Pablo J. Sanchez, MD is a principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at The Research Institute and a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Sanchez is also a board-certified neonatologist and pediatric infectious diseases specialist, and the director of Clinical and Translational Research in Neonatology at Nationwide Children's Hospital. His clinical and translational research focuses on perinatal/neonatal infections and antibiotic stewardship. Dr. Sanchez is a past Principal Investigator for the NICHD Neonatal Research Network, and currently serves on the NICHD Pediatrics Subcommittee Grant Review Panel. He is a member of the editorial advisory board for Infectious Diseases in Children and has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.

Kristen L. Benninger, MD, MSc is a Neonatologist and Principal Investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research and Ohio Perinatal Research Network at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Benninger completed her Pediatrics residency and Neonatal-Perinatal medicine fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Benninger is committed to longitudinal follow-up and improvement of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants and children affected by prematurity and perinatal brain injury. She is the physician lead of the OPRN BRAIN (Brain Research and Innovation in Neonates) Team, a group of clinical research coordinators and developmental therapists, managing follow-up for more than 12 different studies.

Dr. Benninger's clinical and research interests focus on identifying changes in early brain structure and function resulting from in-utero substance exposure and correlation with later neurodevelopment. Her ultimate goal is to collaborate with caregivers and community stakeholders to design interventions targeting modifiable clinical or environmental factors that promote optimal neurodevelopment in children affected by in-utero substance exposure.

Camilia (Cami) R. Martin M.D., M.S. is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Division Chief of Neonatology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Martin received her M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College and completed her internship and residency at Lurie/Children’s Memorial Hospital-Northwestern School of Medicine where she also served as Chief Pediatric Resident. Dr. Martin completed her fellowship in Perinatal-Neonatal Medicine at the Harvard Combined Program in Neonatology. During her fellowship training, she completed a Masters in Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health.

After fellowship, Dr. Martin spent over 20 years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA where she was an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and the Associate Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Director for Cross-Disciplinary Research Partnerships in the Division of Translational Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston, MA. In May 2022, Dr. Martin assumed the role of Division Chief of Neonatology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Martin’s research program spans basic to clinical translational research to study neonatal nutrition and its impact on health and disease. Her research program is supported by broad-based funding from the NIH, foundation, industry, philanthropy, and state-level programs. She participates in multi-site cohort studies and clinical trials serving as the principal investigator evaluating nutrition, growth, and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in the extremely preterm infant. Her current research focus is on lipids and fatty acid metabolism.

Cecilie Halling, MD, obtained her medical degree in Dublin, Ireland. After training in pediatrics/neonatology in Dublin, she completed a NICU fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Halling joined the faculty at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in October 2018. Her areas of interest are neonatal resuscitation and simulation education. Her publications include a review of the use and efficacy of intravenous and endotracheal epinephrine during neonatal CPR in the delivery room. Dr. Halling is currently the medical director for neonatal simulation at Nationwide Children’s and she is also part of the NICU code blue review committee.

Christina Stine, MD, MS, RD, graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Biomedical Science/Nutritional Studies. After several years working as a dietitian, she wanted to do more for patients beyond diet and chose to pursue a career in medicine. A favorite part of her neonatology practice is seeing the changes babies make on a daily basis and incorporating her dietetic background when useful.

Dr. Stine has authored and presented scholarly work on topics including infant CPR, neonatal hypoglycemia and breastfeeding. Simulation has been her passion since fellowship when I became an NRP instructor and the focus of her fellowship research was on neonatal resuscitation and simulation. Dr. Stine was the National Medical Director for Simulation for Mednax in 2018. She currently serves as a neonatal resuscitation program instructor mentor and is a member of the leadership team for NICU simulation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Stine has a passion for simulation and am working on implementing a robust simulation program at the delivery room hospitals that her neonatologist group covers. Rapid cycle deliberate practice is Dr. Stine’s preferred way to perform simulation.

