CHOP Neonatologist Dr. Karen M. Puopolo Receives PA Pediatrician of the Year Award at 2022 AAP Conference

Karen M. Puopolo, MD, PhD Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is proud to announce that Karen M. Puopolo, MD, PhD, a national leader in the field of neonatology, has received the prestigious Pennsylvania Pediatrician of the Year Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) after a unanimous selection by the Pennsylvania AAP Governance Committee and Board of Directors. Each year, this prestigious award is granted to a Pennsylvania pediatrician who exemplifies the ideals of the pediatric profession and participates in activities that reflect the foundation of the chapter.

As an attending neonatologist at CHOP and Chief of the Section on Newborn Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, Dr. Puopolo has dedicated her career to quantifying the risk for neonatal infection. She developed a clinical tool known as a sepsis calculator to estimate risk at the individual infant level to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use in neonates. This research has drastically changed newborn care in birth hospitals throughout the U.S. and world. 

Most recently, Dr. Puopolo conducted important research related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Puopolo led efforts of the national AAP Section on Neonatal Perinatal Medicine (SONPM) to draft clinical guidance on the screening and care of COVID-19-exposed and COVID-19-positive newborns.

“The naming of Dr. Puopolo as the PA AAP Pediatrician of the Year highlights her enormous contributions to perinatal health,” said Eric Eichenwald, MD, Chief of the Division of Neonatology at CHOP. “She embodies the AAP’s commitment to recognize women leaders who go above and beyond to provide excellent, evidenced-based care of newborns. What’s more, Dr. Puopolo’s unwavering dedication to advance the care of neonates during the COVID-19 pandemic has been unsurpassed.”

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Puopolo serves as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, scientific abstracts, chapters, and editorials. A member of AAP since 1993, Dr. Puopolo has served many roles within the organization, including as a member of the Committee on Fetus and Newborn and on the Editorial Board of NeoReviews and Pediatrics. Currently, Dr. Puopolo serves as chair for the AAP Southeastern Central Conference on Perinatal Research, where perinatal trainees can present their research and receive high-quality feedback.