After Graduation
Cara Beth Carr, MD (2023)
Hometown: Clinton, North Carolina
Medical School: The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Residency: Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH
Research Interests: Medical education, quality improvement, neonatal point-of-care ultrasound
Faculty Position: University of North Carolina
Kelly Roush, DO (2023)
Hometown: Lyndhurst, Ohio
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH
Research Interests: Lung development, congenital heart disease
Faculty Position: Akron Children’s Hospital
Anupama Sundaram, MD (2023)
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Medical School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Residency: UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH
Research Interests: Neurodevelopmental follow-up, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease
Faculty Position: Central Ohio Newborn Medicine, Mount Carmel Trinity Health, Columbus, Ohio
Hilal Yildiz Atar, MD (2023)
Hometown: Ankara, Turkey
Medical School: Ankara Universitesi Tip Fakultesi
Residency: St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
Research Interests: Lung development, high-flow nasal cannula practices, nutrition and growth, neonatal seizures
Faculty Position: University of Oklahoma
Anna (Benson) Crist, MD (2022): Dr. Crist is from Minnesota and completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University and residency at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Her fellowship research, under the mentorship of Dr. Anna Maria Hibbs, focused on the protective association of human milk feeding on recurrent wheeze in preterm Black infants. Dr. Crist’s quality improvement efforts were focused on medical education and Just-In-Time NICU procedure training for pediatric residents. She is a member of the Junior Council of the Organization of Neonatal-Perinatal Training Program Directors working on a fellow education initiative in antenatal counseling. Following fellowship, Dr. Crist joined the neonatology faculty at Cleveland Clinic and is now an Associate Program Director for their neonatology fellowship program
Riddhi Desai, MD (2022): Dr. Desai completed medical training at Drexel University College of Medicine and residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her fellowship research project focused on evaluating the number of hospital days saved for premature infants when discharged at physiologic maturity instead of specific weight. For the quality improvement project, Dr. Desai worked on stopping aspirate checks in NICU. To pursue her interest in advocacy, she helped to lead the AAP TECaN Carousel Care Campaign to educate NICU providers at all levels on NICU families’ mental wellbeing at a national level. Following graduation, Dr. Desai joined the neonatology group at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio.
Alicia Heyward, DO (2022): Dr. Heyward is from Charlottesville, VA and completed medical school at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and residency at Cabell Huntington Hospital/Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Her fellowship research, under the mentorship of Dr. Moira Crowley, she characterized the presentation of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) in preterm infants. Her quality improvement efforts focused on the development of Early Extubation guidelines as a component of the division-wide Stop-BPD collaborative. Following graduation, Dr. Heyward joined the neonatology faculty at Cabell Huntington Hospital/Marshall University in Huntington, WV.
Sarah Jordan-Crowe, MD (2022): Dr. Jordan-Crowe is from Gaithersburg, MD, and completed medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and residency at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. Her fellowship research, with the mentorship of Dr. Dee Wilson and Dr. Jessica Madden, investigated the association of a mother’s own milk vs donor breastmilk on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants. Her quality improvement efforts centered on increasing use of mother’s own breastmilk and breastfeeding in the NICU. During fellowship, she participated in the inaugural Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Leadership Academy and is working towards certification in Breastfeeding Medicine (IBCLC). After fellowship, Dr. Jordan-Crowe joined the neonatology group at Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville, Maryland.
Allison (Osborne) Ignatz-Hoover, MD (2022): Dr. Ignatz-Hoover is from Allentown, PA and completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University and residency at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Her fellowship research, under the mentorship of Dr. Pete MacFarlane, took her to the lab where she investigated cardiorespiratory anomalies and brainstem changes in a rat model of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Her quality improvement efforts involved the implementation of Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) in the Rainbow NICU. With a special interest in biomedical ethics, Dr. Ignatz-Hoover pursued and completed the Children’s Mercy Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics during fellowship. Following graduation, Dr. Ignatz-Hoover joined the neonatology faculty at Cleveland Clinic.
Steven Conlon, MD (2021): Dr. Conlon is from Minnesota and completed medical school at the University of Minnesota and residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State University, in Columbus, OH. His fellowship research, under the mentorship of Dr. Michiko Watanabe, explored the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on cardiac innervation embryology. His quality improvement efforts involved the introduction and implementation of Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) in the Rainbow NICU. Following fellowship, Dr. Conlon joined the neonatology faculty at Indiana University/Riley Children’s Hospital.