Dr. Shannon Gillespie is a licensed Pediatric Psychologists working in the NICU.   She completed her doctoral degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH and completed her post-doctoral fellowship with NCH’s Pediatric Psychology Department as the Critical Care Fellow in the NICU and PICU.  She later joined NCH as faculty and has been with the hospital since July of 2019. She has completed requirements with Postpartum Support International to receive her Perinatal Mental Health Certification.  She provides direct patient care to our families at main campus, as well as at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

• Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus
• Pediatric Residency: Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Research: Equity-focused Quality Improvement (EF-QI) research on improving parental and infant demographic data collection
• Hobbies: Cooking (sous chef status), baking, tending to my indoor plants and outdoor veggie garden, visiting Franklin Conservatory and local Metro parks
• Dual fellow in Quality and Safety Leadership, Master’s student in Business and Operational Excellence

• Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine
• Pediatric Residency: University of Florida Shands Hospital
• Research: Clinical research on leveraging informatics to predict extubation success in severe BPD
• Hobbies: teaching my cats tricks, hiking, tennis, eating (not cooking)
• Master’s student in Public Health- Biomedical Informatics Track

• Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
• Pediatric Residency: Children's Mercy Hospital
• Research: Translational research on identification/utilization of intestinal biomarkers to determine presence of gut hypoperfusion in neonatal ECMO
• Hobbies: Hiking with my mini-Aussie, learning how to garden, indoor plant maintenance, finding the best local coffee shops, exploring antique shops, and baking

Cecilie Halling, MD, obtained her medical degree in Dublin, Ireland. After training in pediatrics/neonatology in Dublin, she completed a NICU fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Halling joined the faculty at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in October 2018. Her areas of interest are neonatal resuscitation and simulation education. Her publications include a review of the use and efficacy of intravenous and endotracheal epinephrine during neonatal CPR in the delivery room. Dr. Halling is currently the medical director for neonatal simulation at Nationwide Children’s and she is also part of the NICU code blue review committee.

Christina Stine, MD, MS, RD, graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Biomedical Science/Nutritional Studies. After several years working as a dietitian, she wanted to do more for patients beyond diet and chose to pursue a career in medicine. A favorite part of her neonatology practice is seeing the changes babies make on a daily basis and incorporating her dietetic background when useful.

Dr. Stine has authored and presented scholarly work on topics including infant CPR, neonatal hypoglycemia and breastfeeding. Simulation has been her passion since fellowship when I became an NRP instructor and the focus of her fellowship research was on neonatal resuscitation and simulation. Dr. Stine was the National Medical Director for Simulation for Mednax in 2018. She currently serves as a neonatal resuscitation program instructor mentor and is a member of the leadership team for NICU simulation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Stine has a passion for simulation and am working on implementing a robust simulation program at the delivery room hospitals that her neonatologist group covers. Rapid cycle deliberate practice is Dr. Stine’s preferred way to perform simulation.

Dr. Shannon Gillespie is a licensed Pediatric Psychologists working in the NICU.   She completed her doctoral degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH and completed her post-doctoral fellowship with NCH’s Pediatric Psychology Department as the Critical Care Fellow in the NICU and PICU.  She later joined NCH as faculty and has been with the hospital since July of 2019. She has completed requirements with Postpartum Support International to receive her Perinatal Mental Health Certification.  She provides direct patient care to our families at main campus, as well as at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Omar Nasher, MD, MSc is the Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio where he joined the Pediatric Surgery team in August 2023 after being awarded the Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng).

He is also a final year Pediatric Surgery Fellow in the United Kingdom where he has done all his postgraduate training. He developed an interest in Pediatric and Neonatal Surgery as a medical student during his elective at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK.

He has a strong passion for medical education and surgical training. He has been an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Nottingham, UK and faculty on various surgical courses at the RCSEng. His dedication to teaching was recognized with the Lord Dearing Award for “outstanding contribution to the development of teaching and student learning” in 2020 and the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2021 by the University of Nottingham.

Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN is Professor of Perinatal Nursing & the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing with joint appointment as a nurse scientist-lactation at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Center for Pediatric Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice. Dr. Spatz is the Founder of the CHOP Mothers’ Milk Bank.

Dr. Spatz is an active researcher, clinician, and educator who is internationally recognized for her work in human lactation. Dr. Spatz has been PI or co-investigator on over 60 research grants, included several from the NIH.  She has authored and co-authored over 235 peer-reviewed publications and written numerous book chapters related to human milk and breastfeeding. Dr. Spatz has authored or co-authored position statements for the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric & Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN), the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. She has also written the clinical practice guidelines on human milk and breastfeeding for AHWONN and SPN.

Dr. Spatz was the only PhD nurse appointed to the Congressional Taskforce on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women. She also served for the World Health Organization Taskforce on donor milk and milk banking globally.  Dr. Spatz is the current treasurer for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Breastfeeding.,

In 2004, Dr. Spatz develop her 10-step model for human milk and breastfeeding in vulnerable infants.  This model has been implemented in NICUs throughout the United States and other countries worldwide (Thailand, India, China, Mexico, Japan, Chile). Dr. Spatz has been named a prestigious “Edge Runner” for the American Academy of Nursing.  Her nurse driven models of care are critical in improving human milk & breastfeeding outcomes and thus the health of women and children globally.  Dr. Spatz was inducted as an inaugural Fellow of AWHONN in June 2023.

For more information please visit

Diane L. Spatz •  Faculty • Penn Nursing (upenn.edu)

Charlie Solley, MPA, Vice President of Government Relations, works with hospital leadership and staff to direct the institution’s interactions with officials at the federal, state and local levels of government. The advocacy efforts of Nationwide Children’s Hospital cover everything from fighting for widespread and robust health coverage for kids to supporting the adoption of evidence-based policies to address the issues facing children today.

Please contact Charlie with any questions or comments regarding the work of the Nationwide Children’s Government Relations Team.

Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN is Professor of Perinatal Nursing & the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing with joint appointment as a nurse scientist-lactation at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Center for Pediatric Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice. Dr. Spatz is the Founder of the CHOP Mothers’ Milk Bank.

Dr. Spatz is an active researcher, clinician, and educator who is internationally recognized for her work in human lactation. Dr. Spatz has been PI or co-investigator on over 60 research grants, included several from the NIH.  She has authored and co-authored over 235 peer-reviewed publications and written numerous book chapters related to human milk and breastfeeding. Dr. Spatz has authored or co-authored position statements for the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric & Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN), the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. She has also written the clinical practice guidelines on human milk and breastfeeding for AHWONN and SPN.

Dr. Spatz was the only PhD nurse appointed to the Congressional Taskforce on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women. She also served for the World Health Organization Taskforce on donor milk and milk banking globally.  Dr. Spatz is the current treasurer for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Breastfeeding.,

In 2004, Dr. Spatz develop her 10-step model for human milk and breastfeeding in vulnerable infants.  This model has been implemented in NICUs throughout the United States and other countries worldwide (Thailand, India, China, Mexico, Japan, Chile). Dr. Spatz has been named a prestigious “Edge Runner” for the American Academy of Nursing.  Her nurse driven models of care are critical in improving human milk & breastfeeding outcomes and thus the health of women and children globally.  Dr. Spatz was inducted as an inaugural Fellow of AWHONN in June 2023.

For more information please visit

Diane L. Spatz •  Faculty • Penn Nursing (upenn.edu)

Bimal P. Chaudhari, MD, MPH, is a principal investigator in the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, a member of the Sections of Neonatology, Genetics and Genomic Medicine and a founding member of the Radiogenomics Research Affinity Group at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Chaudhari is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Clinically, Dr. Chaudhari is interested in the evaluation and management of structural birth defects and suspected Mendelian disease during fetal medicine consultation as well as postnatally in neonatal intensive care units. His academic work focuses on methods to improve the utility of genetic testing outside of the medical genetics clinic. He does this through a combination of outreach, education and research. 

