Meet our team
Board Members
Jessica White, MD, FAAP
Dr. Jessica White completed her pediatric residency and neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at the University of Iowa. She is a staff neonatologist at Sanford Children's Specialty Clinic in Sioux Falls, SD. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine as well as a Clinical Investigator at Sanford Research. Her academic interests include neonatal intestinal development and nutrition, maternal substance exposures and effects on development, and medical education of pediatric residents.
Zahi Zeidan, MD, FAAP
Immediate Past President
University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
zzeidan@childrensomaha.org
Dr. Zeidan attended medical school at American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. He did a pediatric residency and neonatal fellowship at MetroHealth Medical Center – Case Western Reserve University. Currently he is part of neonatal team at Omaha Children’s Hospital and at University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also the medical director of the Fetal Care Center.
Jane Brumbaugh, MD, FAAP
Past President
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
brumbaugh.jane@mayo.edu
Dr. Jane Brumbaugh completed her pediatric residency and neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at University of Minnesota. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She serves as the Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her clinical and research interests include: cognitive, behavioral, and educational outcomes of moderate to late preterm infants, pulmonary outcomes of high-risk preterm infants, and the effects of transfusion on the developing brain.
Samuel Wong, MD, FAAP
Treasurer
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
samuel-wong@uiowa.edu
Dr. Samuel Wong is a board certified neonatologist. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota and neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Indiana University. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Neonatology at the University of Iowa Stead Family Department of Pediatrics in Iowa City, IA. In addition to his clinical education, he has completed a Master of Science in Clinical Research through the Indiana University Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Michael Porte, MD, FAAP
Immediate Past Treasurer
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
maporte@pediatrics.wisc.edu
Dr. Porte is a board certified Neonatologist with special interest in delivery room newborn resuscitation. He also has interest in PCR rapid detection of bacterial and viral causes of sepsis and meningitis. He serves on the Dane County Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Board
Sachin Amin, MD, FAAP
Secretary
Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL
Sachin.Amin@lumc.edu
Dr. Amin attended medical school at University of Bombay, India. He did a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at University of Illinois. Currently he is the Chief Neonatologist and the Medical Director at Loyola University Medical Center. He is also the Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stritch School of Medicine.
Nishant Srinivasan, MD
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
srinis@uic.edu
Dr. Nishant Srinivasan completed his pediatric residency at Mount Sinai Hospital and neonatal-perinatal fellowship at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Srinivasan is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as the Assistant Program Director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship and the Director of Simulation in the NICU. His academic interests include education through simulation, neonatal acute kidney injury and systemic hypertension.
Hayley Friedman, MD
Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO
friedmanh@wustl.edu
Dr. Hayley Friedman completed her pediatrics residency at St. Louis University Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and her neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Tufts Medical Center Floating Hospital for Children in Boston. Dr. Friedman is currently an Instructor of Pediatrics within the Division of Newborn Medicine at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. Her academic interests include Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Advocacy. She is a primary team member within the multidisciplinary CARE Clinic (Clinic for Acceptance, Recovery, and Empowerment) at Barnes Jewish Hospital, as well as in NAS focused programs at St. Louis Children's Hospital, including her role as Director of the NAS Neurodevelopment Clinic. Dr. Friedman has been involved in the AAP since medical school, most recently as Chair of the TECaN advocacy committee and advocacy campaign #NavigatingNAS.
Martha Goodwin, MSN, RN, NNP-BC
Children’s Mercy Hospitals & Clinics
University of Missouri Kansas City, School of Nursing, Kansas City, MO
mgoodwin@cmh.edu
Martha Goodwin MSN, RN, NNP-BC is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in Kansas City MO. She serves as the director of the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner department at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Martha is clinical faculty at the University of Missouri Kansas City where she teaches in the Master’s program for Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. Education is her passion and she actively participates in outreach education, education of hospital staff and conference planning.
Rebecca Chuffo Davila, DNP, NNP-BC, FAANP
University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Rebecca Chuffo Davila, DNP, NNP-BC, FAANP is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital NICU in Iowa City, IA. She completed her Masters Degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Doctor of Nurse Practitioner Degree at Rush University in Chicago. Rebecca also is clinical faculty at the University of Missouri Kansas City where she teaches in the Master's program for Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. Her clinical research focus is in the area of maternal depression and anxiety of mothers of NICU infants. Rebecca serves on many committees within her institution. She has held and presently holds board positions in the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, and the Iowa Association of Neonatal Nurses. Rebecca is a fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Kerri Machut, MD, FAAP
Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Kerri is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Attending Neonatologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Her academic focuses include investigating and building initiatives for family-centered care and various aspects of pediatric workforce advancement.
