Neonatology Research
Physicians and scientists from the Division of Neonatology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia continue to lead basic and clinical research into many conditions affecting newborns and infants. In collaboration with CHOP’s Research Institute, we oversee the work of more than 150 investigators pursing hundreds of active research projects.
Children's Hospital ranks among the top two pediatric hospitals nationwide in funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Our current areas of research in neonatology-related topics include:
Pulmonary
- Factors involved in adverse events during tracheal intubation in the NICU
- Fetal lung development
- Lung antioxidant defenses
- Lung disease in premature infants
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and complex lung lesions
- Role of inflammation in lung disease
- Pulmonary function testing in the neonate
- Hormone regulation of fetal lung development
- Use of inhaled nitric oxide in premature infants
- Hormone regulation of fetal lung development
- The role and regulation of heme oxygenase in lung antioxidant defenses
Neurology
- Effect of inflammation and oxidative stress on the neonatal brain
- Neuroimaging and neurodevelopmental outcomes
- Biomarkers and neonatal brain injury
- Management of myelomeningocele (the most severe form of spina bifida)
- Maternal drug use and neonatal neurodevelopmental outcomes
Genetics
- Circadian gene improvement of cellular bioenergetics; preconditioning for protection against oxidative stress
- Oxidative stress mediated gene regulation
- Fetal origins of adult disease
- Surfactant protein processing and physiology
- Biological chemistry and molecular mechanisms of action in nitric oxide
- Intrauterine growth retardation and insulin resistance
- Effect of maternal obesity on the fetus
- Mitochondrial biology
- Biomarkers of neonatal sepsis
- Serum biomarkers in necrotizing enterocolitis
- Neonatal pharmacokinetics
- Cell motility and proliferation; process of inflammation and fibrosis following tissue injury
- Surfactant protein processing and physiology
- Surfactant clinical trials — booster prophylaxis and rescue therapy
Cardiac
- Development of the conotruncal region of the heart
General
- Neonatal health services research
- Impact of neonatal outreach on referral patterns
- Multicenter trials to assess safety and efficacy of neonatal therapies
- Simulation strategies for neonatal education
- Community satisfaction of neonatal Level 4 care