Dr. Chaudhari’s research focuses on a learning health systems approach to applications of genomic medicine in acute and critical care pediatric populations. This work involves transdisciplinary collaboration to design, implement and evaluate interventions which address the challenge of making genomic medicine salient to non-geneticist health care providers. To that end, he is principal investigator on multiple protocols related to the delivery of rapid genome sequencing in acute and critical care settings. Overlapping fields and techniques used include data visualization, machine learning, natural language processing, ontologies, clustering and similarity measures, human computer interaction, computer supported collaborative work, user centered design and clinical decision support. By both generating foundational knowledge necessary to design such interventions and implementing and evaluating them in the real world, Dr. Chaudhari’s work seeks to promote safety, improve outcomes and increase value in medically complex neonatal and pediatric populations.

Anna Connair is an advanced practice registered nurse who works with the multidisciplinary team in the Fetal Center. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Capital University in Columbus, OH. After working as an RN for over a decade, she earned her Master of Science degree and APRN certifications at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. She holds two national board certifications, one as a Certified Nurse-Midwife as well as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.

After gaining nursing experience in the medical-surgical realm, Beth began caring for patients at a local Labor and Delivery unit.  During her 10 year tenure, she found a passion for serving families who experienced pregnancy and infant loss.  She sought educational opportunities to learn how to better serve this patient population and help establish best practice protocols.  Beth continues to work with families who are facing difficult pregnancy and delivery journeys as the RN coordinator in The Fetal Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  She is honored to work with this patient population as they navigate shared decision making with the pediatric team who will care for their child after delivery.

Kelsy Gazer is an experienced registered nurse. For the past 20+ years, she has specialized in high risk antepartum, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. She is ACLS, BLS, NRP and Electronic fetal monitoring certified. Driven by her negative experience with the birth of her third child who possessed multiple birth differences, she assisted with the start of Cleveland Clinic's Fetal Center in 2012. She is dedicated to improving the patient experience.

Kelsy attended Kent State University with a focus on biology and travelled to Leiden University in Holland to perform research in evolutionary genetics and morphology.  Upon returning to the U.S., she achieved her BS in nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She worked for Cleveland Clinic's various obstetrics' units until 2012 when she began her work in the Special Delivery Fetal Center.  In 2022, she joined the Nationwide Children's new Fetal Center. During her career, she has valued education, taught nursing at Ursuline's Breen School of Nursing, and is the NCH skills lab and simulation unit chair.

Ryan is a Master’s level trained Clinical Medical Social Worker who has been with Nationwide Children’s Hospital since 2007. Her career began in Emergency Medicine but she transitioned to Neonatal care when she started at NCH. Ryan spent 15 years in both the inpatient and outpatient settings in Neonatology prior to transitioning to The Fetal Center in 2021 where she continues to develop the social work role in this fast-growing innovative program. She specializes in perinatal mental health, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and adjustment to diagnosis and chronic medical care

Eliza Wertenberger is a board certified chaplain working in The Fetal Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Master of Theological Studies degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Eliza completed her clinical pastoral education residency at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital specializing in spiritual care in High Risk Obstetrics and NICU.

Dr. Mary Crume is a clinical fellow in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Crume’s clinical interests include prenatal counseling, neonatal resuscitation, palliative care, and ethical decision-making. Additionally, she is involved in medical education scholarship, and serves as co-chair for the junior council of the National Neonatal Curriculum Committee. After graduating from fellowship this summer, Dr. Crume will be returning to Texas to join the faculty of UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics.

