Lori Christ, MD
Areas of expertise: Neonatology
Locations: Main Building, Middleman Family Pavilion, CHOP at Penn Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
About Lori Christ, MD
Lori Christ, MD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, the Director of Neonatology and Newborn Services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), and a member of the Division of Neonatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She provides clinical service in the Neonatal/Infant Intensive Care Unit at CHOP as well as the Intensive Care and Well Baby Nurseries at HUP. She has been recognized for excellence in clinical care and teaching, including the Faculty Teacher of the Year by CHOP pediatric residents, as well as with the Penn Medicine Patient Advocacy Award.
In addition to her current administrative roles, Dr. Christ is Vice Chair for Quality and Safety for CPUP Neonatology. As such, she oversees quality and patient safety initiatives for well and critically ill newborns at HUP. Current and past initiatives have addressed growth failure in premature infants, implementation of the early onset neonatal sepsis calculator, improving rates of central line associated blood stream infection, reducing disparities in breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity, and promoting kangaroo care in the NICU. Her work has been recognized locally at CHOP and Penn Medicine and disseminated through national presentations and peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Christ also mentors neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows with an interest in quality improvement, reducing disparities in neonatal healthcare, health care innovation, and implementation science.
Dr. Christ is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed a residency in General Pediatrics and a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also a graduate of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Improvement Advisor program.
Titles
Attending Physician
Medical Director, Intensive Care Nursery, Penn Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Certifications
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics
Editorial and Academic Positions
Academic and institutional committees
2013-present, Cue Based Feeding Committee, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
2013-present, Medication and Nutrition Committee, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
2013-present, Neonatal Sedation Consensus Committee
2012-present, Neonatal Medication Management Committee
2011-present, Transport Committee, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Internship
Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Residency
Pediatrics - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship
Neonatology - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Additional Training
General Clinical Research Fellowship - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Publications
Publications
2025
Burris HH, Darden N, Power M, Walker L, Ledyard R, Reiter J, Lewey J, Trout KK, Tan M, Gregory EF, DeMauro SB, Lorch SA, Christ L, Handley SC, Montoya-Williams D, Durnwald C.: Postpartum Care in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (PeliCaN) - a Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM in press. , April 2025.
Leitner K, Cutri-French C, Mandel A, Christ L, Koelper N, McCabe M, Seltzer E, Scalise L, Colbert JA, Dokras A, Rosin R, Levine L: A Conversational Agent Using Natural Language Processing for Postpartum Care for New Mothers: Development and Engagement Analysis. JMIR AI 4(e58454), April 2025.
Stringer M, Lazzeri J, Giordano NA, Polomano RC, Quigley E, Ohnishi BR, Fray M, Dunlevey E, Hoffman R. and Christ L.: An Evidence-Based Safe Sleep Program Is Associated With Less Infant Sleep-Related Deaths. Worldv Evid-Based Nu. 22(e70022.), May 2025.
Seshadri N, Christ L, Munson D, Borowiec A, Ren CL, Shenoy A. : Neonatology providers need education about cystic fibrosis newbornscreening algorithms. Int Jour Neo Screen epub ahead of print, 2025.
2024
Peebles PJ, Christ L, Flibotte J, Presser L, Carr LH.: Standardizing neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy evaluation and documentation practices. J Perinatol Feb 2024 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-01916-4.
Devlin L, Hu Z, Merhar S, Ounpraseuth S, Simon A, Lee J, Das A, Crawford M, Greenberg R, Smith PB, Higgins R, Walsh M, Rise W, Paul D, Maxwell J, Fung C, Wright T, Ross J, McAllister J, Crowley M, Shaikh S, Christ L, Brown J, Riccio J, Ramsey K, Braswell E, Tucker L, McAlmon K, Dummula K, Weiner J, White J, Newman S, Snowden J, Young L; for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Neonatal Research Network and NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program Institutional Development Award States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network: Influence of Eat, Sleep, and Console on Infants Pharmacologically Treated for Opioid Withdrawal. JAMA Pediatr. April 2024.
Osborne AD, Worsley D, Cullen C, Martin A, Christ L. : Enhancing NICU care and communication: Perspectives of moderately preterm infant parents. Pediatrics Page: e2023064419, May 2024.
Merhar SL, Hu Z, Devlin LA, Ounpraseuth ST, Simon AE, Smith PB, Walsh MC, Lee JY, Das A, Higgins RD, Crawford MM, Rice W, Paul DA, Maxwell JR, Telang SD, Fung CM, Wright T, Reynolds AM, Hahn D, Ross J, McAllister JM, Crowley M, Shaikh SK, Christ L, Brown J, Riccio J, Wong Ramsey K, Braswell EF, Tucker L, McAlmon K, Dummula K, Weiner J, White JR, Howell MP, Newman S, Snowden JN, Young LW: Infant Feeding and Weight Trajectories in the Eat, Sleep, Console Trial: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr Aug 2024.
2023
Young LW, Ounpraseuth ST, Merhar SL, Hu Z, Simon AE, Bremer AA, Lee JY, Das A, Crawford MM, Greenberg RG, Smith PB, Poindexter BB, Higgins RD, Walsh MC, Rice W, Paul DA, Maxwell JR, Telang S, Fung CM, Wright T, Reynolds AM, Hahn DW, Ross J, McAllister JM, Crowley M, Shaikh SK, Puopolo KM, Christ L, Brown J, Riccio J, Wong Ramsey K, Akshatha, Braswell EF, Tucker L, McAlmon KR, Dummula K, Weiner J, White JR, Howell MP, Newman S, Snowden JN, Devlin LA; ACT NOW Collaborative. : Eat, Sleep, Console Approach or Usual Care for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal. N Engl J Med 388: 2326-2337, April 2023.
Dhudasia MB, Benitz WE, Flannery DD, Christ L, Rub D, Remaschi G, Puopolo KM, Mukhopadhyay S. : Diagnostic performance and patient outcomes with C-reactive protein Use in early-onset sepsis evaluations. J Pediatr. 256: 98-104, May 2023.
Lazzeri J, Giordano N, Christ L, Polomano R, Stringer M.: Hats off for full-term healthy newborns: No benefits for thermoregulation. J Perinat Neonat Nurs Oct 2023.