Researcher Recognition, February – April 2025
Post Date: May 28, 2025 | Publish Date:
Congratulations to these Cincinnati Children’s scientists who have recently been recognized in their fields of expertise.
Tina Cheng Named President-Elect of AMSPDC
Tina Cheng, MD, MPH, chair of Pediatrics, director of Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation and chief medical officer, was selected as the president-elect of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC). The organization is a community of academic pediatric department chairs working to improve the health and wellbeing of all children by advancing departmental clinical, research, education and advocacy missions.
Anne-Karina Perl Received ATS Distinguished Achievement Award
Anne-Karina Perl, PhD, MS, professor, Pulmonary Biology, and director, Biomedical Research Technologies Graduate Program, received the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Distinguished Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding major contributions that advance the missions of the American Thoracic Society. Awardees have made substantial contributions to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, critical illness or sleep disorders through leadership in research, education or clinical care.
David Pruitt Elected Vice Chair of ABPMR
David Pruitt, MD, medical director of the Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit, director of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Fellowship, and professor, was elected the vice chair of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). He is currently serving in his first term as ABPMR board director and will begin serving as vice chair in July.
Michael Sorter, Ryan Moore, Rebecca Taylor Honored as Healthcare Heroes
Three Cincinnati Children’s employees were honored at the 28th annual Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Heroes Awards. Michael Sorter, MD, former professor and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry division director, was named the recipient of the award in the Provider category (Suzanne Sampang, MD, accepted the award on his behalf). Ryan Moore, MD, MSc, director of Digital Health Innovation in the Heart Institute, received the award in the Innovator category. Rebecca Taylor, Ambulatory operations manager, was a finalist in the Community Outreach category.
Jeffrey Manser Received Clinton County Chamber of Commerce Award
Jeffrey Manser, MD, staff physician in the Community Health Services Network, received the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce Award in the Healthcare category. According to the Wilmington News Journal, “The C-4 Awards recognized 75 outstanding nominees and celebrated 30 winners across seven categories, highlighting the vibrant contributions that shape the county’s culture, economy, and well-being.”
Leah Kottyan, Carley Riley and Eneida Mendonca Invited to ELHM Forum
Leah Kottyan, PhD, Carley Riley, MD, MPP, and Eneida Mendonca, MD, PhD, were invited to participate in the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) 2025 Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine (ELHM) Forum in Washington, DC, at the National Academy of Sciences Building. This invitation-only forum is a key gathering of the ELHM Program, which aims to increase the NAM’s engagement with exceptional, interdisciplinary early- to mid-career professionals working in biomedical science, population health, health care, health policy and related fields. Kottyan is a researcher in the Department of Eosinophilic Disorders and the Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology. Riley is an attending physician in the Division of Critical Care Medicine, the Community Systems faculty lead in the Michael Fisher Child Health Equity Center and director of the Mayerson Child Well-being Initiative. Mendonca is the Rieveschl Chair and division director of Biomedical Informatics.
Cincinnati Magazine’s Top Doctors 2025 Honored 138 Cincinnati Children’s Physicians
Each year, Cincinnati Magazine shares a list featuring the best physicians in the Greater Cincinnati Area, selected by their professional peers. This year, 138 Cincinnati Children’s physicians across 27 sub-specialties were honored. In addition, two features highlighted Cincinnati Children’s physicians and teams, including Cradle Cincinnati and James Greenberg, MD, co-director of the Perinatal Institute, as well as Leah Owen, MD, PhD, division director and chief of Ophthalmology, and Smruti Patel, MD, director of both the Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery Program and the Adult Neurosurgery Transition Clinic.
Yemisi Jones Elected Chair of ABP Hospital Medicine Subboard
Yemisi Jones, MD, MEd, medical director of Continuing Medical Education, an attending physician, and an associate professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine, was elected the chair of the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) subboard on Pediatric Hospital Medicine. This role begins January 2026. The subboards of the ABP produce examinations and provide direction for subspecialty certification activities.
Amy Bailes Received Stephen Haley Award
Amy Bailes, PT, PhD, associate professor and physical therapist III, Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, received the Stephen Haley Award from the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy (APTA) for her meaningful research undertaken in her role as director of Quality Improvement for the Cerebral Palsy Research Network and more than 39 years of clinical experience. Every year, this award is given to an APTA member who has performed sustained and outstanding basic, clinical and/or education research pertaining to pediatric physical therapy.
