Research

Within first three months of starting fellowship, all fellows are required to complete relevant IRB directed educational modules and obtain an IRB account. Before the end of first year of fellowship, fellow is expected to identify a research mentor, establish Scholarship Oversight Committee, and submit an IRB protocol.

SOC committee should meet every 4-6 months and submit minutes to the program. All fellows are supported to present their research data at national meetings. Fellows must produce one first author publication in a Pubmed indexed peer reviewed journal or submit a major work product to the program and ABP to be ABP board eligible.

Historically all our fellows have presented at national meetings and have had more than one publication. See recent fellow national presentations and publications.

Research Interests of Current Fellows

We are very excited to welcome our 3 new fellows starting July 2022: Shafa Eloud, MD, Diane Kelly, MD, and Ngum Ngwa, MD.

Ragesh Nair, MD (2021-2024)
1) Projects: Antenatal sonographic and Neonatal Clinical Predictors in Coarctation of Aorta

Mohamed Mansour, MD (2021-2024)
1) Projects: Association between thrombocytopenia and ROP
Mentor: Dr. Mohamed Mohamed

Noor Asi, MD (2020-2023)
Projects:
1) Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome and Hyperphagia
2) Body composition and gut microbiome in infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
3) QI: Phlebotomy loss in VLBW infants
Mentors: Drs. Deepak Kumar/Prabhu Parimi; Kim Saradakis, RN

Afeez Adisa, MD, MRCP (2020-2023)
Projects:
1) Tryptophan Metabolism in Very Low Birthweight infants- Prospective cohort study
2) QI: Care bundles utilization for extreme preterm infants
Mentors: Prabhu Parimi, MD; Kim Saradakis, RN

Shaffeque Kunhiabdullah, MD (2020-2023)
Projects
1) Characterizing cPAP devices, measuring tidal volume needed for PEEP valve to function, and characterizing the RAM canula performance.
Mentor: Sammour Ibrahim, MD
2) QI Project: Administration of antibiotics within 60 minutes post-birth
Mentors: Prabhu Parimi, MD; Kim Saradakis

Marwa Elgendy, MD (2019-2022)
Projects:
1) Gut microbiome, NIRS during hemodynamic instability
Mentor: Hany Aly, MD
2) QI: Hand hygiene revisited
Mentors: Prabhu Parimi, MD; Kim Saradakis, RN

Naveen Kannekanti, MD (2019-2022)
Projects:
1) ROP, Role of HIF in ROP
Mentor: Jonathan Sears, MD, Prem Shekhawat, MD
2) QI: Cord blood sampling for initial sepsis work up at birth in preterm infants admitted to NICU
Mentors: Prabhu Parimi, MD; Kim Saradakis, RN

Ibrahim Qattea, MD (2019-2022)
Projects:
1) Nasal CPAP and oral feeding
Mentor: Hany Aly, MD
2) QI: Evaluation of interventions made in management of therapeutic hypothermia for HIE
Mentors: Prabhu Parimi, MD; Kim Saradakis, RN

Research Interests of Recent Fellow Graduates

Stacey Ramey, MD (2018-2021)
Project: 1. Targeted fortification of human breast milk; 2. Hyperphagia in infants with NAS
Mentor: 1. Sharon Groh-Wargo, PhD, Stephanie Merlino, RD; 2. Prabhu Parimi, MD

Mathavan Sivarajah, MD (2018-2021)
Project: Effect of glucocorticoids on retinal vascularization.
Mentor: Prem Shekhawat, MD, Johnathan Sears, MD

Zaineh Aljanini, MD (2017-2020)
Project: Effect of TPN duration on body composition in VLBW infants, Enhanced anthropometry
Mentor: Sharon Groh-Wargo, PhD

Juan Guillen-Hernandez, MD (2017-2020)
Project: 1. Dexmedetomidine use in Preterm Infants: benefits and concerns. Should it be first line therapy? 2. Neonatal outcomes in isolated neonatal acidemia.
Mentor: 1. Ricardo Rodriquez, MD; 2. Kelly Gibson, MD. John Moore, MD

Swetha Padiyar, MD (2017-2020)
Project: Role of conventional EEG in children with congenital heart disease undergoing surgical repair and its relationship with long term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Mentor: Hany Aly, MD, Pestina Knight, MD

Indrani Bhattacharjee, MD (2017-2020)
Project: Use of functional brain MRI to investigate brain injury and neurodevelopment outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease.
Mentor: Hany Aly, MD

MetroHealth Neonatology Faculty: Current Areas of Interest

MetroHealth Biostatistics Faculty in Pediatrics

Aparna Roy, M.D., MPH; Pediatric Critical Care
Stephanie Merlino MS, RD, LD.

In addition to the Neonatology faculty at MetroHealth, fellow mentors are available in Pediatrics, other Clinical and Basic Science Departments of CWRU and MetroHealth. Recent examples include mentors from Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, Nephrology, Endocrinology, Pharmacology, Ophthalmology involving clinical, translational and basic science laboratory-based research.

Research Facilities

Clinical Research Unit
An NIH-funded, six-bed Clinical Research Unit (CRU) at Metro Health Medical Center, equipped with an exercise lab; body composition lab (newborns); and a general core laboratory is available to investigators. Technician and nursing support (research nurses) for funded and unfunded clinical studies.

Cell & Molecular Biology Laboratory

Drs. Moore and Kumar Research Lab
Dr. Prem Shekhawat lab with focus on endocrinology of the neonate.
Dr. Timur Azhibekov

Small Animal Operating Facility and Animal Quarters
This animal research facility is housed on the grounds of MetroHealth Medical Center.

Computer Facilities
All laboratories have personal computers that are available for use by fellows. All of these computers have a word processor, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Sigma Plot, Sigma Stat, and SPSS software. The fellows' offices also have computers with access to statistical software and access to electronic libraries.

MetroHealth Research Institute & Research Laboratories at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Two large State-of-the Art Research Laboratories at MetroHealth System (on Campus) and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (nearby) are available to all MetroHealth Trainees to access mentors/facilities to do laboratory based or clinical research.