Mary C. Harris, MD

female silhouette icon
Dr. Mary Cay Harris is a professor of pediatrics, a specialist in neonatal-perinatal medicine, and a senior attending physician in the Division of Neonatology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: Neonatal sepsis, Biomarkers, Transcriptomics and metabolomics of sepsis, Early sepsis recognition and therapy
Locations: Main Hospital
Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

Mary Cay Harris, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending physician in the Division of Neonatology and in the Newborn Intensive Care unit at CHOP.  Dr. Harris attended medical school at Dartmouth Medical School, completed her residency training at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Harvard University, and received her fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Harris is a specialist in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. She has had a long standing interest in neonatal infectious diseases/inflammation, specifically the role of biomarkers in the diagnosis of sepsis, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. These studies have investigated the role of cytokines in the immune response and recently the utility of proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics as diagnostic markers of disease, involving successful mentorships and collaborations. Her studies have identified biomarkers that may predict pathophysiology or clinical condition in infected infants, but none has yet been found to have sufficient diagnostic accuracy to be employed in clinical practice.

Through her work over the years, however, Dr. Harris has become aware of the critical need to improve sepsis outcomes by developing methods to accurately and rapidly identify infected infants. At the same time she has also developed an interest in the use of new technology and the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to improve patient outcomes. In conjunction with investigators in the PICU (Weiss) and the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, she has worked collaboratively to establish a sepsis registry in the NICU using an automated data abstraction process from the EHR. This project investigates the time from sepsis recognition to the administration of antibiotics in order to improve the efficiency of medication administration in infants suspected of sepsis. Most recently Drs. Harris and Grundmeier have received grant funding from the Institute for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania to use the automated registry to develop an early warning system in order to improve best practices related to sepsis management, and improve sepsis related outcomes.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH

Residency

Pediatrics - Children's Hospital Medical Center (Harvard University), Boston, MA

Fellowship

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Board Certification

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Pediatrics

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Neonatologist

Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Research Interests

Publications

Papers

2020

Gordon SM, Srinivasan L, Taylor DM, Master SR, Tremoglie, MA, Hankeova A, Flannery DD, Abbasi S, Fitzgerald JC, Harris MC. Derivation of a metabolic signature associated with bacterial meningitis in infants. 2020. Pediatr Res. 88, 184–191. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-0816-7

Gordon SM, Srinivasan L and Harris MC. Neonatal Meningitis: Overcoming Challenges in Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment with Omics. 2017. Front. Pediatr. 5:139. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2017.00139

Coggins S, Harris MC, Grundmeier R, Kalb E, Nawab U, Srinivasan L. Performance of Pediatric Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Organ Dysfunction Criteria in Late-Onset Sepsis in a Quaternary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Case-Control Study. J Pediatr. 2020 Feb 6. pii: S0022-3476(19)31743-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.12.064. PMID: 32037153

2019

Agawu A, Fahl C, Alexis D, Diaz T, Harris D, Harris MC, Aysola J, Cronholm PF, Higginbotham EJ: The Influence of Gender and Underrepresented Minority Status on Medical Student Ranking of Residency Programs. J Natl Med Assoc. 2019 Oct 23. pii: S0027-9684(18)30414-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2019.09.002. PMID: 31668360.

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier RW, Elci OU, Weiss SL, Masino AJ, Tremoglie M, Ostapenko S,  Harris MC: Surviving Sepsis in a Referral Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Association between Time to Antibiotic Administration and In-Hospital Outcomes. J. Pediatr pii: S0022-3476(19)31081-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.08.023. PMID: 31604632.

Ostapenko S, Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Elci OU, Weiss SL, Masino AJ, Tremoglie M, Harris MC, Grundmeier RW. Neonatal sepsis registry: Time to antibiotic dataset. Data Brief. 2019 Nov 11;27:104788. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104788. eCollection 2019 Dec. PMID: 31799346 [PubMed]

Harris MC, Masino AJ, Grundmeier RW: Improving Recognition of Neonatal Sepsis. ICU Management & Practice 3 Page: 166-168, 2019.