Albert Isaacs, MD, PhD, is a pediatric neurosurgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Isaacs obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, followed by his medical degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. During residency training in Neurosurgery at the University of Calgary, Dr. Isaacs completed graduate studies in Neuroscience at both the University of Calgary and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed his Pediatric Neurosurgery fellowship at Vanderbilt University’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital in Nashville. Dr. Isaacs’ extensive background and training across various institutions and countries reflect his unyielding commitment to excellence and dedication to mentoring the next generation of neurosurgeons. 

Jean Powlesland received her BSN from the University of Arizona and her master’s in perinatal nursing from the University of Illinois. She has been a neonatal nurse for 36 years and worked as a developmental specialist in the NICU at UI Health/UIC for 17 years. She is a Senior NIDCAP Trainer and now primarily works in educating NICU staff and volunteers in developmental care concepts as well as doing NIDCAP training. 

Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS is an Occupational Therapist who has worked in pediatrics for the past 27 years with the past 16 years in a level IV NICU.  She is the Professional Practice Neonatal Therapist for M Health Fairview which provides neurodevelopment care for 5 NICU’s across the Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN region. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist, Certified Brain Injury therapist, an active member of National Association of Neonatal Therapists, and has completed 6-month mentorship in infant/child NDT.  She has worked within the NICU and NICU follow-up clinic to maximize patient and family outcomes for the most complex premature and medically-fragile term infants.  Holly received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational therapy from the University of North Dakota in 1997.  She has dedicated her career to clinical care and advancing developmental care practice patterns for all multidisciplinary team members.  She has presented at many regional and national conferences including National Association of Neonatal Therapists, American Physical Therapy Combined Sections Meeting, Audrey Harris Vision NICU conference, and the University of Minnesota NICU conference.  She provides Developmental Care, Feeding Intervention, and NICU education throughout the country, including international audiences.  She is a faculty member for Neonatal Touch and Massage; Education Resources Inc; and the only certified NICU/infant Manual Edema Mobilization faculty.  She is the recipient of the NANT Clinical Excellence award in 2018.

Jennifer Hofherr has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years. Her interest in infants has led her to provide training and consultation internationally on developmental care practices within neonatal intensive care. Jennifer is currently the program manager for the interdiscipline neonatal therapy team at NCH. Jennifer enjoys creating clinical tools to support the integration of qualitative and quantitative data to improve patient outcomes.

Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS is an Occupational Therapist who has worked in pediatrics for the past 27 years with the past 16 years in a level IV NICU.  She is the Professional Practice Neonatal Therapist for M Health Fairview which provides neurodevelopment care for 5 NICU’s across the Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN region. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist, Certified Brain Injury therapist, an active member of National Association of Neonatal Therapists, and has completed 6-month mentorship in infant/child NDT.  She has worked within the NICU and NICU follow-up clinic to maximize patient and family outcomes for the most complex premature and medically-fragile term infants.  Holly received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational therapy from the University of North Dakota in 1997.  She has dedicated her career to clinical care and advancing developmental care practice patterns for all multidisciplinary team members.  She has presented at many regional and national conferences including National Association of Neonatal Therapists, American Physical Therapy Combined Sections Meeting, Audrey Harris Vision NICU conference, and the University of Minnesota NICU conference.  She provides Developmental Care, Feeding Intervention, and NICU education throughout the country, including international audiences.  She is a faculty member for Neonatal Touch and Massage; Education Resources Inc; and the only certified NICU/infant Manual Edema Mobilization faculty.  She is the recipient of the NANT Clinical Excellence award in 2018.

Kelly Susey, MPT, CNT is a Physical Therapist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Certified Neonatal Therapist.  She is a part of a 19 person neonatal therapy team, allowing her to focus her time on the 24 bed unit that specializes in the care of infants with moderate and severe BPD.  It has been her passion to improve short and long term abilities in this unique population.   Kelly has contributed to several publications highlighting the Comprehensive Center for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (CCBPD) program, which includes the development of the Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability scale (BSRI).  She enjoys working with the BPD Collaborative nutrition group, which is currently working on a multi-site study of an additional objective measure, the Optimal State Scoring Tool.  Most of all, she love to work with babies, families, and teams that show such fierce resilience during their often challenging, long term NICU stays.   Kelly is married, has 2 grown daughters, and resides in Westerville, OH.

