K Scholar, Alexandra Corley, MD, MPH, FAAP, assistant professor in the CCHMC Division of General and Community Pediatrics, was lead editor for a special issue containing a collection of articles about novel educational innovations focused on antiracism in the Journal of Academic Pediatrics. Dr. Corley led the process of the call for articles, article review/scoring/selection, and led our group of reviewers in composing corresponding narrative pieces that book-end the article collection. Click here for the full journal article. The journal has a podcast with an episode that highlights the special issue here.

K Scholar, Chidiogo Anyigbo, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the CCHMC Division of General and Community Pediatrics published as 3rd author in JAMA Peds "Behavior Problems in Low-Income Young Children Screened in Pediatric Primary Care." JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Oct 16. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.4229. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37843850) that has been featured on the CCHMC science blog.

Key points outlined in the article:

Question: What are the trajectories of emotional and behavioral adjustment among children 2 to 6 years of age visiting pediatric primary care and what variables are associated with differential courses?

Findings: Of 4 trajectory groups identified in this cohort study of 15 218 children, 3 reflected clinically elevated levels of emotional and behavioral problems over time. Relative to the nonelevated group, children in the elevated groups were more likely to be male, White, receive public insurance, and have a social need and a caregiver with depression.

Meaning: Differential patterns of trajectories over time underscore the importance of early identification of emotional and behavior problems in pediatric primary care; mitigation of social needs and depression among caregivers may lead to improved trajectories.

K Scholar Graduate, Arun Jose, MD, assistant professor, UC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, was awarded a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute K23 for his project entitled, "Biomarker Discovery in Portopulmonary Hypertension".

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) patients suffer from a cardiovascular disease with very high morbidity and mortality that occurs exclusively in those with underlying liver disease. Although both the incidence and prevalence of chronic liver disease and PoPH have been increasing, the mechanisms by which liver dysfunction leads to PoPH, the optimal markers of disease, and the best treatments to improve outcomes in this high-risk population, are all poorly developed. This work, focusing on dysregulated vascular endothelial growth factor signaling and hepatocellular dysfunction, addresses this urgent and growing clinical need by identifying and developing new biomarkers that will enable more accurate diagnosis, improved risk stratification, and more precise treatment for patients with PoPH, ultimately leading to improved clinical outcomes in this high-risk population.

Drs. Jones, Corley, and Cheng at the Cincinnati Children’s Inaugural Research Symposium

KL2 Scholar, Alexandra Corley, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the CCHMC Division of General and Community Pediatrics, was chosen to present at the Cincinnati Children’s Inaugural Research Symposium on May 5, 2023. Dr. Corley was joined by Academic General Pediatrics Fellow and mentee, Margaret Jones, MD.

Drs. Corley and Jones’s presentation was entitled, “Racial Inequities in Continuity of Care at Pediatric Academic Primary Care Clinics”, highlighting their important work of understanding structural barriers to provider continuity in primary care. Through their research, they found lower instances of continuity among Black patients in local primary care centers, reflecting structural barriers.

The CCTST KL2 Research Scholars Program is pleased to announce its new Associate Director, Moises Huaman, MD, MSc.

Dr. Huaman is a clinical and translational investigator trained in infectious diseases, immunology, and clinical epidemiology. He is associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Huaman’s research focuses on the interplay between infection, inflammation, and cardio-metabolic diseases, with a particular focus on the role of tuberculosis in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. He has experience conducting clinical and translational studies nationally and internationally, including observational and interventional trials to prevent and treat infections of global public health relevance such as tuberculosis, HIV, and COVID-19. Dr. Huaman is a former CCTST KL2 Scholar and currently serves as co-PI for the UC Infectious Diseases Research Unit. 

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Huaman and welcoming him to the team!