Alumni Notes Summer 2023

Dear CHOP Alumni Family,

Remember our CHOP Alumni Motto: Keep … Tradition, Keep … in Mind, Keep … in Touch!

It’s hard to believe another academic year has ended. We have graduated another outstanding class of pediatricians and welcomed another 60 (!) or so interns to the CHOP family. That will make for a lot of alumni in future years! And now I begin:

Keep … Tradition: One of my favorite Alumni Organization traditions is welcoming an alumnus to give the annual Alumni Organization Grand Rounds. This is a wonderful opportunity for a trainee or prior faculty member to both teach us and reflect on their career. This year, Rachel Moon, MD, joined us. Dr Moon presently serves as the Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, but began her pediatric career at CHOP in the late 1980s. After her residency at CHOP, Dr Moon served our country for 5 years as a staff pediatrician in the U.S. Air Force. She spent much of her career at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences before heading to the UVA to serve as Division Chief of General Pediatrics in 2015. Dr Moon is a national and international expert in sudden unexplained infant deaths, SIDS, and racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality. Her work aims to reduce infant mortality due to unsafe sleeping practices, and addresses racial, ethnic, and social disparities in infant mortality and parental decision-making that influences sleep and other parenting practices. Her grand rounds taught us the importance of social networks, social norms, and attitudes in infant care practice decisions. It was practical, interesting, and wonderfully delivered. Thank you, Dr Moon, for sharing your work with our faculty and house staff!

Another annual spring tradition is our hosting of the BEST Alumni reception at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting! (OK, I’m a little biased.) This year, I couldn’t attend so Tina Master, MD, and Katie Lockwood, MD, co-hosted with Dr Joe St. Geme. I look forward to seeing many old friends in 2024. I do know that the reception was very well attended (after all, it is the most wonderful reception at the meeting!). Dr St. Geme highlighted some faculty awards, including the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) award in honor of E. Mead Johnson given to our Infectious Diseases Chief Audrey Odom John, MD, PhD, and the Norman J. Siegel New Member Outstanding Science Award to our General Pediatrics Chief Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH.

Congratulations to both Audrey and Chris. Additionally, Josh Kurtz, Christine Cummings, Emma Gerstenzang, and Sophie Lieberman received the SPR Resident Research Award, and Zoe Bouchelle received the APA Joel Alpert Award. There were 15 resident abstracts accepted for presentation—quite an accomplishment!

Todd Florin, MD, MSCE, a former CHOP resident and Emergency Medicine fellow, now serves as the Strategy & Operations Officer at the SPR. He’s the Director of Research for the Division of EM at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Congratulations Todd! And Megan Beir-Merritt was appointed as the first Chief Scientific Officer at Boston Medical Center. I love seeing women as trailblazers! Congratulations to Megan on this well-deserved position. As always, if you have exciting news to share, please drop me an email (Christian@chop.edu). We love hearing what everyone is up to.

And finally, we just completed our newest tradition of hosting resident and fellow grand rounds. This year, we had 8 presentations ranging from basic science to clinical research, representing work that was mentored by faculty in many different divisions and departments around CHOP. The work our residents and fellows do despite their demanding clinical schedules is inspiring—oh to be young, smart, and energetic! Congratulations to all our presenters!

Keep … in Mind: Getting involved with the Alumni Organization has never been easier, more rewarding, and impactful! I hope you’ll consider making a gift, as well. Visit www.chopalumni.org today.

And finally, Keep ... in Touch! A number of classes have been organizing class reunions over the past few years, and we are here to HELP! Our alumni have returned to Philadelphia for a weekend of reconnecting, visiting the hospital, and enjoying all Philadelphia has to offer. Many classes have made generous donations to the hospital as part of their reunion. If you are interested in organizing a class reunion, please be in touch, as we are happy to help support your efforts.

Until next time, enjoy, work hard, but not too hard, and keep in touch,

Cindy W. Christian, MD, President, CHOP Alumni Association