Jennifer Hofherr has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years. Her interest in infants has led her to provide training and consultation internationally on developmental care practices within neonatal intensive care. Jennifer is currently the program manager for the interdiscipline neonatal therapy team at NCH. Jennifer enjoys creating clinical tools to support the integration of qualitative and quantitative data to improve patient outcomes.

Melissa Hanin, MS, OT/L has been an occupational therapist in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital NICU for the past 20 years. Along with providing direct services and conducting research, Melissa is passionate about nurturing the growth of the transdisciplinary model to care for infants with chronic lung disease, empowering families during their long inpatient journey, and improving quality of care provided to these complex patients. She has contributed to research supporting oral feeding on NCPAP, and assisted in development and psychometric research of the Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability Scale (BSRI). Melissa also lead and collaborated with multiple disciplines to develop best practice protocols for use in the NICU NCH,  including feeding infants with tracheostomies on positive pressure, and early oral stimulation for infants <33 weeks. Melissa lives with her husband, two teenagers, and two golden retrievers in Columbus, Ohio.

Jean Powlesland received her BSN from the University of Arizona and her master’s in perinatal nursing from the University of Illinois. She has been a neonatal nurse for 36 years and worked as a developmental specialist in the NICU at UI Health/UIC for 17 years. She is a Senior NIDCAP Trainer and now primarily works in educating NICU staff and volunteers in developmental care concepts as well as doing NIDCAP training. 

Chris Pierson, MD, PhD. Dr. Pierson is professor of pathology and anatomy at The Ohio State University.  Dr. Pierson completed an anatomic pathology residency at the Detroit Medical Center and the combined neuropathology fellowship program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Pierson practices pediatric neuropathology with clinical interests in perinatal neuropathology, brain tumors, neuromuscular pathology and epilepsy surgery pathology. His current research includes collaborative efforts to characterize somatic alterations in epilepsy, neuropathology central review for Children’s Oncology Group trials and medical education-related research. Other research efforts included characterizing the neuropathology of the encephalopathy of prematurity and cerebellar hemorrhage, developing the Mtm1 R69C murine model of myotubular myopathy and identifying SPEG variants as a cause of centronuclear myopathy. Dr. Pierson also serves as co-director of the preclinical medical curriculum at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Adolfo Etchegaray, MD is the Chief of Fetal Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He brings over a decade of experience in maternal-fetal medicine and fetal surgery and years of program development to our Fetal Center. Before joining Nationwide Children’s, Dr. Etchegaray was recruited by the Austral University Hospital in Pilar, Argentina to develop one of the first fetal medicine units in the country, where he pioneered innovations in surgical techniques, implemented sequential multiparametric screening programs and created a two-year fellowship.

While growing Austral University Hospital to become a main national referral center for fetal pathology and home to one of the most active fetal surgery programs in Latin America, Dr. Etchegaray held many titles, including Head of the Fetal Medicine Unit, Co-Director of the Fetal Surgery Program, and Director of Fellowship in Fetal Medicine. Outside of the Hospital, Dr. Etchegaray was also the Director of Diploma in Fetal Medicine and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics at the Universidad Austal and an instructor for The Fetal Medicine Foundation in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Etchegaray’s main areas of interest and research are congenital anomalies, fetal therapy, and prenatal screening for chromosomal diseases and preeclampsia. His work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals, and he has been an invited speaker at more than 100 national and international meetings. Spending more than 500 hours teaching every year, Dr. Etchegaray has supervised the training of more than 700 maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists.