Masino AJ, Harris MC, Forsyth D, Ostapenko S, Srinivasan L, Bonafide CP, Balamuth F, Schmatz M, Grundmeier RW. Machine learning models for early sepsis recognition in the neonatal intensive care unit using readily available electronic health record data. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 22; 14(2):e0212665. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212665. eCollection 2019. PMID: 30794638 

2018

Srinivasan L, Kilpatrick L, Shah SS, Abbasi S, Harris MC: Elevations of novel cytokines in bacterial meningitis in infants. PLoS One 13(2), February 2018 Notes: e0181449. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181449. eCollection 2018.

2017

Gordon SM, Srinivasan L, Harris MC. Neonatal Meningitis: Overcoming Challenges in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment with Omics. Front Pediatr. 5: 139, 2017. PMID: 28670576.

2016

Srinivasan L, Kilpatrick L, Shah SS, Abbasi S, Harris M C: Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokines in the Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis in Infants. Pediatr Res 80 (4): 566-572, 2016.

2015

Tao GZ, Liu B, Zhang R, Liu G, Abdullah F, Harris MC, Brandt ML, Ehrenkranz R A, Bowers C, Martin CR, Moss RL, Sylvester KG: Impaired Activity of Blood Coagulant Factor XIII in Patients with Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Scientific reports 5: 13119, 2015.

2014

Ji J, Ling XB, Zhao Y, Hu Z, Zheng X, Xu Z, Wen Q, Kastenberg ZJ, Li P, Abdullah F, Brandt ML, Ehrenkranz RA, Harris MC, Lee TC, Simpson BJ, Bowers C, Moss RL, Sylvester KG: A data-driven algorithm integrating clinical and laboratory features for the diagnosis and prognosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. PloS one 9(2): e89860, 2014.

Padula MA, Dewan ML, Shah SS, Padula AM, Srinivasan L, McGowan KL, Mahoney KR, Harris MC: Risk factors associated with laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit.  Pediatr Infect Dis J 33(10): 1027-1032, 2014.

Sylvester K G, Ling X B, Liu G Y, Kastenberg Z J, Ji J, Hu ZI, Peng S, Lau K, Abdullah F, Brandt M L, Ehrenkranz R A, Harris M Ce, Lee T C, Simpson J, Bowers C, Moss R L: A novel urine peptide biomarker-based algorithm for the prognosis of necrotising enterocolitis in human infants. Gut 63(8): 1284-1292, 2014.

Sylvester KG, Ling XB, Liu G, Yuen G, Kastenberg ZJ, Ji J, Hu Z, Wu S, Peng S, Abdullah F, Brandt ML, Ehrenkranz RA, Harris MC, Lee TC, Simpson BJ, Bowers C, Moss RL: Urine protein biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of necrotizing enterocolitis in infants. J Pediatr 164(3): 607-612, 2014.

2013

Srinivasan L, Shah SS, Abbasi S, Padula MA, Harris MC: Traumatic lumbar punctures in infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatr Infect Dis J 32(10): 1150-1152, 2013.

Books

Chapters

2016

Srinivasan L, Harris MC, Kilpatrick L.: Cytokines and Inflammatory Response in the Fetus and Neonate.  Fetal and Neonatal Physiology. Polin RA, Fox WW, Abman SH (eds.), Elsevier, Inc., 5th edition: p 1241-1254, 2016.

2015

Raab E, Apenteng T, Handzel J M, Harris MC: Neonatology. The Philadelphia Guide: Inpatient Pediatrics. Frank G, Shah SS, Catalozzi MC, Zaoutis LB (eds.), Lippincott, Williams & Williams, Inc. 2nd edition: p 327-343, 2015.

2012

Srinivasan L, Harris MC, Shah SS: Lumbar puncture in the neonate: challenges in decision-making and interpretation. Semin Perinatol 36(6): 445-453, 2012.

Srinivasan L, Harris MC: New technologies for the rapid diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Curr Opin Pediatr 24(2): 165-171, 2012.

Posters and Presentations

2021

Masino AJ, Harris MC, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier RW: Longitudinal Performance of a Machine Learning NICU Sepsis Predictor. AMIA 2021 Clinical Informatics Conference.

