A person is speaking at a podium labeled “Hawai‘i Convention Center” during a conference. A banner beside the podium displays logos and text related to pediatric research and sponsors, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Another person is seated at a table with water bottles and a microphone.

APS SPR Journeys & Frontiers in Pediatric Research

Now in its seventh year, the American Pediatric Society & Society for Pediatric Research® Journeys & Frontiers in Pediatric Research Program is a transformative career development initiative that empowers early-career investigators to advance the future of pediatric medicine. Investigators in the US and Canada are nominated by their Department Chairs to join the prestigious program. To date, over 600 investigators have participated in the program.

2026-2027 Journeys Sessions

Participants join small cohort groups that meet virtually for eight 1-hour sessions. Each cohort is led by two distinguished leaders in academic pediatrics, many of whom are APS and SPR members.
During the sessions, participants:

Share authentic and inspiring career stories
Provide research feedback
Facilitate meaningful networking and discussions with established cohort leaders

All time listed in Central Time (CT), except for Mini-Gordon Conference

A group of five people standing together indoors, wearing conference badges and green lanyards, posing for a photo against a beige wall.

Friday, November 13, 2026

10:00 – 11:00 am: Opening Plenary: Finding What Matters in Your Research
Open to All – APS and SPR Members and Cohorts
Keynote Speaker: Sallie Permar, MD, PhD
11:00 – 11:30 am: Cohort Breakout Discussions
Cohort Members and Leaders – Invitation Only

Topic: Science and Career Development
One-hour session between 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Exact 1-hour meeting time to be determined by Cohort Leaders

Friday, December 11, 2026
Friday, January 8, 2027
Friday, February 12, 2027
Friday, March 12, 2027
Friday, April 9, 2027

Cohorts will join in a high-energy Mini-Gordon Conference at the 2027 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting, bringing everyone together for collaboration, innovation, and connection.

Tentatively, Friday, April 30, 2027 | 7:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Held in-person at the 2027 PAS Meeting, Minneapolis, MN

A large conference room with round tables and chairs arranged for a meeting or seminar. Several people are seated, facing the front of the room, with notebooks, drinks, and papers on the tables. The room has beige walls, patterned carpet, and a high ceiling with recessed lighting.

One-hour session between 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Exact 1-hour meeting time to be determined by Cohort Leaders

Friday, May 14, 2027

Friday, June 11, 2027

10:00 – 11:00 am: Closing Plenary: Finding What Matters in Your Research
Open to All – APS and SPR Members and Cohorts
Keynote Speaker: Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD
11:00 – 11:30 am: Cohort Breakout Discussions
Cohort Members and Leaders – Invitation Only

Journeys Success Stories

Graduates of the Journeys Program have achieved remarkable success in advancing their research careers. Many past participants have gone on to secure competitive grants, including R01, R21, K08, K12, K23, and other prestigious awards – a testament to their dedication, growth, and the program’s lasting impact in preparing emerging investigators for research leadership.

A person standing near a microphone in a conference room, holding papers and a drink. Several other attendees are seated in rows of chairs, wearing event lanyards. The setting appears to be a formal discussion or Q&A session.

Lindsay Edwards received BIRCWH K12 Institutional Training Grant. “I am a pediatric cardiologist specialized in cardiovascular imaging of the fetus and child. My research focuses on the development of novel imaging technology, including machine learning-based applications, to improve diagnosis, management, and prognostication in pediatric and congenital heart disease. Currently, my work centers around pediatric imaging biomarkers in cancer treatment-related cardiomyopathy. The Journeys program provided me with pivotal mentorship, camaraderie, and support during a particularly uncertain time within the American medical research community. I was grouped with several other early-career researchers and two distinguished mentors. Each month, we met to discuss topics relevant to career development, and the mentees received feedback on current research and grant proposals. I left each session inspired by my peers and mentors, with reinvigorated drive for an independent research career. I highly recommend the APS SPR Journeys Program to any physician-scientist navigating the ups and downs of the early career period.”