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 2001, Dr. Etchegaray completed specialist training in obstetrics and gynecology from the Ministry of Health and Environment, Buenos Aires, in 2006, where he served as chief resident. Furthering his education, Dr. Etchegaray completed his diploma in fetal medicine from the Fetal Medicine Foundation in the United Kingdom in 2009 under Dr. Kypros Nicolaides, one of the foremost authorities in fetal medicine. In that same year, he completed a research fellowship at the Harris Birthright Research Center for Fetal Medicine at King’s College Hospital and then finished his clinical fellowship in Fetal Medicine in Spain. His most recent training includes a master’s in clinical effectiveness from the Institute of Clinical Effectiveness in Buenos Aires in 2018.

Dr. Etchegaray is a past president and founding member of the Argentine Society of Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment (SADIPT) and an active member of several organizations including the Argentine Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Buenos Aires (SOGIBA), International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society (IFMSS) and the Spina Bifida Fetoscopic Repair Consortium.

Sheria D. Wilson, MD, MA, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and an attending neonatologist in the Division of Neonatology at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. A graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Dr. Wilson received her medical degree from the University of Louisville, and training in pediatrics, neonatology, and ethics at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University.

Dr. Wilson obtained a certificate in Pediatric Bioethics from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri (2014) and completed the Fellowship Program in Clinical Bioethics through the Center of Bioethics at the Ohio State University. Dr. Wilson earned a graduate degree (MA) in Bioethics from The Ohio State University (2018). Dr. Wilson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the sections of Bioethics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. She is a faculty member in the Center for Bioethics at The Ohio State University and instructor of the Pediatric Bioethics graduate course. She is a member of Ethics Committee at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Dr. Wilson’s research and scholarly activities focus on medical ethics and medical education in pediatrics and neonatology. Dr. Wilson's current research includes implementing a Team-Based Learning Bioethics curricula to teach and assess patient-centered, humanistic ethics. Her clinical interests include parental counseling and communication.

Megan Waldrop, MD, is a pediatric neurologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She completed her Pediatrics and Child Neurology training at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County/University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She completed a Neuromuscular Medicine fellowship at Ohio State University/Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a Neuromuscular Genetics Therapeutics fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

She is board certified in Neuromuscular Medicine and Neurology with special qualifications in Child Neurology. Her clinical and research interests include muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy and spinal muscular atrophy, with a particular interest in diagnosing rare neuromuscular diseases.

Afrooz Rashnonejad, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Rashnonejad is the chair of the American Society of Gene and Cell therapy (ASGCT)’s New Investigator Committee and she was twice awarded the “Excellence in Research Award” at the ASGCT annual meetings.

Dr. Rashnonejad earned her PhD in Biotechnology from Ege University, Turkey, in 2017, after completing two Master’s of Science degrees in Microbiology, and Stem Cell. During her PhD, she developed an in-utero (AKA prenatal or fetal) gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). During this period, she also worked in Dr. Guangping Gao (her PhD co-advisor)’s lab in the Center for Gene Therapy at the University of Massachusetts Medical School as a visiting scientist to master large-scale recombinant AAV production. She then completed postdoctoral training in the lab of Scott Harper, PhD, at the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. During her postdoc, Dr. Rashnonejad developed RNA targeting AAV.CRISPR-Cas13 and U7-snRNA mediated exon skipping to treat autosomal dominant inherited Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).

Anne M. Connolly, MD, is chief of the Division of Neurology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and a member of the Center for Gene Therapy in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. An internationally recognized expert in pediatric neuromuscular disease and neuroimmunology, Dr. Connolly’s early research examined the relationship between autoantibodies and childhood neurological disorders. She also studied the natural history and effects of treatment of mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD). She has helped develop outcome measures for infants and boys with DMD and has led or been a collaborator in numerous pivotal clinical trials in children with neuromuscular disorders. At Nationwide Children’s, she leads the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Clinic.