Wang ER, Coggins SA, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier RW, Harris MC: Recurrent Late-Onset Neonatal Sepsis: A Matched Cohort Study. Society for Pediatric Research May 2021 Notes: Accepted for Platform Presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Coggins SA, Harris MC, Srinivasan L: Differential yield and time to positivity of neonatal blood cultures by culture site. Society for Pediatric Research May 2021 Notes: Accepted for Platform Presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

2020

Masino AJ, Harris MC, Grundmeier RW: Prediction Explanations May Improve Sepsis Prediction Models. AMIA 2020 Clinical Informatics Conference, Seattle, WA May 2020 Notes: (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Coggins SA, Harris MC, Grundmeier R, Srinivasan L: Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Late-Onset Neonatal Sepsis: A Matched Cohort Study. Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA May 2020 Notes: Poster presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Coggins SA, Gibbs K, Harris MC, Srinivasan L: Sepsis Huddle Implementation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA May 2020 Notes: Poster Presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Karavite D, Muthu, N, Shaeffer, G, Harris MC, Grundmeier, R: A Socio-technical Analysis of Sepsis Detection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit  Human Factors and Ergonomic Society, Healthcare Symposium, Toronto, Canada March 2020 Notes: Poster Presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Coggins SA, Harris MC, Grundmeier R, Srinivasan L: Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Late-Onset Neonatal Sepsis: A Matched Cohort Study. Eastern Society Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2020 Notes: Platform presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Coggins SA, Gibbs K, Harris MC, Srinivasan L: Sepsis Huddle Implementation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Eastern Society Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2020 Notes: Platform Presentation (virtual presentation due to COVID-19).

Sivakumar N, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Schmatz M, Harris MC: Demystifying "Culture-negative sepsis": Reasons for prolonged antibiotic administration in the NICU. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research, Baltimore, MD May 2019.

2019

Karavite D, Muthu N, Shaeffer G, Balamuth F, Harris MC, Grundmeier, R. Lessons Learned from Knowledge Elicitation in Complex Clinical Environments: Iteration is not just for Design. Workshop presentation, Human Factors and Ergonomic Society (HFES) Healthcare Symposium. Chicago, Illinois, March, 2019.

Finnegan L, Harris M, Coggins S, Schmatz M, Tremoglie-Barkowski M, Srinivasan S. Suspected Sepsis in the NICU: Leveraging Staff Perceptions of Delays in Antibiotic Administration to Drive Improvement. ESPR (podium presentation), SPR (poster) 2019. Platform presentation, Eastern Society Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2019. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research, Baltimore, MD May 2019.

Sivakumar N, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Schmatz M, Harris MC. Demystifying “Culture- negative sepsis”: Reasons for prolonged antibiotic administration in the NICU. Poster presentation, Eastern Society Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2019. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research, Baltimore, MD May 2019.

Coggins S, Harris MC, Grundmeier R, Nawab U, Srinivasan L. Pediatric SIRS and organ dysfunction criteria in late-onset sepsis in a quaternary NICU: a case-control study. Poster presentation, Eastern Society Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2019. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research, Baltimore, MD May 2019.

2018

Masino AJ, Harris MC, Forsyth D, Ostapenko S, Grundmeier RW. Machine Learning Models for Infant Sepsis Prediction. Podium presentation, AMIA Annual Symposium. San Francisco, CA November, 2018.

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Ostapenko S, Chilluti M, Harris MC: Surviving Sepsis in the NICU: Delayed Antimicrobial Therapy Worsens Outcomes in Late Onset Sepsis. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research at the Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 2018.

Kalb E, Coggins S, Harris MC, Nawab U, Grundmeier R, Srinivasan L: Applicability of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and severe sepsis definitions to late onset infections in a quaternary NICU. Poster presentation, Society for Pediatric Research at the Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 2018.

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Ostapenko S, Chilluti M, Harris MC: Surviving Sepsis in the NICU: Delayed Antimicrobial Therapy Worsens Outcomes in Late Onset Sepsis. Poster presentation, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2018.

Kalb E, Coggins S, Harris MC, Nawab U, Grundmeier R, Srinivasan L: Applicability of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and severe sepsis definitions to late onset infections in a quaternary NICU. Poster presentation, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2018.

