Research & Quality of Care Initiatives

Neonatal Research

The faculty within the Division of Neonatology are active in clinical research and quality initiatives designed to improve medical outcomes and the care of young babies. Several members also are involved in NIH-funded, multicenter clinical trials.

Research is currently under way in the following areas:

• Neonatal brain injury and neuroprotection (Amit Mathur, MD)
• Neonatal iron metabolism (Robert Fleming, MD)
• Neonatal response to pre-natal inflammation (Joyce Koenig, MD)
• Preterm lung injury and inflammation (Noah Hillman, MD)
• Neonatal resuscitation (Marya Strand, MD; Justin Josephsen, MD; Nitin Chouthai, MD)
• Neonatal opioid withdrawal (Kimberly Spence, MD; Justin Josephsen, MD)

Quality Initiatives

In addition to research, the division has a focused, long-term multidisciplinary quality improvement effort to reduce the number of unintended extubations (UEs) and central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) in the NICU. These efforts, part of a larger quality and safety initiative, have resulted in rates for both UEs and CLABSIs being below national averages.