2026 New Members

Dr. Alfano is an attending neonatologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and an instructor in Pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. As a physician scientist she investigates mechanisms of pathogen-specific molecular determinants of sepsis and endothelial dysfunction. The goal of her research is to determine the factors that confer increased risk of life-threatening sepsis to certain populations and provide novel insights in future therapeutic developments. Dr. Alfano’s current focus is on understanding how ADAM10, a ubiquitously expressed host protein, is a specific target of a discrete subset of pathogens leading to the dysregulated endothelial and host response in sepsis. Her work with endothelial-specific ADAM10 knockout mice demonstrated a significant reduction in microvascular thrombi formation as well as mortality against lethal sepsis from S. aureus as well as P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae, but not GBS or Candida albicans. These studies illustrate the role of ADAM10 as a molecular specifier of sepsis and that ADAM10-mediated endothelial injury appears to initiate a cascade of intravascular events that amplify platelet thrombus formation and result in lethal injury. Further understanding the molecular mechanism of how specific pathogens harness ADAM10 in sepsis is the basis of her K08 award funded by NIAID. Dr. Alfano received her MD from Washington University School of Medicine. Following graduation, she completed her pediatric residency with the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals followed by Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before joining the faculty at WashU.

Dimitrios Angelis, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UT Southwestern. He completed his fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where he conducted translational research on hypoxia-ischemia and neonatal neuroprotection.

His current work focuses on neonatal brain injury mechanisms, neuroprotective care practices, zinc and nutrition in preterm infants, and the management of Vein of Galen arteriovenous malformation. Dr. Angelis leads clinical studies aimed at improving outcomes for critically ill newborns and is an active mentor for medical students, residents, and fellows.

Dr. Rammy Assaf is a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Rady Children’s Health, Children’s Hospital Orange County. His interdisciplinary research is advocacy-driven and under the umbrella of social drivers of health (SDOH). These include social needs assessment and intervention; climate change and adolescent mental health; and transition of care of medically complex adult-aged patients in the pediatric emergency department.

Dr. Bai is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Biostatistics at Emory University, where she also serves as Associate Director of Research and Epidemiology for the Adolescent and Child Health (REACH) Center. Throughout her career, she has led multiple statistical teams as a director across several institutions, including her recent role directing the Pediatric Biostatistics Core at Emory, where she oversaw a team supporting more than 400 active research projects annually.

Her research focuses on advancing the scientific rigor and translational impact of pediatric studies through robust and novel statistical methodologies. She has served as a Multiple Principal Investigator, Core Director, or co-investigator on studies in pediatric cancer survivorship, metabolic health, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, and obesity outcomes research. Dr. Bai currently leads or co-leads several federally and foundation-funded studies, including NIH center awards and NIH R-series clinical trials. She is also a committed mentor and educator, teaching advanced biostatistics and supporting professional

development for trainees and junior faculty at both regional and national levels. Her national service includes standing reviewer roles for major funding agencies, as well as leadership in organizing research symposia and faculty development initiatives. As a team-science biostatistician dedicated to pediatric research, she has played a central role in strengthening infrastructure for collaboration and reproducibility across pediatric subspecialties.

Dominique Bailey, MD, MSEd is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at the NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. She received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her master’s degree in urban education from the University of Pennsylvania. She attended Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital— Columbia University Irving Medical Center. There, she pursued postdoctoral research, initially funded by a NIDDK T32 training grant, in the lab of Dr. Jianwen Que. As a recipient of the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) Training Award, she obtained advanced training in eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases and rare disease research. She joined the faculty of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center at the New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in 2018. Dr. Bailey focuses on basic science/translational research in esophageal development and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Her current research utilizes 3D human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived esophageal organoid culture and murine models to study esophageal development and epithelial stem cell biology. She employs innovative murine models of pediatric EoE and human and murine organoid culture systems to investigate the molecular mechanisms of reactive epithelial changes to elucidate novel treatment targets and biomarkers specific to pediatric EoE. In addition, she established a pediatric EoE biorepository at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for translational research studies. During the past seven years, she has been awarded several prestigious grants including the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Foundation/ George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award, an NIH-K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award, Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Award, and most recently the Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholars Award. Her research has led to several national and international oral presentations, a first-authored manuscript in Development, a second-authored invited review in Development, and co-

and senior-authored manuscripts in several high-impact journals such as Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology, Gastroenterology, and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Additionally, she has been invited to serve as a content expert on several consensus guidelines, including the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) consensus statements on the endoscopic management of eosinophilic esophagitis as well as the international consensus guidelines for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease. Dr. Bailey serves as the inaugural director of the multidisciplinary clinical program in EoE and Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders in conjunction with the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology at Columbia University. In addition to clinical care and research, she enjoys spending time with her family, enjoying the arts and culinary scene in NYC, traveling, and mentoring future physicians and junior scientists on their journey towards academic success. Dr. Bailey is a member of NASPGHAN and the AGA and has served on the NASPGHAN Professional Education Committee and NASPGHAN Strategic Planning Committee.

