Research Projects & Grants

College/University

• A Multicenter, Randomized Trial of Preterm Infants receiving Caffeine and Less Invasive Surfactant Administration Compared to Caffeine and Early Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CaLI Trial), Role: Investigator, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns, (07/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Approved
• Brain Oxygenation - II, Role: PI, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, (07/2022 - 06/2024) Status: Completed
• NIRS Monitoring to Stop Injury, Role: PD/PI, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, (01/2022 - 03/2024) Status: Awarded
• Validation of a Neonatal Encephalopathy Screening Exam (NESE) in Term Neonates at Risk for HIE, Role: PD/PI, Stanford University, (07/2020 - 06/2025) Status: Awarded
• Antibiotic safety in infants with complicated intra-abdominal infections (SCAMP Trial), Role: Investigator, Duke University, (01/2018 - 01/2019) Status: Completed
• The Sustained Aeration of Infant Lungs(SAIL) Study, Role: PD/PI, University of Pennsylvania, (06/2016 - 05/2018) Status: Closed
• A randomized clinical trial of therapeutic hypothermia during transport for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): device-regulated cooling versus standard practice, Role: Investigator, Stanford University, (09/2013 - 09/2014) Status: Completed

Federal

• Premature infants receiving milking or delayed cord clamping: Randomized controlled multicenter non-inferiority trial, Role: Investigator, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/NIH/DHHS, (12/2024 - 12/2025) Status: Approved
• Genetic studies of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), Role: PI, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH/DHHS, (09/2013 - 09/2014) Status: Completed
• Systemic Hypotension following pediatric surgical procedures including patent ductus arteriosus ligation: the role of adrenal immaturity, Role: Investigator, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH/DHHS, (02/2012 - 02/2013) Status: Completed
• Pharmacokinetics of L-arginine in premature infants, Role: Co-investigator, National Medical Technology Testbed, Inc., (02/2009 - 03/2011) Status: Closed
• Inhaled nitric oxide for the prevention of chronic lung disease in premature newborns, Role: Investigator, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (06/2008 - 06/2009) Status: Completed
• Testing Modular Budget Selection - Please Ignore/Delete as Needed, Role: Co-PD/PI, National Institutes of Health/DHHS, (01/2021 - 12/2021) Status: Closed

For Profit Organization

• A multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled trial to assess the safety and tolerability of lucinactant for inhalation in preterm neonates 29 to 34 weeks PMA: dose escalation and study extension, Role: Investigator, Discovery Laboratories, Inc., (12/2015 - 12/2016) Status: Completed
• Prospective observational study of respiratory support provided to premature infants at risk for respiratory distress syndrome (03-CL-1402), Role: Investigator, Discovery Laboratories, Inc., (07/2015 - 07/2016) Status: Completed
• Inhaled nitric oxide for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants requiring mechanical ventilation or positive pressure support on days 5-14 after birth, Role: Investigator, INO Therapeutics, Inc., (03/2014 - 03/2015) Status: Completed
• Wyeth - 3001B3-335-WW - A multicenter, open-label, safety study of 2 doses of pantoprazole sodium enteric-coated spheroid suspension in infants less than 12 months with presumed GERD, Role: Investigator, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (02/2008 - 02/2009) Status: Completed
• A multicenter, open-label pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, clinical symptoms, and safety study of pantoprazole delayed-released granules administered as a suspension in neonates and preterm infants with a clinical diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease protocol No.3001B3-331-WW, Role: Investigator, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (05/2007 - 05/2008) Status: Completed
• An open label, multicenter, phase 2, pilot evaluation of surfaxin (lucinactant) delivered as an aerosol via nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, Role: Investigator, Discovery Laboratories, Inc., (01/2006 - 01/2007) Status: Completed
• KL4-BPD-01 A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to assess the safety and efficacy of surfaxin® (lucinactant), in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at risk for developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia. IND # 40,287, Role: Investigator, Discovery Laboratories, Inc., (08/2005 - 08/2006) Status: Completed

Foreign

• Safeguarding the brain of our smallest children - An investigator-initiated, pragmatic, open-label, multinational randomized phase III clinical trial evaluating treatment based on near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring versus treatment as usual in premature infants, Role: PI, Region Hovedstaden, (08/2021 - 08/2022) Status: Completed