Ashaunta Anderson received a K23. “The Racial-Ethnic Strengths in Pediatrics for Equitable Care and Treatment (RESPECT) Laboratory is grounded in deep respect for the unique sociocultural contexts experienced by minoritized families seeking pediatric care. We especially focus on interventions that boost cultural pride in early childhood, which has been shown to improve mental health, behavioral health, and school outcomes. In addition, we study quality improvement to systematize equitable care and treatment in the pediatric clinical setting and beyond. The Journeys program equipped me with a network of mentors and peers to support the development of my research program. It was particularly helpful to meet in person and hear the career development stories of well-established investigators who shared how they navigated both challenges and opportunities.”
Tracy Bedrosian received an R01. “My lab is discovering genetic mechanisms that lead to pediatric focal epilepsies and using model systems to develop novel treatment approaches. Our long-term goal is to improve treatment for drug-resistant epilepsies in children. The Journeys program provided a community of early career investigators to share challenges and successes. I learned a lot from the experiences of my peers, which helped me to obtain independent funding and advance toward promotion and tenure.”
Carol Duh-Leong received a K23. “My NIH K23, funded by NIEHS, is titled, “Geospatial food access as a driver of environmental oxidant stressors and early obesity.” The overarching goal of this work is to understand how environments and experiences influence food access during pregnancy and early childhood, ultimately shaping obesity risk across the life course.
The Journeys mentorship program has connected me with wonderful peer and career mentors, and provided valuable career coaching, helping me prepare for and work towards research independence. The conference day is filled with inspiring talks and opportunities to connect with cross-disciplinary peers on a similar journey.”
Diana Zepeda-Orozco received R01s from NIDDK & NCI. “The Zepeda-Orozco lab studies mitochondrial contributions to chemotherapy and radioligand therapies induced kidney damage. Our overall goal is to develop novel diagnostic and targeted nephroprotective approaches by leveraging metabolic differences between tumor and normal cells. Both platinum chemotherapy and alpha-emitter radioligand therapy are potent anti-tumor treatments, but their dose-dependent kidney toxicity is a significant concern. Maximizing platinum and radioligand therapies tumor responses by using nephroprotective approaches could pave the way for more effective anti-cancer clinical trials, ultimately improving patient survival and quality of life.
The Journeys program offered invaluable mentorship and friendships at a pivotal moment in my career. Our informal meetings covered a wide range of topics pertinent to junior faculty development, providing a platform to discuss challenges and explore potential solutions in various contexts. This program is an excellent resource for junior physician-scientist navigating this critical period in their career development.”

Stuart Fraser received his first Child Neurologist Career Development Program K12 award!
Terry Dean awarded NINDS K08 for Endogenous circadian clocks regulate NG2-glia regenerative potential!

Katherine Bline received K23 from NHLBI. “Our lab studies the host immune response in children with viral lower respiratory tract infections, specifically the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells that can inappropriately suppress adaptive immune function in this context. Our overarching goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets to augment the host immune response to better fight infection and restore immune homeostasis in children who become critically ill due to respiratory infections. The Journeys program provided me with invaluable mentorship and community early in my faculty career. I formed new friendships, received crucial feedback on career plans and grant applications, and I was inspired by the talks from physician-scientists who have forged a similar path.”

