Research Project: Predictive Modeling of Extubation Readiness in Preterm Infants with Machine Learning
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: St Luke’s University Health Network, Bethlehem, PA
Evelyn Obregon
Primary Research Mentor: Stefanie Riddle, MD
Research Project: My fellowship project title is Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome and Neonatal AKI after SFLP
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Kathryn Satcher
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Shawn Ahlfeld
Research Project: Clinical Outcomes in Infants with Evolving/Established BPD Who Receive a Very Late Course of Low Versus Moderate Dose Dexamethasone
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Joshua Sheak
Primary Research Mentor: William Zacharias
Research Project: The Interaction of Perinatal Lung Injury and Corticosteroids in the Development of the Primate Lung
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Physician Scientist Development Program, Completing the Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Research Pathway during the 2025/2026 Academic year.
Patrick Smith
Primary Research Mentor: Paul Kingma, MD, PhD
Research Project: Fetal diffusion-weighted MRI to evaluate pulmonary development and pulmonary hypoplasia
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Stephanie Zhang
Primary Research Mentor: Ting Ting Fu
Research Project: Targeting Hormone Differences in Human Milk for Improving Growth in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Pediatrix Group, Texas
2024 Graduates
Jennifer Healy
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Stefanie Riddle
Research Project: Prenatal Repair of Myelomeningocele is Associated with Lower Need for Long-Term Feeding Support
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Kaitlyn Kelly
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Maria Barnes-Davis
Research Project: Screen time, reading, and the brain: a multimodal pilot study of neuroconnectivity and language in extremely preterm children and term peers.
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
Eric Raynal
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Ellen Lipstein
Research Project: Factors Parents Use in Decision-Making for Periviable Resuscitation
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
James (Andy) Rowe
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Paul Kingma
Research Project: Investigating Pulmonary Vascularity and Vascular Density in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Samantha Simpson
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Emily Miller
Research Project: Disparities in Prenatal Counseling and Decision-making Regarding Resuscitation in High-mortality Neonatal Populations
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Shelby Steinmeyer
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Hitesh Deshmukh
Research Project: Integrated analysis of a nonhuman primate model of chorioamnionitis identifies disrupted hematopoietic stem cell niche signaling relevant to human biology
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Louisville
2023 Graduates
Ekaterina (Kate) Dianova
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Paul Kingma
Research Project: Effect of Early Nutrition on BPD Severity and BPD phenotype
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Attending Neonatologist, Parkview Health
Rebecca Henkel
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Maria Barnes-Davis
Research Project: Effects of Early Enteral vs. Parenteral Protein on Somatic and Brain Growth
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Shipra Jain
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Nehal Parikh
Research Project: Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Risk of Eary Brain Abnormalities
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Divya Khattar
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Daniel Swarr
Research Project: PI3K Signaling Specifies Proximal-Distal Fate in Sox9+ Mouse Lung Progenitors
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky
Mike Zujkowski
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Sai Mukthapuram
Research Project: A Needs Assessment of Labor and Delivery Nurses Performing Delivery Room NRP
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, Tufts University
2022 Graduates
Faris Al-Gharibeh
Primary Research Mentor: Hector Wong
Research Project: Biomarkers of Neonatal Sepsis and Role of Olfactomedin-4 in Neonatal Immune Response
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Instructor, University of Cincinnati
Leah Fox
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Nehal Parikh
Research Project: The Effect of Skin-To-Skin Care in Very Preterm Infants on Brain MRI Abnormalities at Term-Equivalent Age.
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
Manisha Mills
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Laura Ward
Research Project: Predictors of Direct Breastfeeding in Preterm Infants
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Attending Neonatologist, Pediatrix Neonatology of Ohio at Southwest Ohio
Katelyn Seither
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Kristen Suhrie
Research Project: Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Infants with Down Syndrome
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Christa Tabacaru
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Merhar
Research Project: Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Predict Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Infants After Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Indu Varier
Primary Research Mentor: Michael Helmrath and Kurt Schibler
Research Project: H-Antigen Response to Antibiotic Stress in FUT2 Murine Model
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Attending Neonatologist, Pediatrix Neonatology of Ohio at Southwest Ohio
2021 Graduates
Stephanie Napolitano
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. James Greenberg
Research Project: Quantitative Analysis of Racial Bias and Care Experience for Mothers in Prenatal Care
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, Nationwide Children's Hospital
Maria Romero-Lopez
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Jose Pierro
Research Project: Role of Hypoxia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia in Rats
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Manan Shah
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Kevin Dufendach
Research Project: Using Machine Learning Technologies for Automated Detection of Correct Positioning of PICC Tip
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Instructor, Rutgers University
Maradith Skalak
Primary Research Mentor: Dr. Nehal Parikh
Research Project: Independent Predictive Value of Brain MRI Volumes for Developmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants.
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Assistant Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Timothy Wang
Primary Research Mentor: Hitesh Deshmukh
Research Project: Role of IL22 Role in Alveolar Repair and Regeneration in the Setting of Neonatal Bacterial Pneumonia.
First Position after Fellowship Graduation: Attending Neonatologist, Pediatrix Medical Group, Washington
