University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics

Anita Cavallo, MD, FAAP

Appointment

Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics

Email

anita.cavallo@chmcc.org

Phone

513-636-3729

Fax

513-636-4402

Bio

After completing her training in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology at the Boston Children's Hospital, Anita Cavallo, M.D., served in various capacities, both in clinical community settings and in academic pediatric departments in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Galveston, Texas, and Providence, Rhode Island.

Dr. Cavallo's experience includes clinical care of children and adolescents in the fields of general pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology. In addition, Dr. Cavallo has conducted clinical research spanning endocrinological and growth disorders, puberty and neuroendocrinology. Dr. Cavallo is well-known for research on the pineal gland and its hormone melatonin, particularly in relation to human puberty.

In 1992, Dr. Cavallo joined Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and its Division of General and Community pediatrics. Her current clinical activities include primary care pediatrics, inpatient generalist attending, teaching medical students and residents.

Dr. Cavallo's current research activities include three projects on therapeutic use of melatonin:

To help workers adapt to shift change
To treat disordered sleep rhythm in children and adolescents with blindness
To examine the effect of melatonin on blood pressure in adolescents with type I diabetes
Night Float Can Affect Resident Performance and Patient Safety

Credentials

M.D.: University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil , 1964.

Residency: Pediatrics, 1966; Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil; Coordinated Pediatrics Residency, 1969; Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Mass.

Fellowship: Pediatric Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Mass., 1972.

Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, 1972; Pediatric Endocrinology, American Board of Pediatrtics, 1983.

Research

Melatonin, shift work, circadian rhythms.

Publications, Most Recent

Carskadon, M.A.A.; Bearpark, H.M.; Sharkey, K.M.; Millman, R.P.; Rosenberg, C.; Cavallo, A.; Carlisle, C.; Acebo, C.:Effects of menopause and nasal occlusion on breathing during sleep.American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 1997; 155:205-210.

Books, Chapters, Other

Cavallo, A.: Is there a role for melatonin in children? In Pineal Update: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Implications. PJD Publications Ltd., Westbury, N.Y.: 1997; p.p. 235-244.

Cavallo, A.: Melatonin: Myth vs. fact.Contemporary Pediatrics, 1997; 14:71-84.

Cavallo, A. Melatonin: Commentary. Surv Ophthalmol 42:291 (invited commentary on the article "Claims in the popular media are mostly nonsense" by Arendt, J., published in British Medical Journal, 1997; 312:1242-1243, 1996).

Cavallo A.: Are referrals to pediatric endocrinologists a thing of the past? Book review, Practical Algorithms in Pediatric Endocrinology, Ze'ev Hochberg (ed), Basel, Karger. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 10, 423-425.

Special Interests

Teaching primary care pediatrics, particularly growth and pubertal maturation; clinical research.Grants

Principal Investigator, "Intervention to Mitigate Adverse Effects of Shift Work", DHHS/CDC/NIOSH R18 OH03533-01, Sept. 1, 1998-Aug. 31, 2001.

Effect of Melatonin on Blood Pressure in Type I Diabetes, American Heart Association Southern and Ohio Valley Research Consortium, July 1, 2000-June 30, 2001, Principal Investigator, research related, peer reviewed.

Presentations

Cavallo, A.: Re-engineering a Pediatric Primary Care Center in an Academic Children's Hospital. Presented at the Pre-Conference at the Society for Ambulatory Care Professionals/American Hospital Association annual Meeting; 1997; St. Louis, Mo.

Cavallo, A.: Visual Pathways and Circadian Rhythms: The Melatonin Connection. Presented at The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute; Oct. 22, 1998; San Francisco, Calif.

Cavallo, A.: Growth Chart Evaluation. Presented at a Lecture Series, Department of Family Medicine Residency Program; Nov. 12, 1998; University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Professional Organizations

Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society; The Endocrine Society; International Society for Chronobiology; American Academy of
Pediatrics; Ambulatory Pediatric Association.