Edward M. Barksdale Jr., M.D., FAAP, of Cleveland, was named president-elect of the American Pediatric Surgery Association. His year-long term as president begins in May.
He is surgeon-in-chief at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and Robert J. Izant Jr. Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His work in pediatric surgery is focused on management of short bowel syndrome/intestinal failure and immunobiology of neuroblastoma.
Dr. Barksdale also launched the Antifragility Initiative, a hospital-based violence intervention program to reduce recidivism, prevent adverse outcomes and improve overall well-being among teen patients.
D. Wade Clapp, M.D., FAAP, of Indianapolis, was one of 100 new members elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Individuals are elected based on outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Dr. Clapp is the Richard L. Schreiner Professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics, at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine. He is a neonatologist and physician-in-chief at IU Health Riley Hospital for Children. His work to understand the pathogenesis of neurofibromatosis has brought new understanding and improved the lives of children and adults with the disorder.
Coleen K. Cunningham, M.D., FAAP, of Durham, N.C., was named chair of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and senior vice president and pediatrician-in-chief for Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) pediatric health care system. The dual role includes serving as the key physician executive liaison between CHOC and UCI. Her appointment is effective March 1.
Dr. Cunningham is professor with tenure in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, chief of global health and vice chair for research in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University. She holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Pathology at Duke. Her work has focused on HIV and AIDS in children and H1N1 influenza.
Glenn Flores, M.D., FAAP, of Hartford, Conn., was named chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine. He also will serve as senior associate dean for child health, the George E. Batchelor Endowed Chair in Child Health and physician-in-chief at Holtz Children's Hospital at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. His new role begins April 1.
He is director of the Health Services Research Institute at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Dr. Flores’ career has focused on health care disparities resulting from poverty, racism, obesity and lack of access for underserved populations. He is a member of the National Advisory Committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program and director of the Academic Pediatric Association’s Research in Academic Pediatrics Initiative on Diversity.
Brandi K. Freeman, M.D., M.S., FAAP, of Aurora, Colo., was named associate vice chair for diversity, equity and inclusion at University of Colorado, Anschutz Department of Pediatrics. She will provide strategic vision and leadership for diversity, equity and inclusion within the department and in partnership with stakeholders across the university, Children’s Hospital Colorado and the community.
Assistant professor of general pediatrics, she has served as director of diversity and inclusion in the Department of Pediatrics since 2018.
She is speaker of the National Medical Association House of Delegates and vice president of the Mile-High Medical Society, an organization that supports Black health care professionals in Denver.
Toni K. Gross, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, of New Orleans, was named physician member-at-large of the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians.
A member of the AAP Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine Executive Committee, she is chief of the emergency department at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Lisa G. Rider, M.D., FACR, FAAP, of Garrett Park, Md., received the 2020 AAP James T. Cassidy Award from the Section on Rheumatology.
Dr. Rider is acting head of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group at the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Judy Schaechter, M.D., M.B.A., FAAP, of Washington, D.C., was named a 2020-’21 Health Policy Fellow by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Schaechter stepped down as chair of pediatrics and chief of service at Holtz Children’s Hospital at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in August. Professor of pediatrics and public health sciences, she has been on faculty at the Miller School of Medicine since 1997. She is a former member of the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention Executive Committee.
Nancy D. Spector, M.D., FAAP, of Wynnewood, Pa., received the 2020 Group on Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the She for She Award at the Women in Medicine Summit and the Elizabeth Bingham Mentoring Award from the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Women in Science.
Dr. Spector is professor of pediatrics and associate dean of faculty development at the Drexel University College of Medicine. She also is executive director of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine national fellowship program for women in academic medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy.
She is co-founder of the I-PASS Patient Safety Institute, chair of the I-PASS Executive Council and educational leader of the I-PASS Handoff Study Group.
Robin H. Steinhorn, M.D., FAAP, of San Diego, was named senior vice president of Rady Children’s, president of Children’s Specialists of San Diego and executive director of Rady Children’s Specialists of San Diego. She also was appointed vice dean of children’s clinical services and professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
She most recently was senior vice president of the Center for Hospital-Based Specialties at Children’s National and a professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Steinhorn is immediate-past president of the American Pediatric Society.
John H.T. Waldhausen, M.D., FAAP, of Seattle, was named president of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.
He is division chief of pediatric surgery and professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and surgeon-in-chief at Seattle Children’s Hospital. In practice, he covers general pediatric surgery and focuses on pediatric cancer surgery, minimally invasive surgery and congenital surgical problems.
Dr. Waldhausen is past president of the Association of Pediatric Surgery Program Directors, the Seattle Surgical Society and the North Pacific Coast Surgical Association and past director of the Pediatric Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery.
Fellows in the News acknowledges AAP members’ national and prominent awards, honors and appointments. Submit biographical sketch, academic titles, memberships in AAP groups and a high-resolution photo to Trisha Korioth at [email protected]; phone 630-626-6791. Publication is at the discretion ofAAP News.
