Department of Pediatrics Sections & Programs
The Department of Pediatrics is comprised of 16 sections with more than 80 faculty engaged in teaching, research, and patient care services. We invite you to learn more about each section’s faculty, research, education, and training programs.
The period of adolescence is a time of rapid growth, development, and change. The Section of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago recognizes that there may be distinct challenges during this time period, and we strive to address the unique needs of young people aged 12-22 by offering a full range of comprehensive healthcare services. We are committed to providing accessible, respectful, affirming, and individualized care to the youth and families we serve.
Adolescent Medicine is a specialized branch of Pediatrics. Our faculty are board certified in managing the complex issues of adolescents and young adults. We have extensive experience in understanding and treating both physical and emotional problems in a comprehensive manner, with special attention toward sensitive and open communication.
Meet the team:
Bernstein, Karen, MD, MPH
Chief, Section of Adolescent Medicine
Director, Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Training Program
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Scott-Wellington, Felicia, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Klein, Jonathan D., MD, MPH
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Savithri and Samuel Raj Endowed Professor
Executive Vice Head, Department of Pediatrics
Anthony, Inger, CPNP, APRN, DNP
Nurse Practitioner
Affiliated Faculty:
Simpson, Karen, MD
Cook County Health
Clinical Assistant Professor
Our cardiologists offer specialized treatment for congenital heart disorders and heart diseases. When surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, ribs, or esophagus are necessary, our cardiothoracic surgeons use the most advanced techniques available to ensure the most successful outcomes possible. Our team collaborates with neighboring institutions to maintain excellence in care.
Our cardiologists are skilled in non-invasive interventional service. They helped to develop new technologies including ultrafast cardiac scan using EBT (electron beam tomography. This technology allows doctors to make accurate diagnosis and perform interventional procedures at outpatient settings.
Meet the Team:
Javois, Alexander, MD
Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiology
Clinical Associate Professor
Varga, Peter, MD
Associate Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiology
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Imran, Naveen, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Sueblinvong, Vithida, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Elwart, Kristin, DNP, MS, NP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
The Section of Pediatric Critical Care provides coverage of the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Children’s Hospital University of Illinois (CHUI) within the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. The PICU is a busy medical/surgical unit with capacity to cover a broad range of critical illnesses and/or complex diseases in infants, children, and adolescents.
We are recognized as one of only a few PICUs approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as a certified Pediatric Critical Care Center (PCCC) in the state of Illinois. Our PICU is staffed by highly skilled nursing and ancillary specialists who, along with board certified/eligible physicians, are dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate care.
Critical Care is among the services shared in the CCH (Cook County Health) / UI Health Partnership for Pediatric Care that was announced in 2021. Participating faculty at both institutions are cross-credentialed and onboarded to provide their expertise in the care of critically ill pediatric patients at John H. Stroger Children’s Hospital of Cook County and Children’s Hospital University of Illinois.
Meet the team:
Cortez, Edmundo, MD, MHA
Chief, Section of Pediatric Critical Care
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Wang, Jenny, MD
Medical Director, PICU
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Harding, Meghan, DO
Assistant Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Akintorin, Abayomi, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Oranu, Chinedu, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Affiliated Faculty:
Ardilla, Silvia, MD
Cook County Health
Clinical Assistant Professor
Sulayman, Naseem, MD
Cook County Health
Clinical Assistant Professor
Our research faculty includes developmental biologists, lung researchers, vascular biologists, and neurobiologists. The faculty have NIH-funded laboratories, and our senior investigators (Drs. Reddy, Raj, and Chauhan) have had over 36 years of independent NIH and VA-funded research and are leaders in their field. The current ongoing research focuses on providing new insights into the complex physiology and pathology of childhood and adult diseases, some of which originate in the fetus and newborn. We use preclinical models to develop new therapies and identify biomarkers for devastating lung diseases such as chronic lung disease of infancy and chronic pulmonary hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In addition, there is active collaborative research ongoing with faculty in and outside UIC.