Internal

• aEEG screening of neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD), Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Approved
• Pain and stress assessment and ROP screening examination in premature infants, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/2024 - 07/2025) Status: Approved
• Non-pharmacological interventions for procedural pain in premature neonates, Role: Investigator, LLU Basic Science, (04/2025 - 04/2026) Status: Approved
• Evaluating the Impact of Social Factors in Predicting Developmental Outcomes in Infants< 32 weeks gestation and/or< 1500 grams, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (06/2024) Status: Approved
• Quantification of hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, allantoin, and creatinine in neonates, Role: Investigator, LLU School of Medicine, (06/2024 - 06/2025) Status: Approved
• Improving Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in the Southern Inland Counties Regional Perinatal Program, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (05/2024 - 05/2025) Status: Approved
• Pain and stress in premature infants, Role: Investigator, LLU Basic Science, (12/2024 - 12/2025) Status: Approved
• Adaptive dynamic inspiratory nasal apparatus(ADINA): comparison to high flow nasal cannula (HFNC), Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (10/2024 - 10/2025) Status: Approved
• MIRNA in Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy study (MIRNAH), 20230310, Role: Investigator, LLU Basic Science, (06/2023) Status: Approved
• Characterizing HIE risk categories to identify the most weighted contributor in determining outcomes, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (04/2023) Status: Approved
• SafeBoosC III two-year follow-up (Safeguarding the Brain of our smallest Children). Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring versus treatment as usual for extremely preterm infants: a protocol for the follow-up study for the SafeBoosC-III trial, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (04/2023) Status: Approved
• A MULTI CENTER STUDY OF OUTCOMES WITH SURGICALLY-MANAGED NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC), Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (10/2021) Status: Approved
• Perinatal variables that affect ATP metabolism in neonates, Role: Investigator, LLU Basic Science, (03/2021) Status: Approved
• Near-infrared spectroscopy to evaluate feeding tolerance in infants with NEC, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (12/2019) Status: Approved
• Estimation of gestational age via smartphone ophthalmoscope assessment of anterior lens capsule vascularity in preterm infants, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/2019 - 07/2020) Status: Completed
• Impact of maternal factors on the incidence of necrotizing Enterocolitis, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/2019) Status: Approved
• The effect of packed red blood cell transfusion on pulmonary and gastrointestinal hemodynamics in newborn infants, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (05/2016 - 05/2017) Status: Completed
• Gastric nitric oxide production from nitrite in newborn infants, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (03/2015 - 03/2016) Status: Completed
• Novel adaptive inspiratory nasal apparatus (ADINA): Comparison to high flow nasal cannula simulating traditional nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (03/2014 - 03/2015) Status: Completed
• Utility of amplitude integrated EEG in identifying infants with electrographic seizures predicting abnormal brain imaging and mortality, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/2013 - 07/2014) Status: Completed
• Plasma, urine, stool, gastric residual and saliva nitrite concentrations in preterm infants with NEC, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (01/2012 - 01/2013) Status: Completed
• Analysis of term and preterm newborn infants' saliva for nitrates, nitrites, and pH, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (10/2011 - 10/2012) Status: Completed
• Pulmonary hypertension in premature very low birth weight infants, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (08/2009 - 08/2010) Status: Completed
• The effect of inhaled nitric oxide on blood nitrite/nitrate concentrations, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (08/2009 - 08/2010) Status: Completed
• Oral nitrate and nitrite as a source of gastric oxide in the premature infant; a potential therapy for necrotizing enterocolitis, Role: Principal Investigator, John Mace Pediatric Research Fund, (07/2008 - 06/2009) Status: Closed
• Retrospective chart review of low birth weight infants who have prostin-dependent congenital cardiac disease, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (11/2006) Status: Completed
• Communication with parents about end-of-life issues, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (06/2006) Status: Completed
• Gastroschisis: small defect, big mystery. A restrospective review of the temporal and geographical trends in the prevalence of gastroschisis in a 5-county region in Southern California, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (06/2005 - 06/2006) Status: Completed
• Postnatal weight gain of hospitalized extremely low birth weight (ELBW) and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants from birth to 36 weeks post conceptional age, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (09/2001) Status: Completed
• Comparison of traditional vs higher dose iron supplementation in premature infants undergoing treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (02/1998 - 02/1999) Status: Completed
• Clinical and biochemical implications of serum total thyroxin (TT4) serum thyrotropin (TSH) and serum free thyroxin (FT4) concentrations in premature infants, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/1997) Status: Completed
• Esophageal pH Monitoring with Weakly Acidic Feedings to Identify Pathologic Gastroesophageal Reflux in Premature Very Low Birth Weight Infants, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (07/1995 - 07/1996) Status: Completed
• Electrogastrography to Measure Gastric Myoelectric Activity in Healthy Term and Preterm Infants, Role: Investigator, LLU GI Research Fund, (02/1995 - 02/1996) Status: Completed
• Impact of increased early protein delivery on the growth and development of very and extremely low birth weight infants, Role: PI, LLU Dept. of Pediatrics, (02/2025) Status: Approved

Non-Profit Organization

• Use of accelerator mass spectrometry to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of ursodiol (Actigal®) in infants, Role: Investigator, Gerber Foundation, (06/2010 - 06/2011) Status: Completed
• Compassionate use for treatment of adenovirus septicemia, Role: PI, Andrew Hopper, Status: Completed

Other Research

• Cerebral and Renal Oxygenation in Infants Undergoing Laparoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement.  Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Neonatology. 2018. This non-funded clinical research project was conducted since 2018 and a manuscript has been submitted. (08/2018 - 03/2020)