Department of Pediatrics
About UsDedicated to understanding and promoting child health.
What We Do
Faculty Spotlight
Professor, Pediatrics (Cardiology), Radiology
I am a pediatric cardiologist, Section Head of Cardiac Imaging for the Division of Cardiology and a physician leader at Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. My interests include cardiovascular service line development, non-invasive cardiac imaging, clinical-translational research, faculty development and medical education with the overall goal to improve health outcomes for children with cardiovascular disease. My research goal is to expand the use of cardiac imaging in patients with pediatric and congenital heart disease in order to gain insights into mechanisms of disease pro...
Instructor, Pediatrics (Hospital-Based Medicine)
Dr. Hammer is a hospital pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. His academic and clinical interests include Hospital Medicine on the medical floor and intensive care unit, medical education, and working in close collaboration with child and adolescent psychiatry for the betterment of pediatric resiliency and mental health.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care)
I am a primary care pediatrician with special interest and knowledge in nutrition and obesity prevention and treatment. I am the Medical Director of the Lurie Children's Wellness and Weight Management Program and the Lurie Pediatric Bariatric Program. I also have additional training in healthcare quality improvement and safety.
Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Pediatrics
With a background as a pediatric physical therapist, my scientific focus is understanding how an infant's early movement behaviors are related to their brain structure and neurodevelopmental outcomes. The goal of this work is to improve early detection of developmental differences in young infants and inform and evaluate early therapeutic interventions.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine)
My primary interests involve medical student & resident education, care of the acutely ill child & parental education on health maintenance for their children, preventative medicine, and child safety/injury prevention.
Professor, Pediatrics (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation)
My primary research interest is the induction of transplant tolerance; as it applies to the prevention and treatment of a/cGVHD in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and prevention and treatment of rejection in solid organ transplantation. As director of the Therapeutic Apheresis Program, I am very active in the field of apheresis, and am committed to providing state of the art apheresis procedures in all children.
Associate Professor, Pediatrics (Neurology and Epilepsy), Medical Education
Joanna Blackburn, MD received her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, completed her pediatrics residency at NYU and her child neurology residency at Northwestern University/Children's Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago). She then completed a fellowship in pediatric movement disorders at University of Rochester. She joined the faculty at Northwestern University/Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in 2012. Additionally she has been the program director for the child neurology residency training program since 2013.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Dr. Heffernan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Director of the Voices of Child Health in Communities, and the Scientific Director for Quantitative Science at the Smith Child Health Catalyst at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She oversees the Voices of Child Health in Communities Parent Panel Survey, a biannual survey that assesses parent and family perspectives on issues related to child, adolescent, and family health and well-being. Data from the survey are disseminated in academic publi...
Instructor, Pediatrics (Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine)
I attended medical school at Creighton University with my pre-clinical years in Omaha, NE and my clinical years in Phoenix, AZ. I then moved back to the midwest for a general pediatrics residency at Indiana University in Indianapolis and stayed to complete a combined pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine fellowship. I started as an attending at Lurie Children's in August 2024.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Cardiology), Medical Social Sciences (Determinants of Health)
I am a pediatric and fetal cardiologist with a background in health economics and biostatistics. I research topics related to efficiency of pediatric and fetal cardiac care, including regionalization, reimbursement structures, prenatal diagnosis, access to and equity of care. This research is currently supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NHLBI K01HL171819) and foundation grants.
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.<