Meet the team:
Reddy, Sekhar, PhD
Chief, Section of Developmental Biology & Basic Research
Professor of Pediatrics and Pathology
Raj, Usha, MD, MHA
Anjuli S. Nayak Endowed Professor of Pediatrics
Professor, Departments of Physiology & Biophysics, Pharmacology, and Anatomy & Cell Biology
Chauhan, Neelima, PhD
Research Associate Professor
Chen, Tianji, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Ramasamy, Jagadeesh, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Tamatam, Chandra Mohan, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Profoundly respected for its high quality clinical, educational and research programs, the UIC Pediatric Residency and Fellowship programs continue to grow and attract top candidates from across the country. We have 39 pediatric resident trainees, 16 med-peds residents, and fellowships in four pediatric subspecialties (adolescent medicine, endocrinology, hematology-oncology, and neonatology).
Drawn to expanding opportunities for mentoring from high-profile faculty and a clerkship program ranked as the best at UIC College of Medicine, medical students, residents, and fellows receive a training experience that goes far beyond other hospital systems. Hands-on community outreach provides real insight into caring for the pediatric population of the south and west sides of Chicago. Our graduates are in great demand, consistently matching to outstanding fellowship programs, joining successful pediatric practices in the community, and pursuing careers in academic or hospitalist medicine.
The Division of Endocrinology at the Children’s Hospital of the University of Illinois is committed to the treatment of children and adolescents with endocrine disorders. The endocrine team includes board certified pediatric endocrinologists, a pediatric nurse practitioner, certified diabetes educators, and a registered dietitian. The diabetes program at Children’s Hospital has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association for diabetes education.
Our areas of expertise include treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, metabolic syndrome, growth disorders, and disorders of calcium metabolism, thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands.
Our full term faculty and staff participate in clinical care, teaching and research. The team provides inpatient care at the Children’s Hospitals NICU, PICU and pediatric floors. As faculty members, our endocrinologists also provide education and instruction to medical students and residents.
We are dedicated to improving the well-being, both medically and psychologically, of our patients and their families. In doing so, we make it our priority to get the family involved in the diagnosis, management and treatment of the different pediatric endocrine diagnoses.
Meet the Team:
Claudia Boucher-Berry, MD
Chief, Section of Endocrinology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Roxana Aguirre, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program
Debara Preston, MSN, APRN, PNP, CDCES
Ruth Melgoza-Walker, RN, CDCES
Jessica Garcia, RN
Marla Solomon, RD, LDN, CDCES
Aparna Bindiganavle, NP, DNP
Affiliated Faculty:
Vanessa Davis, MD
Cook County Health
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Harini Kolluri, MD
Cook County Health
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Meet the team:
Berman, James MD
Chief, Section of Gastroenterology;
Clinical Assistant Professor
Esperanza Garcia, Alvarez MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Gorla, Kiran MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Gunasekaran, TS MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Our physicians, nursing staff and other skilled professionals offer primary and specialized health care for children from birth through puberty and on to young adulthood. Preventive care is important to us, so we help you keep immunizations up to date and watch for potential problems as your child grows and develops. We treat common childhood illnesses, such as sore throats and ear infections, and will link you with expert resources for more serious problems. Because we specialize in care for kids, we do everything we can to make their experience and yours as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
Meet the team:
Hupert, Jordan MD
Chief, Section of General Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Affiliated Faculty:
Botchway, Pamela, MD
Cook County Health
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Arcia Diaz, Rosibell, MD
Cook County Health
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
We provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and clinical evaluation services and treatment for children and adults who have birth defects and genetic disorders. Services also include: genetic counseling; carrier testing; and prenatal diagnosis for prospective parents. We have an on-site comprehensive diagnostic biochemical and molecular genetics laboratory to provide fast, reliable diagnosis and treatment. We have an active newborn screen follow up program for inborn errors of metabolism funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
We provide genetics education for pediatric house staff, medical students, and genetic counseling students.
Meet the Team:
Giampietro, Philip, MD PhD FACMG
Professor and Chief, Section of Pediatric Genetics
Bhat, Gifty, MD, FACMG
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to children and adolescents with cancer, leukemia, sickle cell disease hemophilia, and other blood disorders–we are part of the Children’s Oncology Group. As a member of the UIC Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, we provide complete diagnostics, treatment, counseling and support services for families with sickle cell disease and related blood disorders.