Coggins S, Kalb, E, Harris MC, Nawab U, Grudmeier R, Srinivasan L: Factors Associated with Delayed Recognition of Sepsis in a Quaternary NICU. Poster presentation, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2018.

2017

Skraban C, Herrick H, Medne L, Harris MC, Santani A, Zackai E: Acinar Dysplasia, Tbx4 and Lung Branching Morphogenesis. Platform presentation by collaborator, poster presentation, 38th Annual David W. Smith Workshop on Malformations and Morphogenesis, Stowe, VT August 2017.

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Davis D, Grundmeier G, Ostapenko S, Chilutti M, Harris M C: Culture Negative Sepsis in the NICU: What Drives the Decision to Extend Antibiotics? Society for Pediatric Research 2017 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, San Francisco, CA and the ESPR Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 2017).

Flannery D, Srinivasan L, Davis D, Schmatz M, Harris M C.: Challenges in Early recognition of Neonatal Fungal Sepsis. Society for Pediatric Research 2017 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, San Francisco, CA and the ESPR Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 2017).

2016

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Tremoglie M, Grundmeier R, Perez A, Ostapenko S, Chilutti M, and Harris MC: Improvements in Timing of Antibiotic Administration in a Quaternary Care NICU: A One Year Perspective. Society for Pediatric Research 2016 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, Baltimore, MD 2016 at the ESPR Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 2016).

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Tremoglie M, Perez A, Chilutti M, Ostapenko S and Harris MC: Antibiotic Use in the NICU: Do Comorbidities Matter? Society for Pediatric Research 2016 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, Baltimore, MD 2016 and at the ESPR Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 2016).

Schmatz M, Srinivasan L, Grundmeier R, Tremoglie M, Perez A, Chilutti M, Ostapenko S and Harris MC: Antibiotic Use in the NICU: Do Comorbidities Matter? CHOP Quality and Patient Safety Day 2016 (Poster presentation).

Pai VV, Srinivasan V, Perez A, Grundmeier RW, Harris MC: Glucose Dysregulation and Bacterial Infection in Neonates. Society for Pediatric Research 2016 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, Baltimore, MD 2016 and at the ESPR Meeting, Philadelphia PA 2016). 

Neonatal Sepsis QI Group: Improving time to antibiotic administration during sepsis evaluations in the NICU: adopting a culture of urgency.  CHOP Quality and Patient Safety Day 2016 (Podium and poster presentation).

Gordon SM, Srinivasan L, Abbasi S, Perez A, Tremoglie M and Harris MC: Analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid Reveals Derangement of Metabolism in Infants with Bacterial Meningitis. Society for Pediatric Research 2016 (Poster presentation at the SPR Meeting, Washington, DC 2016 and the Eastern SPR Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 2016). 

Invited Lectures

2018

Harris MC. “Neonatal Sepsis: Improving Early Detection and Outcomes” - Symposium participation via video conference, ABC Hospital, Mexico, Nov 16, 2018

Awards and Honors

2016, Best in Healthcare Award, American Health Council

2014, Outstanding Achievement Award, Intern Selection Committee, Pediatric Residency Program, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

2013, Faculty Mentor Award, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

2011, Top Physician, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, South Jersey Magazine

2009-2011, 2013, 2015, Faculty Honor Roll, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

2002, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, The Best Doctors in America

1972, Phi Beta Kappa, Vassar College

Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial Positions

2013-present, Review Editorial Board, Frontiers in Neonatology

Peer Reviewer

Pediatrics

Pediatric Research

Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Journal of Pediatrics

Critical Care Medicine

Pediatric Emergency Care

Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology

Blood

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Clinical & Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology

Academic and Institutional Committees

2014-present, Member, NICU QI Sepsis Committee

2014-present, Member, Fellowship Selection Committee, Division of  Neonatology

2003-present, Member, Steering Committee, Neonatal Sepsis Club

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

International

2005-present, European Society for Pediatric Research

1993-present, Society for Pediatric Research

National

2017-present, 1861 Society, Vassar College

2008-present, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research

2008-present, American Pediatric Society

2007-present, Children's Hospital Boston Alumni Association

2002-present, American Academy of Pediatrics

1998-present, Infectious Disease Society of America

1972-present, Phi Beta Kappa