Emerging Investigator Program

2024

Emerging Investigator: Lucas Bruton, MD
Project Title: “Nothing About Us Without Us!”: Partnering with Patient Families to Improve Health Care Disparities for Children with Disability Through Provider Education
Family Partner(s):  Cara Coleman
Location: Lurie Children’s Hospital

Emerging Investigator: Aditi Vasan, MD, MSHP
Project Title: Assessing and Addressing Unmet Social Needs for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Across Pediatric Settings
Family Partner(s): Tiffany Carmichael
Location: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Emerging Investigator: Kristie Malik, MD
Project Title: Caregiver-Identified Critical Components of a Medical Home for Children with Medical Complexity
Family Partner(s): Kate Holler
Location: Children’s Hospital of Colorado

2023

Emerging Investigator: Julia Heneghan, MD
Project Title: Ecological Momentary Assessment of Outcomes after Critical Illness in Children with Medical Complexity
Family Partner(s):  Elizabeth Marsh
Location: University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital

Emerging Investigator: Rachel Macak, MD
Project Title: Caregiver Decision-Making and Advice Regarding Tracheostomies in Preterm Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Family Partner(s): Teresa Glade
Location: University of Utah

2022

Emerging Investigator: Jennifer Peralta, MD, MST
Project Title: A Socioecological Approach to Social Complexity, Family Functioning, and Community-Based Systems of Care Among Children with Medical Complexity
Family Partner(s):  Catalina Jaimes
Location: UCLA

Emerging Investigator: Marie Pfarr, MD
Project Title: Telemedicine Use in Children with Medical Complexity
Family Partner(s): Maria Leadon
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center

Emerging Investigator: Emmanuel Aryee, MD
Project Title: Early Introduction of Palliative Care Among Families of Children with Medical Complexity
Family Partner(s): Sandra Clancy, PhD
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

2021

Emerging Investigator: Denise Lillvis, PhD
Project Title: Examining Factors Associated with Increased Physical Trauma for cyshcn
Family Partners: Ali Perfetti, Jessica Colarusso, Tondelaire Cotton 
Location: Oishei Children’s Hospital, University at Buffalo

Emerging Investigator: Abby Musial, MD
Project Title: BAD Med: Burden Alleviation using Deprescribing of Medications in CMC
Family Partner: Allison Loechtenfelt 
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center

Emerging Investigator: Verenea Serrano, PhD 
Project Title: Characterizing integrated behavioral health services for young children with medical complexity and their caregivers in primary care 
Family Partners: SanJuana  Dorado, Tanica Hancock 
Location: Children’s Hospital Colorado

2020

Emerging Investigator: Stefanie Ames, MD
Project Title: Assessment of caregiver experiences and unmet healthcare needs following discharge home after a critical illness in a child or youth with special healthcare needs
Family Partner: Amanda Mueller 
Location: UCLA/University of Utah

Emerging Investigator: Arda Hotz, MD
Project Title: Use of Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies in Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs
Family Partner: Theresa Applegate 
Location: Boston Children’s Hospital

2019

Emerging Investigator: Molly Easterlin, MD
Project Title: Understanding the effects of chronic medical procedures in children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD): A qualitative study of patient, parent, and nurse perspectives
Family Partner: Lauren Agoratus

Emerging Investigators: Morgan Crossman, PhD & Olivia Lindly, PhD
Project Title: High-quality health care, IDEA services, and adverse family impact for U.S. CSHCN: The role of prematurity in early childhood
Family Partners: Amber Klevin & Kristen Earl
Location: MassGeneral Hospital for Children 

Emerging Investigators: Nicole Werner, PhD
Project Title: Creation of an adaptive taxonomy of barriers and facilitators to in-home care of children with cerebral palsy
Family Partner: Barbara Katz
Location: University of Wisconsin, Madison