Sean Curtis, MD (2021): Dr. Curtis is from Indiana and completed medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine and residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. During fellowship, he pursued basic science research under the mentorship of Drs. Thomas Raffay and Pete MacFarlane on infrared thermography for early detection of sepsis in a neonatal rat model. For quality improvement, he worked with Dr. Nock to develop a protocol for platelet transfusion in the NICU. Following graduation, Dr. Curtis returned to Kansas City, Missouri and joined the neonatology faculty at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Zeyar Htun, DO (2021): Dr. Htun is from New York and completed medical school at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and residency at NYU Long Island. During fellowship, he pursued basic science research with mentors Drs. Tracey Bonfield, Thomas Raffay, Peter MacFarlane, and Richard Martin focused on studying the role of caffeine on macrophage inflammatory response. For quality improvement, he worked with Drs. Mary Nock and Moira Crowley on an initiative to maintain normothermia for infants undergoing surgical procedures. Following graduation, Dr. Htun joined the neonatology faculty at the University at Buffalo and then NYU Long Island where he will continue to focus on quality improvement as well as basic science research.
Carly (Dykstra) Kubat, MD (2020): Dr. Kubat is from Indiana and completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, she pursued clinical research with mentors Drs. Kristin Voos, Ana Ribeiro, and Meggan Kuper-Sasse focused on telehealth via remote video rounding and remote visitation in the NICU. For quality improvement, she completed a quality improvement training course and contributed to an initiative to improve timing of dexamethasone administration for infants at high-risk of developing BPD with Dr. Kuper-Sasse as part of the multi-faceted and division wide Stop BPD collaborative. Following graduation, Dr. Kubat joined the neonatology group at Saint Francis Health in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At Saint Francis, she is a member of the Code Blue Committee and adjunct faculty for the Oklahoma State School of Medicine. She enjoys teaching residents and has worked on quality improvement initiatives to improve pharmacologic management of infants with NOWS and improving thermal support protocols.
Rebecca Fish, MD (2020): Dr. Fish is from Missouri and completed medical school and residency at the University of Missouri. During fellowship, she pursued clinical research with mentors Dr. Kristin Voos and Moira Crowley focused on providing early antenatal counseling on prematurity for women with high-risk pregnancies in the outpatient setting. For quality improvement, Dr. Fish completed a quality improvement training course and led initiatives in improving inpatient antenatal counseling with Drs. Crowley and Glenn and timing of dexamethasone administrating for infants at high-risk of developing BPD with Dr. Kuper-Sasse as part of the multi-faced and division-wide Stop BPD collaborative. Following graduation, Dr. Fish joined the neonatology group at Avera Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where she leads her division’s QI efforts.
Ira Holla, MBBS (2020): Dr. Holla is originally from New Delhi, India and completed medical school in India at Maulana Azad Medical College before moving to the United States for residency at Michigan State University/Sparrow Hospital. During fellowship, she pursued basic science research under the mentorship of Dr. Peter MacFarlane investigating the role of infection on brainstem neurochemistry in control of breathing and understanding the pathophysiology underlying Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). For quality improvement, she led a team strategizing optimal early ventilation techniques as part of a multi-faceted division-wide Stop BPD collaborative. Following graduation, Dr. Holla joined the neonatology faculty at the University of Mississippi.
Lindsey Forur, MD (2019): Dr. Forur is from New York and completed medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine and residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, she pursued basic science research under the mentorship of Dr. Tracey Bonfield investigating the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of fetal intestinal epithelium to better understand the immature immune response to fetal cells. For quality improvement, she worked with Dr. Nock on reducing unplanned extubations in the NICU. Following graduation, Dr. Forur remained in Cleveland as a general pediatrician with a special focus on providing primary care to ex-preemies from birth to teenage years. She is also a site coordinator for Reach Out and Read.
Abhrajit Ganguly, MD (2019): Dr. Ganguly is originally from Kolkata, India and completed medical school in India at NRS Medical College before completing residency at University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital. During fellowship, he pursued basic science research under the mentorship of Drs. Martin and MacFarlane testing airway reactivity in mouse pups exposed to CPAP and exploring the mediating role of hyaluronan. For quality improvement, he worked with Dr. Nock on antibiotic stewardship in the NICU. After fellowship, Dr. Ganguly joined the neonatology faculty at the University of Oklahoma.