Mariko Bennett received a NIH DP5. “Our lab studies the role that microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages, play in normal development and disease. We are trying to uncover ways we can use microglia targeting therapeutically and our current focus is on overcoming natural microglia viral restriction to enable gene therapies. The Journeys program allowed community and mentorship throughout the COVID shutdown during a critical period of my training (and new motherhood).”
Praveen Chandrasekharan received an RO1. “After participating in the Journeys 2020 – 2021 and other supporting programs by NIH-NICHD and a strong lab team, I received an R01 grant in 2021, focusing on chest compressions for bradycardia during newborn resuscitation. The Journeys program was helpful as an adjunct in interacting with peers and established investigators. Their experiences and inputs while discussing my research were valuable to me.”
Thao (Tina) Ho received an R21. “The goal of my grant is to investigate characteristics of gut microbiota associated with severe anemia in preterm infants using stool multiomics approach. The Journeys Program motivated me to stay focused on my research and how to improve on grant writing.”
Monica Hsiung Wojcik received an R21. “My research focuses on equitable implementation of genomic medicine in the perinatal context, with particular emphasis on clinical effectiveness as well as parent/patient-reported outcomes towards improved health-related quality of life. To this effect, our team received an R21 in 2022 to evaluate an approach to equitable participation in rare disease genomic research. Recognizing the obstacles families face when attempting to access genomic sequencing for precision diagnosis, we have implemented a personalized and supportive approach to enrollment in the Broad Institute Rare Genomes Project. I participated in the Journeys Program in one of my first years after graduating from a combined fellowship program, and it was extremely beneficial to learn about how my mentors in this program paved their own paths to independence from an early stage, to receive feedback on research and career plans, as well as to broaden my network of colleagues, collaborators, and friends.
Emma Mohr received an RO1. “My research focuses on vertical transmission and infant developmental outcomes of emerging viral infections during pregnancy using a translational macaque model. I benefitted from the Journeys program by improving how I communicate with department leaders.”
Elizabeth Yen received a K23. “My K23-funded research focuses on understanding the sex-specific impact of prenatal opioid exposure on brain reward signaling and neonatal feeding regulation. While opioid-exposed infants are known to encounter growth and feeding issues, the molecular mechanisms underlying these problems are unknown. Using neonatal salivary gene expression, feeding, and growth measurements, our team aims to elucidate the impact of reward and hypothalamic signaling dysregulation of infant feeding behavior and growth trajectory. The role of sex as an important biological variable is also the focus of this multiyear study. As a participant in the Journeys, I quickly learned that the path to a successful research career was not easy, yet it was possible. Surrounded by brilliant scientists and physicians, I realized the importance of strong mentorship, grit, resilience, team science, and effective communication. My group leaders (Drs. Beth Tarini and Bruce Gelb) were engaging, transparent, encouraging, and insightful. The group members provided stories of wins and losses and lessons learned that truly brought a healthy perspective for the entire cohort. The Journeys provided helpful, tangible advice for my grant application and fostered my long-term career growth.”

Testimonials

“Participating in this program was an invaluable step in my development as an academic neonatologist and physician-scientist at USA Health. Through eight small-group virtual sessions, mentorship from established pediatric investigators, peer networking, research discussions, and the PAS Mini-Gordon Conference, the program provided a supportive forum for navigating the challenges of an early independent research career.” Read More
Saminathan Anbalagan, MBBS, MD
Neonatologist, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Children’s & Women’s Hospital, University of South Alabama
“Fantastic program, I found it very valuable since there are few physician-scientists at my institution.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate in this seminar. The small groups allowed for the ability to ask meaningful questions. I enjoyed being able to present my research ideas and gain feedback (also was great timing I was applying for an internal research training program and pilot grant, and the feedback was very helpful).”
“Really enjoyed the journey and the honest stories and advice that the leaders provided. Also enjoyed meeting the other members and hearing similar questions and struggles that we all have. I particularly enjoyed the expert sessions with all the incredible experiences that each person had; truly encouraging and inspiring. Thank you for organizing this super important program!”
“This group helped me talk to leadership about needing a partner and needing additional protected time. I said it multiple times over the years, but previously I approached it incorrectly. This time, I dug into numbers and showed them that I am currently at 1.7 FTEs. Starting May 1, I officially have more protected time. We hired 2 local family med / sports med physicians to pick up my dropped clinics until we hire another physician full time as a partner. (They can continue to stay on after that if they want to). I am hopeful that things are heading in the right direction! This group really gave me the tools to jump-start things here.”
“Great program! Didn’t realize how helpful it was going to be until I had multiple “aha” moments. THANK YOU!”
“I thought this was an exceptional program! Coming from a smaller pediatric department where clinical research is just emerging as a priority, I found it so valuable to meet others in a similar career path and stage as me. I thought the plenary speakers gave incredibly sage wisdom, particularly for women. In the plenary and in my group, I found the conversations around leadership, imposter syndrome, balancing clinical and research, and work-life balance so powerful. I really valued having a senior career leader who is a woman.”

