabia Khan from the Division of Cardiology has had an abstract accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (IHSLT). This conference will be held in Toronto (and virtually) on April 27-30, 2021. The abstract accepted is "Functional Status as a Predictor of PEdiatric Heart Transplant Outcomes". Contratulations, Dr. Khan!

Congratulations to Dr. Lyndsay Harshman from the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation on a special recognition. The editors of Pediatric Nephrology journal have named her article "The brain in pediatric chronic kidney disease-the intersection of cognition, neuroimaging, and clinical biomarkers" as an Editor's Choice pick for 2020. 

Dr. Hua "Linda" Sun in the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation was chosen by the Society for Pediatric Research to present her research “Dysregulated dynein mediated vesicle trafficking is a new mechanism and therapeutic target for FSGS” at the Japan Pediatric Society’s 124th Annual Meeting. Congratulations, Dr. Sun!

Congratulations to Dr. Yatin Vyas, MBBS, MD, Division Director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology for his selection to membership in the American Pediatric Society. New members will be recognized during the APS Presidential Plenary on May 3 at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2021 Virtual Meeting.

Dr. Adrianne Rahde Bischoff, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology, has been named President-Elect of the Junior Section of the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research. Congratulations, Dr. Rahde Bischoff!

Congratulations to the followiing faculty for being elected to membership in the Society for Pediatric Research.

  1. Amy Calhoun, MD – Medical Genetics and Genomics
  2. Heidi Harmon, MD – Neonatology
  3. Danielle Rios, MD – Neonatology
  4. Kelly Schieltz, PhD – Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Congratulations to Dr. Lyndsay Harshman from the Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation for being chosen to be an Early Investigator Spotlight in teh February 2021 issue of the journal Pediatric Research. This will highlight Dr. Harshman's own research activites and bring national exposure to her and likely provide new avenues of collaboration with other investigators around the country. Congratulations, Dr. Harshman!

Congratulations to Dr. Christina Cifra for her recent award. She was co-author on a poster presentation "Diagnosis documentation of critically ill children on admission to a pediatric intensive care unit", which was awarded the Best Scientific Abstract at the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine Conference held virutally this year from October 19-21. Congratulations, Dr. Cifra!

Kelly Schieltz, PhD from the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics has been invited to participate in the Leadership Thought Summit on Challenging Behavior. This summit is an invitation-only summit bringing together leaders in the field and occurs Dec. 3-4, 2020. Dr. Schieltz was invited by Autism Speaks, one of the foremost advocacy groups in Autism.

Tony Fischer, MD, PhD from the Division of Pulmonary Medicine was recently named the 2020 Summer Research Fellowship Outstanding Mentor in Clinical Research at the Medical Student Research Conference Awards on 9/20/20. He was nominated by Lucas Maakestad, M2

Danielle Rios, MD from the Division of Neonatology successfully passed her American Board of Clinical Pharmacology board examination.

Years of Service Recognitions:

  • Dr. Lane Strathearn, Division Director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, celebrated 5 years with UI Healthcare as of 9/30/20.
  • Dr. William Terry from the Division of Hematology/Oncology celebrated 5 years with UI Healthcare as of 9/30/20.
  • Sarah Beaudry from the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics (Cytogenetics Lab) celebrates 10 years as of 10/19/20.
  • Dr. Tammy Wilgenbusch from the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics celebrates 15 years as of 10/24/20.
  • Joanne Cabbage from the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes celebrates 15 years as of 10/27/20.
  • Donna Friel in Finance/Research Support celebrates 20 years as of 10/20/20.
  • Kathryn Breitbach, an ARNP in the Division of Neonatology's High Risk Infant Follow-up program celebrates 35 years as of 10/21/20.
Date: 
Friday, September 24, 2021