Brianna Brei, MD
Dr. Brianna Brei completed her pediatric residency at Rush University Children’s Hospital in Chicago and her neonatal-perinatal fellowship at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Brei is currently an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Children’s Nebraska. After her own experience as a NICU mother, Dr. Brei has become passionate about neonatal follow-up, neurodevelopmental outcomes, and parental mental health both in and following the NICU journey. She serves as the Neonatologist in the TIPS clinic, a free state-wide, family-centered NICU follow-up clinic in Nebraska, focused on empowering and advocating for families, and supporting babies to achieve their optimal growth, development, and behavioral outcomes.
Previous Board Members
Akshaya Vachharajani, MD, FAAP
University of Missouri in Columbia and a neonatologist at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Columbia, MO
vachharajaniaj@health.missouri.edu
Dr. Akshaya Vachharajai is a Professor of Child Health. He is Associate editor for the Neo Reviews Video Corner and is on the Neo Reviews editorial board.
Interests include simulation education and studying outcomes of various neonatal conditions.
Kimberly Spence, MD, FAAP
St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
kimberly.spence@health.slu.edu
Kimberly Spence is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Saint Louis University and practices neonatology for SSM Saint Louis. After graduating from medical school at University of Missouri-Columbia, Dr. Spence completed a pediatric residency and a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. She joined Saint Louis University’s faculty in 2008. Dr. Spence has a particular interest in improving the care and long-term outcomes for infants and families affected by opioid use disorder. Other areas of interest include quality improvement and pediatric ethics. Dr. Spence completed a certification in pediatric biomedical ethics at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City in 2015.
Joshua E. Petrikin, MD, FAAP
Founder & 1st President
University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine
Children’s Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, Kansas City, MO
jepetrikin@cmh.edu
Dr. Joshua E. Petrikin completed his pediatrics residency at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, Kansas City. He serves as a Chair at Department of Pediatrics Truman Medical Center, Director at Truman Medical Center NICU, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
Ann Anderson Berry, MD, FAAP
University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
alanders@unmc.edu
Dr. Anderson Berry currently serves as the Interim Chief of Neonatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, NE. She is also the Medical Director of the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, and her research focuses on perinatal nutrition, in particular the impact of fat soluble vitamins on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Julie B. Lindower, MD, MPH, FAAP
Past President
University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
julie-lindower@uiowa.edu
Dr. Julie Lindower received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, completed her pediatric residency at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and completed her neonatology specialty training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lindower is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. She has a special interest in improving the quality, safety, and reliability of NICU care. Dr. Lindower has served as a member of the District Six Section of Neonatologists Board of Directors since 2011.
Ghanshyam Agarwal, MD, FAAP
Past Treasurer
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL
Dr. Ghanshyam Agarwal completed his pediatric residency and fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago. Dr. Agarwal is working at Stroger Hospital of Cook County and Saint Mary of Nazareth hospital, Chicago. He is also part of Lurie Children hospital team of neonatologists providing services to outreach hospitals. Dr. Agarwal’s areas of interest are improving the nutritional status of children by promoting healthy eating, quality control, and establishing practice of evidence based medicine at level II NICU.
Dena K. Hubbard, MD, FAAP
Past President
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
dkhubbard@cmh.edu
Dena K. Hubbard, MD is a neonatologist in the Kansas City metro. Her academic interests include medical education, advocacy, physician wellness, and global health. She is actively involved in the AAP Section on Neonatal Perinatal Medicine and is the founding Co-chair for the Mid-Career Neonatologists subgroup (MID-CAN). Dr. Hubbard was one of the original founding members of the District Six Section of Neonatologists.
Waseem Altaf, MD, FAAP
Past Treasurer
Sanford Health, Fargo, ND
waltaf@hotmail.com
Dr. Waseem Altaf is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of North Dakota, Sanford Children’s Hospital, Fargo, North Dakota. He serves as Chairman, Institutional Review Board at Sanford Health system since 2006. Dr. Altaf is a clinician with a special interest in improving the quality, clinical documentation, appropriate coding, and utilization review of NICU care. He has served as a member of the District Six Association of Neonatologists Board of Directors since 2011.
Thomas N. George, MD, FAAP
University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN
tgeorge@umn.edu
Dr. Thomas George completed his pediatric residency and neonatal-perinatal fellowship at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. He is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology, University of Minnesota. He is a Director of Clinical Services for the division and attends in the NICU at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, in the Special Care Nurseries at Fairview Ridges and Southdale hospitals and sees patients in the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital neonatal follow-up clinic. His clinical research interests have included the role of inhaled nitric oxide in premature infants, educational research, faculty development, and determining trainee competency.
Karlyle Christian-Ritter, MD, FAAP
Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, MO
kchristianritter@gmail.com
Dr. Karlyle Christian-Ritter is the Chief of Neonatology at Saint Francis Medical Center and the Director of the Level III NICU whose clinical interests include management of persistent pulmonary hypertension and antibiotic stewardship. Dr. Christian is also a member of the Women's Health Council for the State of Missouri.