CHOP Experts Awarded at American Academy of Pediatrics Meeting

Jacquelyn Evans, MD, neonatologist, associate division chief, and director of Quality and Patient Safety in the Division of Neonatology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), was awarded the Neonatal Pioneer Award at this year’s American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. This distinction recognizes the pioneering achievements and contributions Dr. Evans has made to the health and well-being of newborns and infants. Beyond her role at CHOP, Dr. Evans also serves as clinical professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is chair of the Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Consortium, a grassroots national benchmarking and quality improvement organization in children’s hospitals NICUs.

“I would like to extend a sincere congratulations to my colleague, Dr. Evans,” said Eric Eichenwald, MD, Chief of the Division of Neonatology at CHOP. “Dr. Evans exemplifies a strong dedication to advancing care for our patients ensuring they achieve the best possible outcomes.”

Dr. Evans’ areas of expertise include advanced ventilatory support in neonates, ethics in neonatal care and the limits of neonatal viability. She frequently lectures around the globe on a variety of topics, most recently including Advanced Therapies in Neonatal Care.

Additionally, Barbara Schmidt, MD, was the recipient of the Virginia Apgar Award at this year’s American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. The award is distributed annually by the Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is reserved for an individual whose career has had a continuing influence on the well-being of newborn infants.

Dr. Schmidt is a former attending neonatologist at CHOP and former director of Neonatology Clinical Research at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She recently retired but made significant contributions at CHOP, her career spanning over a decade. A true pioneer in neonatal research and medicine, Dr. Schmidt was devoted to driving evidence-based neonatal research and training the next generation of the field’s researchers with her husband, Haresh Kirpalani, MD.

“I am happy to congratulate Dr. Barbara Schmidt,” said Eric Eichenwald, MD, Chief of the Division of Neonatology at CHOP. “Dr. Schmidt is extremely deserving of this award given her long history of contributions to neonatal clinical trials, epidemiology, and research that has led to major changes in the care of premature newborns.”

In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics honored her with the William A. Silverman Lectureship Award, and in 2015, she received the prestigious Order of Canada. CHOP recently established the Schmidt-Kirpalani Mentor Award in recognition of their extensive mentoring work. In 2019, she was awarded the Douglas K. Richardson Award for Perinatal Research by the Society for Pediatric Research.