Lisa Mitchell, DO (2019): Dr. Mitchell is from Virginia and completed medical school at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia and her residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. During fellowship, she pursued basic science research with Dr. Raffay investigating the effects of prostaglandin on the hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilator responses in rat pups. For quality improvement, Dr. Mitchell worked with Dr. Bhola to standardize practices for administering surfactant in the delivery room. After fellowship, Dr. Mitchell resumed active duty as a neonatologist in the US Army, first stationed in Fort Hood, TX and now Fort Bragg, NC where is a neonatologist and Chief of Newborn Medicine. Dr. Mitchell is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences with special interests in quality improvement and the application of improv comedy concepts to improve medical communication skills.
Rebecca Walsh, MD (2019): Dr. Walsh completed medical school at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and residency at Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Michigan. During fellowship, she worked with her mentor Dr. Monika Bhola and devised and completed a clinical trial investigating the safety of skin-to-skin contact for late preterm infants in the delivery room. She also worked on a quality improvement initiative to prevent admission hypothermia. Currently, Dr. Walsh works with the neonatology group at INTEGRIS Children's at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, OK.
Tara Glenn, MD (2018): Dr. Glenn is from New Jersey and completed medical school and residency at Washington University in St. Louis. During fellowship, she worked with Dr. Anna Maria Hibbs, examining risk factors for wheezing in premature infants with the support of the division’s T32 grant. She also worked with Dr. Monika Bhola on quality improvement efforts centered on intubation pre-medication and intubation success in the NICU. After fellowship, she joined the faculty and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital for two years before relocating to UC San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital neonatology faculty where she continues to focus in the area of quality improvement.
Allison Peluso, MD, MPH (2018): Dr. Peluso is originally from Arizona. She completed medical school at Boston University and residency at Baylor/Texas Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, she worked with Dee Wilson-Costello, MD, and Ellie Ragsdale, MD, (MFM) examining maternal-infant dyad lead exposure. For quality improvement, she worked with Drs. Nock and Griswold evaluating a transcutaneous bilirubin algorithm for at risk infants in the nursery. Dr. Peluso was a 2017 VON Scholar. Following graduation, Dr. Peluso joined the neonatology staff at Cleveland Clinic and is the Director of Cardiac Neonatology. Her ongoing interests include neonatal nutrition, cardiac neonatology, pulmonary hypertension, and neonatal epidemiology.
Brittany Schwarz, MD (2018): Dr. Schwarz is originally from Buffalo, NY., completed medical school at Creighton University, and completed her residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, she worked with Dr. Payne, and Dr. Wilson-Costello to validate a parent questionnaire for neurodevelopmental screening among preterm infants. Dr. Schwarz also focused her interests in medical education and developed a case-based learning for resident neonatology education and received a Marshall Klaus Newborn Medicine Education Award for this project. After fellowship, Dr. Schwarz joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. She is actively pursuing a Masters in Education in the Health Professions at John Hopkins University and was named the program director of the Johns Hopkins Neonatology Fellowship program in 2022.
Vidhi Shah, MD (2018): Dr. Shah is from Portsmouth, VA. She attended medical school at the Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed residency at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. Her fellowship research focused on investigating intermittent hypoxemic events in moderate preterm infants and lipid peroxidation markers of oxidative stress under the mentorship of Juliann Di Fiore and Dr. Martin. She also worked on a quality improvement project developing an inhaled nitric oxide protocol in the NICU with Dr. Stork and Dr. Crowley. After fellowship, Dr. Shah joined the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital neonatology faculty for two years before relocating to Madera, California where she joined the Valley Children’s Hospital neonatology faculty.
Kimberly Larson, MD (2017): Dr. Larson is originally from Manchester, NH, attended medical school at Drexel University, and completed residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. During fellowship, Dr. Larson worked with Monika Bhola, MD. with a focus in the delivery room on temperature regulation and neonatal course correlation of a modified delivery room score. Following fellowship Dr. Larson joined East Bay Newborn Specialists providing neonatal care throughout the East Bay of Northern California, including at Children's Hospital Oakland. In addition to clinical work she continues to work in quality improvement, most recently focusing on nutrition in preterm babies, and serves as medical director for a community NICU.
