Department of Pediatrics
About UsDedicated to understanding and promoting child health.
What We Do
Faculty Spotlight
Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation)
Dr. Alexis Thompson is currently the Hematology Section Head at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. She holds the A. Watson and Sarah Armour Endowed Chair for Blood Diseases and Cancer at Lurie Children’s. She is also a Professor of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Thompson is also the Associate Director for Equity and Minority Health at the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She has served on regional and national on advisory committees for governmental agenc...
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology)
Dr. Defne Magnetta completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She then completed her Pediatrics Residency at The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2013-2016. She completed her fellowship training in Pediatric Cardiology at The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2016-2019 and served as Chief Pediatric Cardiology Fellow during her final year. Dr. Magnetta completed her Advanced Fellowship in Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplantation at Ann & Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago from 2019-2020, and remained as Faculty following he...
Professor of Pediatrics (Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care)
As medical director for the Institute for Sports Medicine (ISM) at Lurie Children’s since 2004, I have extensive experience caring for children and adolescents with sports-related injuries. I have served as team physician for high school, college, elite, and professional teams. I am currently the team physician for DeLaSalle high school, Moody Bible Institute, North Side Youth Football League, and the USA Rhythmic Gymnastics team. I served on the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness (COSMF) for the past 11 years, and for the last 4 y...
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care) and School of Law
Seema K. Shah, JD, Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Northwestern University Medical School and an Associate Director of the Bioethics Program at Lurie Children’s Hospital, is an expert in the fields of pediatrics and global health research ethics, as well as on ethical issues in the determination of death. After attending Stanford University, Shah completed a fellowship in bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. She then received legal training at Stanford and in a federal district court clerkship. Shah was previously on faculty at the University of Washington...
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology and Epilepsy)
I am a child neurologist with particular interest in neurology of the newborn. After medical research in physiology as an undergraduate, I pursued research in the psychophysics of vision as a medical student, and was awarded a PhD in neurobiology. I am currently pursuing clinical research, primarily regarding neurological issues in the newborn, including stroke, hypoxic ischemic injury, and use of therapeutic hypothermia.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation)
Dr Chaudhury is the section head of Pediatric stem cell transplant and cellular therapy. She serves on several collaborative study groups and in leadership roles at the PTCTC and COG. Her special focus is clinical trials involving transplantation and cellular therapy strategies to reduce toxicities and improve outcomes; especially stem cell transplants for non-malignant disorders; and Pediateric Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.
Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology), Cell and Developmental Biology and Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)
Our lab is interested in the effects of oxygen on cell metabolism, and in the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular oxygen sensing. The signaling pathways activated by hypoxia, and their regulation of transcriptional and post-translational responses in diverse cell types are also of major interest. Current studies focus on the role of mitochondrial redox signaling in the development of pulmonary hypertension. Other current studies focus on cardiomyocyte regeneration in the heart and molecular factors that regulate hypertrophic and hyperplastic remodeling responses.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Nephrology)
Kavita S. Hodgkins, MD, MSCI, is a Board Certified Pediatric Nephrologist and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She practices as an Attending Physician in the outpatient clinics of Lurie Children's Hospital and also serves as the Director of Resident and Medical Student Education for the Division of Kidney Diseases. She has a joint position with the Urology Division at Lurie Children's Hospital and works closely with the Urology Divisi...[Read full text]Kavita S. Hodgkins, MD, MSCI, is a Board Certified Pediatric Nephrologist and an As...
Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine)
My research and clinical interests include topics in pediatric emergency medicine such as analgesia and sedation, pediatric resuscitation, prehospital (EMS) care of children, and education of those involved in emergency care of children.I am the Co-PI of the Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children program, now based at Lurie Children's and have helped to establish prehospital pediatric protocols, and criteria to assure that emergency departments throughout Illinois are equipped to care for children (facility recognition).
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation)
Dr. Hashizume's primary research interests in understanding of the molecular mechanisms, that affect the aggressive/ invasive biological behavior of pediatric malignant glioma and would accordingly reveal potential therapeutic targets for glioma therapy.
Our Home
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Lurie Children's is the Feinberg School of Medicine's affiliated hospital dedicated to pediatric care. Lurie Children's is Illinois' only freestanding hospital exclusively for children and offers patients access to world-class care in a modern, kid-friendly environment.
Faculty Development
Our faculty is one of our greatest resources. To support them on the paths to successful, fulfilling careers, we make faculty development a priority.<
Diversity & Inclusion
The Department of Pediatrics strives to create and maintain training programs that mirror the diverse patient population we serve in Chicago. We believe that diverse faculty, residency and fellowship programs are essential to our long-term success as leaders in academic medicine.
Physician-Scientist Training & Resources
We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and formal training programs to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.