Carlie Myers Received SCCM 2025 Congress Early-Stage Researcher Award
Carlie Myers, MD, MS, an attending physician in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, received the award for highest-scoring abstract in the Early-Stage Investigator category at the 2025 Society of Critical Care Congress for her submission, “SNAP participation associated with PICU Utilization: A potential indicator of food insecurity risk.”
Somak Roy Appointed Informatics Associate Editor of Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
Somak Roy, MD, director of Molecular and Genomic Pathology Service, staff pathologist in the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and an associate professor in UC’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, was appointed the next Informatics associate editor for the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. As part of a panel of expert editors, Roy will oversee peer reviews in his areas of expertise.
Four Researchers Chosen as 2025 SPR Members
The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) encourages and supports pediatric research endeavors by creating a multi-disciplinary network of diverse researchers to improve child health. Collaboration among SPR members creates meaningful progress for the future of children’s health. Four Cincinnati Children’s researchers were chosen as new SPR members this year:
Marc Rothenberg Chosen for IES Service Award
The International Eosinophil Society (IES) named Marc Rothenberg, MD, PhD, the recipient of its Service Award for his exceptional contributions to eosinophil research and community. He will receive his award at the ceremony this summer. Rothenberg is director of both the Division of Allergy and Immunology and the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders.
Anna Esbensen Received National Down Syndrome Award
Anna Esbensen, PhD, research director, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and the Jane and Richard Thomas Center for Down Syndrome, was awarded the National Down Syndrome Congress’ 2025 Pueschel/Tjossem Research Award. This award recognizes research that has contributed to more excellent knowledge and understanding of Down syndrome and has improved the lives of people with Down syndrome or their families.
Sarat “Bobby” Thikkurissy Received American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award
Sarat “Bobby” Thikkurissy, DDS, MS, professor, Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, was named the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award. Established in 1998, this annual award honors an AAPD volunteer who has provided exemplary leadership service in the volunteer structure of the organization over the past year.
Shalini Indugula Received SPR’s Student Research Award
Shalini Indugula, an undergraduate student in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, received the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) Student Research Award (High School and College Students). These annual awards are designed to encourage pediatricians in training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics. Indugula works in the Schuh Research Lab where she is involved in a project that aims to examine the effects of the timing of nephrotoxic medication administration on levels of AKI and nephron loss seen during postnatal nephrogenesis.
Nicole Rogowski and Jen Gruber Named to Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s C-Change Program
Nicole Rogowski, project administrator for Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation and the Department of Pediatrics, and Jen Gruber, senior consultant for Strategic Relationships, were selected among 61 future leaders for the C-Change Class 20. C-Change, produced by the Leadership Center at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and presented by Fifth Third, is a prestigious 10-month leadership development program designed for mid-career professionals. It equips participants with enhanced leadership skills while fostering deeper community engagement and impact.
Chris Peltier Received UC Distinguished Alumni Award
Christopher B. Peltier, MD, associate professor and director of the Community Section in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics, received University of Cincinnati’s Distinguished Alumni Award. His leadership in vaccine access, mental health and medical education has shaped pediatric care across Ohio and the nation. In celebration of his 30th UC College of Medicine reunion, he recently made a generous scholarship gift to support future UC medical students.
Brian Coley and Andrew Trout Included in Inaugural FSPR Designation
Brian Coley, MD, radiologist-in-chief, and Andrew Trout, MD, director of Clinical Research and Nuclear Medicine in the Department of Radiology, were selected among the first class of fellow designees for the Society for Pediatric Radiology. This honor recognizes members for their substantial dedication through service or contributions to the Society or the subspecialty of pediatric radiology.
Cincinnati Children’s Awards
The Innovation Fund, led by Cincinnati Children’s Innovation Ventures, supports discoveries with commercial potential. The 2025 (September cycle) awards went to:
- Wanda Baker, DNP, RN; Robyn McArthur, BSN, RN; Carina Braeutigam, MD – Clinical Aromatherapy Device
- Katherine McKeown, MSN, FNP-C – Skin-Friendly Central Line Securement
- Jeffrey Molkentin, PhD, and Davy Vanhoutte, PhD – Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Daniel Starczynowski, PhD – Novel UBE2N Inhibitor
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The Research Horizons blog features news and insights about the latest discoveries and innovations developed by the scientists of Cincinnati Children's. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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