2026-2027 Journeys Program

Each year, the Journeys Program is centered around a unifying theme, often inspired by a book chosen for its relevance to developing investigators. For the 2026-2027 program year, the selected text is To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink. The book inspired the theme: “Expanding Your Leadership Toolbox – Lessons from the Business World.”

We are deeply grateful to the Journeys’ Book Sponsors for their generous support, which made it possible to provide every Journeys participant with a complimentary copy of the book.

Cohort Leaders & Participants

Steve Abman, University of Colorado
Kurt Albertine, University of Utah School of Medicine Todd Alexander, University of Alberta
Pankaj Agrawal, University of Miami
Brett Anderson, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Jennifer Bermick, University of Iowa
Vineet Bhandari, The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper/CMSRU Lina Chalak, UT Southwestern, Children’s Health Dallas
Helen Christou, Harvard Medical School Christiane Dammann, Tufts University Jonathan Davis, Tufts Medical Center Brian DeBosch, Indiana University
Camile Fung, University of Utah School of Medicine Rani Gereige, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami
Michelle Gill, Washington University School of Medicine
Peter Gill, University of Toronto
Misty Good, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Scott Hadland, Harvard Medical School
Andrea Hahn, Children’s National Hospital/George Washington University James Jarvis, University of Washington, Seattle
Rohit Kohli, University of Southern California
Krithika Lingappan, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Steven Miller, University of British Columbia Anna Penn, Columbia University
Jochen Profit, Stanford University
Binoy Shivanna, Baylor College of Medicine Yogen Singh, UC Davis
Jessica Snowden, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Emily Tam, University of Toronto
Beth Tarini, Children’s National Hospital Christine Turley, Atrium Health