Meet The Team:
Schmidt, Mary Lou MD
Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology;
Professor
Hsu, Lewis MD
Director of Pediatric Sickle Cell Center;
Professor
Hentea, Cristiana MD
Instructor of Pediatrics
Affiliated Faculty:
Dighe, Dipti, MD
Cook County Health
Clinical Assistant Professor
Pediatric infectious disease specialists take care of children who have diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These serious–sometimes life-threatening–diseases can be especially difficult to treat in children but our doctors are thoughtful and caring. The pediatric infectious disease team works in collaboration with physicians in the pediatric inpatient units, pediatric ICU, NICU, and clinics. They have a specialized clinic for children with acute and chronic infections, including HIV and other viruses, osteomyelitis, lymphadenitis, tuberculosis, and fever of unknown origin. They are involved in research projects including an observational study of the safety and immunogenicity of COVID vaccines administered during pregnancy or postpartum, as well as quality improvement projects.
Meet the team:
Hayani, Karen C., MD
Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases;
Associate Professor
Frank, Arthur L. MD
Associate Professor
Kreppel, Andrew, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Affiliated Faculty:
Jacobs, Norman, MD
Cook County Health
Clinical Assistant Professor
The Division of Neonatology at the University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to the academic missions of education, research, and patient care. Our full time faculty and staff participate in clinical care, teaching, and research. The neonatal service at UIC is a tertiary care center and serves as the Regional Center of Excellence for neonatal care. We offer both primary and specialized care to a large high-risk in-born population as well as out-born babies who are transported in from our immediate community. As a state designated Perinatal Center, our services include a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for premature newborns and infants with special health needs. Because of exceptional perinatal services and our top-notch nursing care, our Center serves as a referral destination for critically ill newborns from other hospitals in Illinois. Our High Risk infant follow-up clinic is located in our Out patient clinic and is staffed by our Neonatologists.
The clinical program is centered at the University Medical Center, which includes a 54 bed neonatal intensive care unit, and the normal mother-newborn nursery. We have a highly skilled transport team available for ground transport.
The Division’s educational programs include a neonatology fellowship training program, responsibility for pediatric house-staff education, lectures provided for medical students, lectures and bedside training for Pediatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, and a variety of regularly scheduled conferences that are available for our community neonatologists for CME credit.
The Division of Pulmonary and Developmental Biology research within the department houses an active research program in basic research. Our neonatal fellows can participate in research with several investigators in this division. In addition, there is active ongoing clinical research within the division. The research programs are supported by grants and contracts from a variety of agencies including the National Institutes of Health, American Lung Association, American Heart Association and Industry.
Meet the team:
De-Ann M. Pillers, MD, PhD, FAAP
Dharmapuri Vidyasagar Professor
Head, Section of Neonatology
Program Director, Fellowship Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Vice-Head for Academics, Department of Pediatrics
Co-Director, UIC-IDPH Perinatal Administrative Center, University of Illinois, Chicago
Email: [email protected]
Aarti Raghavan, MD, FAAP, MS (PSL)
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Medical Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Director, Quality and Safety Pediatrics
Program Director, Patient Safety Leadership Programs – Department of Medical Education
Email: [email protected]
Rena Linderer, DO
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Email: [email protected]
Lily Lou, MD, FAAP
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Chair, AAP-Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Director of Government Relations
Assistant Co-director for Neonatology, UIC-IDPH Administrative Perinatal Center
Email: [email protected]
Saurabhkumar Patel, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Director for Neonatal Simulation
Director of the Medical Student (M3) NICU Rotation
Email: [email protected]
Phornphat (Paul) Rasamimari, MD, MPH, FAAP
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Director of NICU Follow Up Program
Director of Neonatology for Labor and Delivery
Email: [email protected]
Joann Romano-Keeler, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Director of Neonatal Transport Service
Assistant Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program
Email: [email protected]
Nishant Srinivasan, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Simulations, Pediatrics
Director of Neonatal Palliative Care
Associate Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program
Email: [email protected]
Arvind Shukla, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Email: [email protected]
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) clinical and administrative perinatal centers are located within the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. This brings together academia, clinical research, and advanced clinical services in one location. All of the major health care professions including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health, and public health are located in one place. UI Health and ambulatory clinics are equipped with the latest technology and are staffed with highly trained personnel. As a result of this rich mix of expertise and advanced technology, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is able to provide sophisticated sub-specialty care 24/7 and is an ideal site for the referral of high risk pregnancies and high risk neonates.