Dr. Bajaj is a neonatologist, clinician-educator, and academic leader with a strong focus on patient-centered research. For over a decade at Wayne State University and later at Central Michigan University, she has built a robust research portfolio grounded in clinical observations, particularly in the areas of neonatal bone health, infectious diseases, and nutrition. Her early work on metabolic bone disease in preterm infants using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) was published in Pediatric Research and earned her a Travel Award from the Pediatric Academic Societies. Dr. Bajaj has continued to lead and mentor impactful research projects, including studies on MRI findings in neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, cerebrospinal fluid diagnostics in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, and quality improvement efforts in neonatal nutrition and resuscitation. She served as the site Principal Investigator for the NIH-funded multicenter “MILK” trial through the NICHD Neonatal Research Network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also led her site’s participation in the AAP’s COVID registry and collaborated with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to publish a study examining the impact of COVID on fetal deaths and preterm births in Michigan. To further strengthen her research expertise, Dr. Bajaj completed the Harvard Medical School Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program and the Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership (SQIL) Program. These experiences have further equipped her to lead collaborative, data-driven initiatives aimed at improving neonatal outcomes. Through her research mentorship, she continues to guide residents and fellows, fostering a culture of inquiry, innovation, and academic excellence.

Dr. Yair Bannett completed his medical training at Hebrew University and his pediatrics residency training at Tel Aviv University, Israel. After practicing as a community-based primary care pediatrician, he completed a clinical fellowship in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) and a Master’s Degree in Health Research and Policy at Stanford University. Dr. Bannett is an Assistant Professor in the division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at Stanford and the Principal Investigator at the Advanced Informatics for Mental Health lab.

Dr Bannett’s research focuses on investigating the quality-of-care provided to children and adolescents with developmental and mental health conditions, including ADHD and autism. Study methods include applying AI technology to perform medical chart review, by integrating information from structured and unstructured data in the electronic health record. Dr. Bannett has received funding from the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop novel and evidence-based quality measures for ADHD treatment in community-based primary care. The ultimate goal of his research is to implement clinician- and systems-level interventions to improve the quality of healthcare delivery and outcomes for children and adolescents with developmental and mental health challenges.

Dr. Jennifer Belsky is a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist dedicated to improving supportive care and quality of life for children and adolescent young adults (AYAs) undergoing chemotherapy.

Her clinical and academic focus is on neurotoxicities, particularly chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which can cause long-term physical and emotional burdens for pediatric patients. With a background in both clinical oncology and translational research, Dr. Belsky integrates patient care with scientific inquiry to address unmet needs in pediatric cancer treatment. Her research centers on developing early, objective methods to detect and monitor CIPN, with a specific interest in neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a promising blood-based biomarker. She has led prospective studies evaluating NfL in children and AYAs with leukemia and lymphoma, demonstrating its potential to guide real-time clinical decisions and prevent long-term morbidity. Dr. Belsky’s work aims

to support timely interventions, reduce chemotherapy dose modifications, and ultimately improve outcomes for young patients receiving life-saving therapy.

Soumyaroop Bhattacharya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

His research centers on the spatiotemporal dynamics of lung development during the perinatal period. Dr. Bhattacharya employs cutting-edge genomic technologies—including spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and bulk RNA sequencing—to investigate cellular differentiation, intercellular communication, and other key developmental processes. His work aims to elucidate both the mechanisms underlying normal lung development and the molecular disruptions that contribute to developmental abnormalities. With over a decade of experience in genomic data analysis, Dr. Bhattacharya has played a pivotal role as lead analyst on multiple NIH-funded projects, contributing significantly to both pediatric and adult lung disease research. He is widely recognized as a skilled and innovative bioinformatician and a dedicated educator in the field of genomics. In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Bhattacharya has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty across institutions nationwide, fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating research environment. He currently serves as Co-Director of the Department of Pediatrics Summer Research Program at the University of Rochester.