Abigail Rose Olson Arons, UC Davis
Abraham Gallegos, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Adam Blatt, Wake Forest University School of Medicine – Charlotte Campus
Aimée Vester, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Alicia Alcamo, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Aliza Olive, Cleveland Clinic Children’s
Alyssa Baccarella, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Bob Sun, University of British Columbia
Brad Constant, University of Colorado Anschutz and Children’s Hospital Colorado
Brigitta Gehl, Yale School of Medicine
Cal Robinson, Hospital for Sick Children
Carl Britto, Boston Children’s Hospital
Carmen Riggioni, SickKids Hospital
Cassie Grimsley Ackerley, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
Catherina Pinnaro, McMaster University
Chang Lu, Boston Children’s Hospital
Christina Turn, Medical University of South Carolina
Cicero Willis-Pineda, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Clare Crosh, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Clare Howard, Massachusetts General Brigham for Children
Cristina Tomatis Souverbielle, Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University
Daniel Zheng, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Danielle Callaway, UT Southwestern Medical Center
David M. Rub, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine/ UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
Eileen Rife, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ellen Kuenzig, Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London
Ellen McGinnis, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Ellen Schill, Washington University School of Medicine
Emily Ahn, Weill Cornell Medicine
Emily Beil, Wake Forest University School of Medicine – Charlotte Campus
Emily Montgomery, University of Louisville School of Medicine
Eyad Bitar, Queen’s University
Fatima Hussain, University of Saskatchewan
Genelle Lunken, University of British Columbia
Ghita Wiebe, University of Saskatchewan
Glenn Rapsinski, University of Pittsburgh
Hallie Coltin, Université de Montréal
Hananeh Fonoudi, Emory School of Medicine / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Hannah Kinoshita, Children’s National and George Washington University
Hiroshi Uda, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Ian Francis, University of Michigan
Imogen Clover-Brown, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Ivana Stojkic, Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University
Jensen Kracht, University Arizona College of Medicine
Jeremy Sandgren, University of Iowa
Jessica Breton, Université de Montréal
Jessica Daley, University of Pittsburgh
Jillian Smith, Children’s National and George Washington University
Jordan John, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Julia H. Raney , Stanford University School of Medicine
Karen Carr, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
Katherine Schwartz, Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra / Northwell
Kathryn Weakley, Norton Children’s and the University of Louisville
Liana Nobre, University of Alberta
Lianna Wood, Boston Children’s Hospital
Margaret Jones, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Margaret Murphy, Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Kentucky
Maria Deza Leon, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City
Maria Gabriela Espanol Mendez, Tulane University School of Medicine
Mariana Brewer, University of Miami
Marielys Collazo-Roman, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Marisa Stahl, University of Colorado Anschutz and Children’s Hospital Colorado
Mary Jensen Kracht, Banner University / University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
Matthew Henry, University of Alberta/ Stollery Children’s Hospital
Matthew O’Brien, Yale School of Medicine
Maximilian Horlbeck, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
McKenna Parnes, University of Washington School of Medicine
Meredith R. Hickson, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Michael Jiang, Cleveland Clinic Children’s
Michael Luke, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Nabil Saleem, Emory University School of Medicine / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Natalie Guerrero, Indiana University School of Medicine
Nicholas Beam, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Nicholas Hasle, University of Washington
Nina Hill, University of Michigan Medical School
Paige Condit, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health
Patrick Peebles, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health
Rachna Mamidi, University of Missouri, School of Medicine
Rebecca Gibson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Rebecca Koch, Duke University School of Medicine
Rita Yu Wang, Stanford University
Rui Dong, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Ryan Kilpatrick, Tufts Medical Center
Sameer Thadani, Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
Sarah Swenson, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Shannon O’Connor, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Srinivasan Mani, University at Buffalo
Stephanie Adaikalam, Indiana University School of Medicine
Sudeep D. Sunthankar, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Tarin Bigley, Washington University School of Medicine
Tess Smith-Thomas, Golisano Children’s at UK
Ting Wei, University of South Alabama, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine
Vivian Valcarce Luaces, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Vonita Chawla, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences / Arkansas Children’s
Zoe Michael, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

2026 Dr. Francis S. Collins Scholar Award Recipient

The American Pediatric Society (APS) and Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) are pleased to announce that Dr. Gabrielle Freire has been selected as the 2026 Dr. Francis S. Collins Scholar Awardee!

This award honors the remarkable scientific contributions of Dr. Francis S. Collins. It is presented to one outstanding junior investigator participating in the APS SPR Journeys 2025-2026 Program, in recognition of their promise and potential for future success in academic pediatric research.

Gabrielle Freire, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC
University of Toronto

Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD
Former NIH Director

Journeys Work Group

The Journeys Work Group plays a vital role in developing and shaping the Journeys Program each year. The group selects the annual program theme and identifies inspiring plenary speakers who help motivate and engage program cohorts. Members also bring together leaders from across the pediatric research community and provide guidance and training for cohort group leaders. In addition, the Work Group develops the content and speaker lineup for the Journeys Mini-Gordon Conference.

Brett R. Anderson, MD, MBA, MS

Term 2024-2027

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Population Health Sciences & Policy, Director, Center for Child Health Services Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Eric Austin MD, MSCI

Term 2024-2027

SPR President 2025-2026, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Catherine Gordon, MD, MS

Term 2024-2028

APS Secretary, Treasurer
Steven Miller, MDCM, MAS, FRCPC

Term 2025-2030

APS Council, Professor & Head, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Jingshing Wu, MD, PhD

Term 2025-2027

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin
Michelle Brunoehler

Affiliated Societies & Events Director, APS SPR
Bruce Hammond, CAE

Executive Director, APS SPR