Kelly C. Byars, PsyD
Title
Pediatric Psychologist
Appointment
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Email
kelly.byars@cchmc.org
Phone
513-636-4336
Fax
513-636-7756
Bio
Kelly C. Byars, PsyD, is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Byars is a pediatric behavioral psychologist who specializes in behavioral assessment and treatment of children with acute and chronic medical conditions. His primary areas of interest are pediatric sleep disorders, pediatric dysphagia and pediatric elimination disorders. Dr. Byars directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Cincinnati Children's. He is also involved in the clinical training of postdoctoral fellows and residents.
Dr. Byars' research interests are closely tied to his clinical practice. Dr. Byars has published research focusing on a number pediatric illness groups including feeding disorders, cardiac illness, cancer, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and insulin-dependent diabetes. Dr. Byars collaborates with other investigators at Cincinnati Children's. His current research efforts are focused on improving behavioral assessment and treatment strategies for children with sleep and feeding disorders.
Dr. Byars received his PsyD from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology in Atlanta, GA. He completed an internship in Pediatric Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Cincinnati Children's. Dr. Byars joined the faculty of Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in July 2000.
Credentials
PsyD: Georgia School of Professional Psychology, Atlanta, GA, 1998
Residency: Clinical Psychology / Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Fellowship: Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2000.
Research
Pediatric Sleep Disorders; Pediatric Dysphagia
Research Grants and Contracts
Consultant, Autism Speaks, Cincinnati Children's - Autism Treatment Network (PI: Patty Manning, M.D., Co-PI: Cindy Molloy) (5% time January 2008 – December 2010)
Co-Investigator, Sepracor, Inc., The Use of Pharmacotherapy to Treat Pediatric Insomnia in Hospitalized Patients (PIs: Jodi Mindell, Ph.D. and Lisa Meltzer, Ph.D.) (funded October 2004) (Direct Costs: $32,167).
Publications, Most Recent
Meltzer L, Mindell J, Owens J, Byars KC. The Use of Sleep Medications in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients.Pediatrics 2007;119(6):1047–55.
Powers SW, Mitchell MJ, Patton SR, Byars KC, Jelalian E, Mulvihill MM, Hovell MF, Stark LJ. Mealtime behaviors of infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis.J Cystic Fibrosis 2005;4(3):175-82.
Walz NC, Beebe D, Byars K. Sleep in individuals with angelman syndrome: parent perceptions of patterns and problems.Am J Mental Retardation 2005;110(4):243-52.
Patton SR, Dolan L, Mitchell MJ, Byars KC, Standiford D, Powers SW. Mealtime interactions in families of preschoolers with type 1 diabetes.Pediatric Diabetes 2004;5:190–8.
Mitchell MJ, Powers SW, Byars KC, Dickstein S, Stark LJ. Family functioning in young children with cystic fibrosis: observations of interactions at mealtime.J Dev Behav Ped 2004;25:335-46.
Abstracts, Most Recent
Byars AW, Byars KC, Johnson CS, Fastenau PS, Dunn DW, Austin JK. The Relationship between Sleep Problems and Cognition in Children with New Onset Seizures. Epilepsia 2006;47(s4):378.
Meltzer L, Mindell J, Owens J, Byars KC. The Use of Pharmacotherapy to Treat Pediatric Insomnia in Hospitalized Patients. Poster presented at the Annual Conference on Child Health Psychology, Gainesville, Florida, April, 2006.
Meltzer L, Mindell J, Owens J, Byars KC. Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia in Pediatric Inpatients. Platform presentation at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, Salt Lake City Utah, June, 2006.
Beebe D, Amin R, Kalra M, Byars KC. Sleep Research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Presentation at Research Blitz Session at the 1st annual conference on Pediatric Sleep Medicine: Priorities for Research, Patient Care, Policy and Education; February 2005; Amelia Island, FL.
Book Chapters
Byars KC, Amin R. (In press). Fatigue and Sleep Disorders. In G. Slapp (Ed.), Adolescent Medicine: The Requisites in Pediatrics. Philadelphia: Elsevier Press.
Byars KC, Roddenberger W, Brown RT. (1999). Munchausen syndrome by proxy. In C.A. Smith (Ed.), The encyclopedia of parenting theory and research. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Professional Organization Memberships
Teaching
CCHMC Pediatric Grand Rounds, January 15, 2008: Simakajornboon, N., Byars, K.C., & Beebe, D. Sleep Disorders: What they are, why you should care, and what you can do
In-service training to Interdisciplinary Feeding at CCHMC, September 4, 2007: Byars, K.C. The role of psychology in evaluating and managing persistent feeding problems in chronically ill children
Didactic for O'Grady Residents, July 9, 2007: Byars, K.C. Overview of empirically supported guidelines for evaluation and treatment of elimination, feeding, and sleep disorders in children
O'Grady Residency in Psychology Training Colloquium, June 4, 2007: Byars, K.C. Barriers to Adherence in PAP treatment for children with OSA
In-service training to Division of Urology at CCHMC, May 2, 2007: Byars, K.C. The role of psychology in treating voiding dysfunction
Great Lakes Conference on Child Health, April 28, 2007: Byars, K.C. The three-headed monster: balancing clinical, research, and teaching roles
CCHMC Sleep Medicine Rounds, March 8, 2007: Byars, K.C. Pediatric Sleep Disorders: Everything But OSA……Sort Of
Lead task force established to evaluate and redesign evaluation process (including supervisor evaluation forms) for clinical supervision, O'Grady Residency in Psychology (2006).
Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Invited Lecture, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "Pediatric Sleep Disorders" (February 2007)
Lecture to Sleep Core Conference, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "Inorganic disorders of sleep in Children" (January 2007)
Pediatric Resident Noon Lecture, Invited Lecture, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "Pediatric Sleep Disorders" (June 2006)
Jump Start Clinical Training: lecture to psychology residents regarding clinical assessment and treatment of pediatric sleep disorders and pediatric elimination disorders (July 2006).
Lecture and Clinical Training Series to Pediatric Primary Care Residents, "Behavioral Parent Training for the Pediatric Primary Care Physician" (July/August 2006).
Lecture to Sleep Core Conference, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "Nosology of Sleep Disorders" (September 2005)
Lecture and Clinical Training Series to Pediatric Primary Care Residents, "Behavioral Parent Training for the Pediatric Primary Care Physician" (July/August 2005).
Jump Start Clinical Training: lecture to psychology residents regarding clinical assessment and treatment of pediatric sleep disorders and pediatric elimination disorders (July 2005).
Lecture to Sleep Core Conference, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia" (February 2005)
Special Interests
Pediatric sleep disorders; pediatric feeding disorders; behavior and nutrition in pediatric chronic illness; pediatric pain management
Related Clinics
Related Areas
This person works in these other areas at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center:
