Departments

Pediatrics

The Department of Pediatrics is dedicated to providing the very best care for all children. The department's research, educational and clinical care programs are consistently recognized as among the best in the country.

Dr. Yatin Vyas wearing a suit poses in front of his lab equipment.

From the Chair

“Welcome to the Department of Pediatrics. The department is proud of a nearly 50-year tradition of excellence in clinical care, education, research and service at Penn State College of Medicine.”

Yatin Vyas, MBBS, MD
Chair

Read Dr. Vyas's Message

Who We Are and What We Do

Education and Programs

Faculty educate future leaders in pediatric medicine, from students enrolled in medical and graduate schools to the many pediatric residents and fellows.

Research

Through research, our clinicians and scientists seek to better understand disease mechanisms and enhance the treatment and prevention of childhood illnesses.

Clinical Care

Every year, Penn State Health Children's Hospital is a destination for hope and healing for thousands of children
and their families.

Partnerships

We collaborate with partners across our academic health system and health care industry:

Publications

Read through our publications.

Faculty and Personnel

Learn more about our department and find ways to connect with our people.

Contact Us

To reach someone in the Department of Pediatrics, send us an email.

Email the Department

Ramiah was born with an extremely rare developmental abnormality called tracheal agenesis, meaning she didn’t have a trachea or windpipe. She is one of only 11 known cases in the world. The Department of Pediatrics and other teams used cutting-edge 3D printing technology to build a splint, supporting what will eventually be a reconstructed airway using her esophagus. After almost a year spent in the hospital (most of her life), Ramiah was able to go home.

Dr. Giselle Saulnier-Sholler with patient Ford Bartle at Penn State Health Children's Hospital - Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Infusion Clinic on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

Divisions in the Department of Pediatrics

Our department includes divisions spanning the spectrum of pediatric medicine:

Center for the Protection of Children

Chief: Lori D. Frasier, MD

Children's Heart Group

Chief: John Breinholt, MD

Academic General Pediatrics

Chief: Ian Paul, MD, MSc

Adolescent Medicine

Chief: Sheryl Ryan, MD

Allergy and Immunology

Chief: Tracy Fausnight, MD, MA

Children's Heart Surgery

Chief: Karthik Ramakrishnan, MD

Pediatric Complex Care

Chief: Vacant

Critical Care Medicine

Chief: Gary Ceneviva, MD

Endocrinology

Chief: Daniel Hale, MD

Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Interim Chief: Stefany Garrity, MD

Genetics

Chief: Patricia Gordon, MD

Hematology and Oncology

Chief: Giselle Saulnier-Sholler, MD

Hospitalist Medicine

Interim Chief: Colin Bridgeman, MD

Infectious Diseases

Chief: George McSherry, MD

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Chief: Jeffrey Kaiser, MD, MA

Nephrology

Chief: Michael Freeman, MD

Pulmonology

Chief: Gavin Graff, MD

Rehabilitation and Development

Chief: Jeanette Ramer, MD

Rheumatology

Chief: Lisabeth Scalzi, MD, MS

Developing a New Treatment Strategy for Pediatric Leukemia

Sinisa Dovat, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and molecular and precision medicine, aims to use precision medicine to develop a new treatment strategy for a type of pediatric leukemia.

Early-life responsive parenting intervention yields lasting but diminishing benefits on child weight

Responsive parenting interventions have lasting effects on child weight

Early life-responsive parenting can lead to healthier weight outcomes for children in their earliest years, with effects lasting but diminishing into middle childhood, according to a new study.

Read the Full Story on Penn State Health News

Dr. Giselle Sholler with patient Ford Bartle at Penn State Health Children's Hospital - Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

“It’s exciting to be back in a university health system again, where research is a top priority. Here, there are nine pediatric research labs funded by Four Diamonds doing innovative research that could be moved into clinical trials.”
Watch Science in 60 Seconds with Giselle Saulnier-Sholler
Giselle Saulnier-Sholler, MD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Chief, Division of Hematology and Oncology

professional portraits of Valerie Brown, MD, PhD, and H.G. Wang, PhD on a blue background

College of Medicine testing new drug combination in neuroblastoma

Penn State College of Medicine, the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium and Four Diamonds are set to begin a clinical trial testing a new drug combination to treat relapsed and refractory neuroblastoma that has shown promising results in preclinical studies.