UIC has been an active participant in the development, implementation, and ongoing administration of the Regionalized Perinatal Program in Illinois since the late 1970s. From the inception of perinatal regionalization, UIC has had a continuous record of active involvement in improving outcomes for pregnancies and neonates by providing progressive care and improving care within its network of hospitals through the provision of exemplary professional education, program implementation, and quality monitoring.
The UIC Children’s Kidney Center of Illinois offers comprehensive services to children and adolescents with kidney and urological medical problems. The Preventive Pediatric Renal, Cardiac, and Hypertension Clinic focuses on early intervention for children with kidney diseases. Special focus is on conditions that contribute to kidney problems (such as high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus). Services also include dialysis and kidney transplantation. Treatment includes family education on dietary management, exercise and drug therapy.
Meet the team:
Czech, Kimberly MD
Chief, Section of Nephrology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Krishnan, Sonia MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
The section of Pediatric Neurology at UIC provides diagnosis and treatment services for children with nervous system problems, including epilepsy and headaches, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and other brain disorders.
Our pediatric neurologists some of the most advanced, comprehensive care available for all types of neurological disorders, and we have Centers of Excellence dedicated to several conditions.
Meet the team:
Ahmad, Saba, MD
Chief, Section of Neurology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Mata-Machado, Nikolas, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Yoshii, Akira, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
The Department of Pediatrics Clinical Population and Behavioral Health Program is an innovative health and behavioral healthcare delivery organization working to improve overall health and quality of life by ensuring that our patients and their families receive resources and care they need. Our mission is to improve the behavioral, physical, and social health of the diverse population we serve.
The Section of Pediatric Pulmonary, Allergy-Immunology, and Sleep Medicine offers extensive services for evaluation and management of acute and chronic respiratory diseases, allergies (food and environmental), primary and secondary immune deficiencies, and sleep disorders. We provide allergy tests by skin prick test, blood test, and food challenge. Our team provides an individualized action plan and comprehensive patient education. The UI Health Sleep Science Center provides diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment for children with sleep disorders.
Our team includes board-certified physicians in Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy-Immunology, and Pediatric Sleep Medicine; nurses; and pharmacists. Our comprehensive asthma program focuses on preventive care to minimize visits to emergency rooms, unplanned doctors’ office visits, hospitalizations, and school absenteeism.
Meet the team:
Kumar, Harsha, MD, MBA
Chief, Section of Pediatric Pulmonary, Allergy/Immunology, Sleep
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Adavadkar, Pranshu, MD
Director of Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Subspecialty: Pediatric Sleep Medicine
Muniyappa, Pravin, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Subspecialty: Allergy/Immunology
Park, Lucy C., MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Subspecialty: Allergy/Immunology
Vardhan, Sindhuja H., MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Subspecialty: Pediatric Pulmonary
Smith, Maureen, APRN
Nurse Practitioner
Subspecialty: Pediatric Sleep Medicine
Lee, Tamika, BA
Section Coordinator
Pediatric Rheumatologist’s are physicians who have further specialized training in the treatment of children and adolescents afflicted with many autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases arising during childhood. Many of these diseases can result in significant disability and require close care to preserve function and minimize issues. At times we work with many other subspecialties providing comprehensive care to these patients and their families.
Meet the team:
Nissim Stolberg, DO
Section Chief, Pediatric Rheumatology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Arzu Soybilgic, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Rehabilitation Services at UIC treat all sorts of disabilities brought on by every imaginable cause. We provide intensive and comprehensive rehabilitation services so our patients and their families return home feeling restored and ready to live an active life.
Meet the team:
Ahmad, Saba, MD
Chief, Section of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Affiliated Faculty:
Martinez, Maria G., MD
Shriners Children’s
Mukherjee, Shubhra, MD
Shriners Children’s