Department of Pediatrics

Research Areas

The Department of Pediatrics at Brown brings together researchers whose work spans the full spectrum of child health—from translational science and clinical innovation to health disparities and developmental and behavioral research.

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Research Areas

The Department of Pediatrics at Brown brings together researchers whose work spans the full spectrum of child health—from translational science and clinical innovation to health disparities and developmental and behavioral research.

Basic Translational Sciences

Researchers in basic and translational sciences investigate the fundamental mechanisms that influence child health and development.

Areas of Focus

  • Regulation of liver development
  • Causes of PPROM
  • BPD pathogenesis
  • Early lung development in neonates
  • Neonatal fungal infections
  • Biomarkers for pre-eclampsia

Researchers in Basic Translational Sciences

Inpatient/Outpatient Clinical & Health Services

Researchers in inpatient/outpatient clinical and health services advance quality, access, and outcomes for pediatric patients.

Areas of Focus

  • Management of bronchiolitis
  • Ventilation of critically ill children
  • Hyperoxia in patients hospitalized with bronchiolitis
  • Disparities in management of the hospitalized bronchiolitis patient
  • Neonatal abstinence syndrome
  • Barriers to care
  • Association of race/ethnicity with resource utilization
  • Factors affecting resource utilization in infants with bronchiolitis
  • Early development of infants
  • Referral processing efficiency (QI)
  • Devices used to stabilize infants during spinal tap procedures
  • Tuberculosis: domestic and international
  • Substance use
  • Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in the primary care setting
  • Irritable bowel disease

Researchers in Inpatient/Outpatient Clinical & Health Services

Medical Education

Researchers in medical education study how physicians are trained, focusing on improving teaching, assessment, and learning across all stages of medical education.

Areas of Focus

  • Impact of medical student and evaluator gender on evaluations
  • Teaching residents about primary care of resettled refugees
  • Establishing validity evidence for tool to evaluate resident teaching in large group setting
  • Professional identity formation in UIM (underrepresented in medicine) pediatric residents
  • Discovering ways to promote equity in the selection process for pediatric chief residents
  • Association of OSCE, shelf and clinical grades in 5 medical schools
  • The utilization of simulation for the education of allergic diseases
  • Viewpoint of Haitian residents on exchange rotations
  • Complicated pediatric osteomyelitis viewpoint of Haitian residents on exchange rotations

Researchers in Medical Education

  • Alison Riese, MD

    Alison Riese, MD

    Associate Professor
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Medical education, Impact of medical student and evaluator gender on evaluations, Adolescent health, Cyberbullying
  • Carol Lewis, MD

    Carol Lewis, MD

    Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Medical education, Teaching residents about primary care of resettled refugees
  • Delma-Jean Watts, MD

    Delma-Jean Watts, MD

    Associate Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Inpatient/Outpatient clinical and health services research, Barriers to care, Association of race/ethnicity with resource utilization, Teaching residents about primary care of resettled refugees
  • Michael Koster, MD

    Michael Koster, MD

    Associate Chair, Clinical Affairs
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Medical education, Viewpoint of Haitian residents on exchange rotations

Neonatology

Researchers in neonatology advance understanding of newborn health to improve outcomes from birth through early development.

Areas of Focus

  • Neonatal abstinence syndrome
  • Biomarkers for pre-eclampsia
  • Neonatal follow-up/long-term outcomes
  • PPROM
  • Prenatal diagnostic imaging

Researchers in Neonatology

Global Health

Researchers in global health work to address the world’s most urgent pediatric health challenges.

Areas of Focus

  • Tuberculosis
  • Nutritional influences on infection severity and gut function
  • Helminthiasis
  • Early detection of parasitic disease complications in children
  • Malaria
  • Tuberculosis and chronic respiratory health in youth
  • Sickle Cell Disease
  • Innovative screening and diagnostic tools for blood disorders
  • Maternal and child global health
  • Global child and maternal health in infectious disease contexts

Researchers in Global Health

Developmental & Behavioral Health

Researchers in developmental and behavioral health are advancing understanding of the biological, environmental, and social factors that shape childhood growth, learning, and well-being.

Areas of Focus

  • Early childhood literacy
  • ACES
  • Autism
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Neuroimaging and development of young children with a focus on environmental influences
  • Early brain development and childhood obesity
  • Impact of maternal anemia on childhood development

Researchers in Developmental & Behavioral Health

Allergy, Asthma/Pulmonary Disorders

Investigating childhood allergy, asthma/pulmonary disorders.

Areas of Focus

  • Ethnic disparities in symptom recognition in asthma
  • Disparities in asthma and sleep
  • BPD pathogenesis
  • Ethnic/racial disparities and outcomes in urban pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis
  • Obesity and asthma disparities
  • Mindful eating

Researchers in Allergy, Asthma/Pulmonary Disorders

  • Phyllis Dennery, MD

    Phyllis A Dennery, MD

    Chair of Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) pathogenesis
  • Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, MD

    Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, PhD

    Vice Chair of Research & Development, Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry
    Research Profile
    Research Interests RI Asthma Integrated Response Program, Sleep disparities and asthma, Sleep duration and immune imbalance
  • Daniella Teape, MD

    Daniella Teape, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) pathogenesis, Asthma and pulmonary disorders, Ethnic disparities in symptom recognition in asthma
  • Marcella Aquino, MD

    Marcella Aquino, MD

    Associate Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Health disparities, Health disparities in pediatric atopic dermatitis and asthma, Multi-Level contributing factors to ethnic and racial disparities in urban children with atopic dermatitis
  • Monica Serrano Gonzalez, MD

    Monica Serrano Gonzalez, MD

    Assistant Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Health disparities, Environmental and behavioral influences on pediatric asthma

Overweight & Wellness

Investigating childhood overweight and wellness.

Areas of Focus

  • Interventions to improve overweight-related morbidity
  • Co-morbid overweight/Diabetes/Renal disease
  • Interventions to improve overweight-related morbidity
  • Mindful eating

Researchers in Overweight & Wellness

Pediatric Health Disparities

Investigating childhood asthma, sleep, obesity, and lifestyle factors to better understand health inequities.

Areas of Focus

  • Sleep disparities and asthma
  • Sleep duration and immune imbalance
  • Health disparities in pediatric atopic dermatitis
  • Environmental and behavioral influences on pediatric asthma
  • Obesity and asthma disparities
  • Ethnic disparaties in symptom recognition in asthma

Researchers in Pediatric Health Disparities

  • Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, MD

    Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, PhD

    Vice Chair of Research & Development, Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry
    Research Profile
    Research Interests RI Asthma Integrated Response Program, Sleep disparities and asthma, Sleep duration and immune imbalance
  • Marcella Aquino, MD

    Marcella Aquino, MD

    Associate Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Health disparities, Health disparities in pediatric atopic dermatitis and asthma, Multi-Level contributing factors to ethnic and racial disparities in urban children with atopic dermatitis
  • Monica Serrano Gonzalez, MD

    Monica Serrano Gonzalez, MD

    Assistant Professor, Clinician Educator
    Research Profile
    Research Interests Health disparities, Environmental and behavioral influences on pediatric asthma

Adolescent Health

Conducting research to improve adolescent health outcomes.

Areas of Focus

  • Adolescent HIV prevention and PrEP implementation
  • Adolescent Screening in inpatient settings
  • Substance use
  • Sexual reproductive health and sickle cell disease

Researchers in Adolescent Health