Dr. Connolly has published 104 peer-reviewed articles, 18 invited reviews and chapters and given more than 50 invited lectures. She is associate editor for the Journal of Child Neurology. In addition, she has served as a national thought leader for multiple foundation and government agency efforts to improve outcomes in children with neuromuscular disorders. She is an American Academy of Neurology Fellow, and member of the Child Neurology Society, the World Muscle Society and the International Child Neurology Society.

Dr. Ogunleye received his medical degree from the Obafemi Awolowo Univ, Osun-State, Nigeria. He commenced his Obstetrics and Gynecology training in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Following which he completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in the State University of New York at Buffalo, New York. Dr Ogunleye, practiced as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist for four years in Columbia, South Carolina. He subsequently, completed his Maternal-Fetal medicine fellowship in the University of Florida at Shands, Gainesville, Florida. He then proceeded to completing a further fellowship in fetal Intervention, at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas. Prior to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dr Ogunleye, enjoyed additional work experience with Fetal programs in Cincinnati, Ohio and Dallas, Texas.

Dr Ogunleye is a Maternal-fetal medicine physician, a Fetal surgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, dedicated to the care and treatment of both mother and baby. For women who are facing a high-risk pregnancy, especially those with a variety of fetal anomalies, Dr. Ogunleye acts as an extension of patients’ existing Obstetric and high-risk pregnancy care. He focuses on providing comprehensive evaluation and management planning including additional diagnostic modalities, antenatal testing, monitoring, and treatment options for fetal conditions including, those amenable to critical fetal or peripartum interventions.

Stephanie Tseng is a pediatric and fetal cardiologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Tseng completed her pediatric residency, pediatric cardiology fellowship, and Advanced Imaging fellowship training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She specializes in pediatric cardiology, non-invasive cardiac imaging, and fetal echocardiography. Her clinical research interests include fetal cardiology, echocardiography, and maternal and infant outcomes in fetal congenital heart disease.

Dr. Ruth Seabrook is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, and currently serves as the Director of Neonatal-Perinatal Care in the Fetal Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is also the Medical Director for Neonatal ECMO, and an attending physician in the Level IV main campus NICU Dr Seabrook’s clinical interests include newborns with surgical anomalies, starting with prenatal counselling following fetal diagnosis and continuing through postnatal management. She is particularly interested in caring for newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and neonates requiring extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Nationally, she is an active member of multiple focus groups in the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Consortium.

Karen M. Texter, MD is Director of Fetal Echocardiography at The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Texter received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology fellowship training at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine. Her special interests include echocardiography in congenital and acquired heart disease, and fetal cardiology.

Erin Hehr, MD received her medical degree from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. Dr. Hehr completed her pediatric residency training and pediatric cardiology fellowship training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she is currently finishing her 4^th year fellowship in Advanced Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging. Dr. Hehr will be joining The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s as faculty following graduation. Her interests include echocardiography in congenital and acquired heart disease and fetal cardiology.

María Laura Igarzábal, MD is Associate Professor of Medical Genetics at the CEMIC University (Center for Medical Education and Clinical Research). Laura Igarzábal is Head of the Genetic Section of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at CEMIC University Hospital.

She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She graduated from the University of Buenos Aires as a Doctor of Medicine with an honorary diploma. She completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellowship in Medical Genetics, both at the CEMIC University Hospital

Laura Igarzábal is a medical geneticist specializing in prenatal genetic diagnostics and reproductive medicine. Most of her research is dedicated to prenatal screening and the diagnosis of congenital malformations. She is also very interested in the implementation of knowledge translation in the field of prenatal molecular diagnostics and women’s decision-making. She is currently researching PGT-A (prenatal genetic testing for aneuploidies).

She has published 14 peer-reviewed articles and 18 chapters on prenatal genetic diagnosis.. She was president of the Argentine Society of Prenatal Diagnosis and Therapy (2021 – 2023), and Board Member of the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis and Therapy (2019 – 2022).