Our Faculty

Headshot of Dr. Annibale

 

David J. Annibale, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics
Chief - Division of Neonatology
Director, NPM Fellowship Program

Education:

Undergrad: University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
Medical: Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Residency: Medical College of PA / UNC Chapel Hill (Med-Peds)
Fellowship: University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX

Special interests & current research:

  • Quality and safety
  • Approaches to mechanical ventilation
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Medical education
  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Headshot of Dr. Baatz

 

 

John E. Baatz, Ph.D.

 

(Darby Children’s Research Institute Div.)
Professor of Pediatrics

Education:

Undergrad:  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, BS in Chemistry
Doctorate:  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Special interests & current research:

  • Pulmonary physiology and biochemistry
  • Protective mechanisms against hypoxia in alveolar cells
  • Environmental toxins and their influence on lung development
  • Preservation of viable lung tissue for drug discovery and identifying mechanisms of lung disease

Headshot of Dr. Cahill

John B. Cahill, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Infant Home Monitoring
Medical Director Lowcountry Perinatal Outreach Program
Medical Director of Children's Hospital Meducare Transport System

Education:

Undergrad: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 
Medical: Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Special interests & current research:

  • Clinical neonatology
  • Perinatal Statewide Regionalized Systems of Perinatal and Neonatal Care 
  • Apnea of prematurity
  • Transport of the high-risk medical and surgical neonate

Alison K. Chapman, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Chapman

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Medical Director of Stabilization and Milk Bank

Education:

Undergrad: DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Medical: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
Residency: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, MD

Special interests & current research:

  • Neonatal simulation education
  • Neonatal resuscitation
  • Quality improvement
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Clinical trial site PI 

Katherine Chetta, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Chetta

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics 

Education:

Undergrad: The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Medical: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Fellowship: University of Texas health and Science Center, Houston, TX

Special interests & current research:

  • Nutrition
  • Growth
  • Human Milk
  • NEC
  • GI Pathology 

Dorothea D. Jenkins, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Jenkins

Professor of Pediatrics

Education:

Undergrad: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Medical: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Residency: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO
Clinical Fellowship: University of Colorado Health Sciences, Denver Co.
AMSPDEC Research Fellowship: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Special interests & current research:

  • Neonatal brain injury and neuroimaging
  • Hypothermia treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and novel pharmacological treatments
  • N-Acetylcysteine for treatment of neuroinflammation due to chorioamnionitis
  • Early developmental screening

Lakshmi P. Katikaneni, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Katikaneni

Professor of Pediatrics 
Director of Newborn Developmental Follow-up Clinic

Education:

Medical: Grant Medical College, Mumbai, India
Residency:  Metropolitan Hospital, New York, NY
Fellowship:  Metropolitan Hospital, New York, NY

Special interests & current research:

  • Growth and body composition of preterm neonates
  • Genetics, etiology, management, and developmental follow up of preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity
  • Behavior, emotional, and health problems in NICU graduates who received ECMO therapy/the risk  for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders 

Frances R. Koch, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Koch

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
MUSC Representative: SC DHEC Metabolic Screening Program
Physician Leader for SC Genetic Screening Project 

Education:

Undergrad: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Medical: LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
Residency: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Special interests & current research:

  • Respiratory disease of the newborn
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • ECMO 
  • Congenital diaphragmatic hernia 

Kimberly G. Lee, M.D., MSc, IBCLC Headshot of Dr. Lee

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics 

Education:

Undergrad: Calvin University,  Grand Rapids, MI
Medical: Wayne State University,  Detroit, MI
Residency:  Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
Fellowship:  Harvard Program in Neonatology, Boston, MA
Master of Science (Maternal/Child Health): Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Experience Beyond Fellowship: 

  • Developed newborn nursery hospitalist service, medical student newborn clerkship curriculum, and medical student lactation elective as a Stone Education Fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Scholar of the Academy at Harvard Medical School
  • International board-certified lactation consultant since 2003
  • Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine since 2006
  • Spent 13 years in community hospital level 2 nursery setting

Special interests & current research:

  • Family-centered community-based newborn care
  • Breastfeeding and human lactation
  • Development of oral feeding abilities
  • Development of feeding approaches that can be customized to meet individual patient needs 

Laura Lach, D.O. Headshot of Dr. Laura Loch

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Education:

Undergrad: Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Medical: Ohio Univ. Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH
Residency: Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH

Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Special interests & current research:

  • Medical Education and Simulation
  • Quality Improvement
  • Neonatal ECMO
  • Mechanical Ventilation
  • Neonatal Nutrition and Body Composition
  • Neonatal POCUS

Julie R. Ross, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Ross

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Medical Director, Neonatal Nurseries

Education:

Undergrad: Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC
Medical: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Residency: Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Nashville, TN
Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Special interests & current research:

  • Quality improvement and patient safety
  • Medical education and clinical simulation
  • Physiological changes in intrauterine growth restriction
  • Clinical trial site PI
  • Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome



    Heidi J. Steflik, M.D., MSCR Headshot of Dr. Murphy

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
    Assoc. Chief of Research,
    Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine,
    Assoc. Program Director,
    Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship,
    ECMO, CRRT, Neonatal AKI

    Education:

    Undergrad: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
    Medical: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, TN
    Residency: Louisiana State University Health Science Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
    Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Master of Clinical Research: Medical University of South Carolina, College of Graduate Studies, Charleston, SC

    Special interests & current research:

    • Neonatal extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and concurrent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
    • Renal effects of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) medical management in premature neonates

Carol L. Wagner, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Wagner

Professor of Pediatrics
Co-PI of Vitamin D Studies,
Associate Director,
NEXUS Research Center

Education:

Undergrad: Brown University, Providence, RI
Medical:  Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Residency:  University of Rochester/Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY
Fellowship:  University of Rochester/Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY

Special interests & current research:

  • Neonatal-perinatal nutrition 
  • Vitamin D requirements 
  • Bioactivity of human milk 
  • International health 

Our Faculty located at East Cooper Hospital

Tung Giep, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Giep

Medical Director, Level 2 Nursery ECH

Education:

Undergraduate: Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Residency: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Fellowship: Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

Experience beyond fellowship:

  • President and CEO of Newborn Intensive Care Specialists (NICS). Largest private multi specialty practice in Texas.

Special interests & current research:

  • Telemedicine 
  • Development  of level 2/3 nursery 
  • Teaching the business of medicine 

Lori Huff, M.D. Headshot of Dr. Huff

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Education:

Undergrad: Morehead State University, Morehead, KY
Medical: University of Kentucky, Lexington KY
Residency: University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington, KY
Fellowship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Experience Beyond Fellowship:

  • Worked with a community-based hospital, obtained instructor status for “Helping Babies Breathe” program, and worked with Vermont Oxford Network

Special interests & current research:

  • Early Breast Milk Feedings
  • NAS
  • Non-invasive Ventilation