Bianca Leonardi, MD (2017): Dr. Leonardi is originally from Hartville, Ohio, attended medical school at Northeastern Ohio Medical University and completed residency at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA. During fellowship, Dr. Leonardi worked with Anna Maria Hibbs, MD, and Gerry Taylor, MD, on sleep disordered breathing in preterm infants. She was also named a 2016 VON Scholar for her work on implementing the Neonatal Sepsis Calculator at Rainbow and had a platform presentation at Hot Topics 2016 related to this work. After fellowship, Dr. Leonardi joined the neonatology faculty at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Danielle Parham, MD (2017): Dr. Parham is from Westerville, Ohio and is a graduate of the pediatric residency program at Rainbow. During her fellowship, she worked with Dr. Kristin Voos looking at ways to optimize family-centered care and how we communicate with families in the NICU setting. She is now a member of the faculty at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and continues to focus her research efforts in family-centered care and communication with specific interest in quality improvement and curriculum development.
Cory Darrow, MD, Maj (USAF) (2016): Dr. Darrow is originally from Brunswick, Ohio, attended medical school at The Ohio State University, and completed residency at Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA. During fellowship, Dr. Darrow worked with Michele Walsh, MD, and used his background in nutrition to improve Rainbow’s neonatal TPN and TPN protocols. After fellowship, Dr. Darrow returned full-time to the US Air Force wasstationed in Okinawa, Japan and Virginia as a neonatologist. He is now practicing in Orlando, FL.
Andrew Dylag, MD (2016): Dr. Dylag is originally from Buffalo, NY, attending medical school at Stony Brook University, and completed residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, Dr. Dylag worked with Peter MacFarlane, MD, focusing on the effects of intermittent hypoxia and hyperoxia on respiratory function in a mouse model. He won a Marshall Klaus Award in Perinatal Research for this work. After fellowship, Dr. Dylag joined the neonatology faculty at the University of Rochester (NY) and continues with a focus on basic science pulmonary research.
Stephanie Ford, MD (2016): Dr. Ford is originally from Bay Village, Ohio, attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University, and completed residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, Dr. Ford began working with Michiko Watanabe, MD, and Michael Jenkins, MD, in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, exploring the effects of abnormal function on cardiac development. This novel research has earned Dr. Ford many accolades and led to two early publications. Following fellowship, Dr. Ford joined the neonatology faculty at Rainbow and continues her research in cardiac embryology and clinical leadership of our Neonatal Pulmonary Hypertension program.
Meggan Kuper-Sasse, MD (2016): Dr. Kuper-Sasse is originally from Cleveland, attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati, and completed residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, Dr. Kuper-Sasse worked with Dr. MacFarlane on airway and pulmonary vascular reactivity. Following fellowship, Dr. Kuper-Sasse joined the neonatology faculty at Rainbow and has taken on leadership roles in development of NeuroNICU and a community level II NICU.
Christopher Nitkin, MD (2016): Dr. Nitkin is originally from Kinnelon, NJ, attended medical school at Mount Sinai (NY), and completed residency at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. During fellowship, Dr. Nitkin worked with Tracy Bonfield, MD, exploring the use of stem cell therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Following fellowship, Dr. Nitkin joined the neonatology faculty at Mercy Children’s, University of Missouri Kansas City and continues to research neonatal applications of stem cells.
Arielle Olicker, MD (2015): Dr. Olicker is originally from Pembroke Pines, FL., attended medical school at the University of Miami (FL.), and completed residency at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. During fellowship, she worked with Dr. Hibbs examining respiratory outcomes before and after changes to Synagis administration guidelines. Following fellowship, Dr. Olicker joined the neonatology faculty at Rainbow with a focus on neonatal outcomes and the Neonatology Continuity Clinic and is now the division’s director of neonatal transport.
Chris Stryker, MD (2015): Dr. Stryker is from Bethlehem, PA. and was a pediatric resident at Rainbow. His research mentor was Dr. Peter MacFarlane and he studied the role of extracellular matrix in respiratory neural development. Following fellowship, hejoined Mid-Atlantic Neonatology Associates in Morristown, New Jersey.
Chayatat (Co) Ruangkit, MD (2015): Dr. Ruangkit is from Bangkok, Thailand and completed his residency at Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center (N.J.). During fellowship, Dr. Ruangkit worked with Dr. Viswanathan investigating UTI in premature infants. He also worked with Dr. Bhola on the clinical implementation of delayed umbilical cord clamping. Following fellowship, Dr. Ruangkit returned to his native Thailand and joined the neonatology faculty at Ramithibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. He continues to research delayed umbilical cord clamping, neonatal echocardiography, and hemodynamics in addition to QI efforts to improve care in developing countries.