Department of Pediatrics

I study the experiences of families who have children hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. My focus is on medical decision-making and the interactions of families with medical providers in the process of that decision-making. I also have an interest in how social media may impact medical information and decisions. In addition to this research and my work as a clinical neonatologist, I also work with the Lurie Bridges Pediatric Palliative Care team to provide palliative care consultation and support in the perinatal and neonatal populations.

The Smith lab seeks to understand the role of neuronal activity in the development of the prenatal brain. We leverage modern genetics and classic neurobiology approaches to develop translational research insights, in a effort to treat early life ion channel diseases. Our training philosophy is to equip young scientists with skills to perform leading research and technology development, while also focusing on pressing issues in the scientific community.

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. 

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...

My research is focused on patient and family communication and education, specifically for atopic disease management and prevention in young children.  As the Director of Clinical Research at Northwestern's Center for Food Allergy and Asthma, I am engaged in projects involving anaphylaxis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. I am also the hospital lead for the Pediatric Research Inpatient in Settings (PRIS) projects, a national collaboration dedicated to improving and advancing care of inpatient pediatric medicine. 

Dr. Winlaw is a cardiothoracic surgical innovator as well as an experienced and talented neonatal surgeon. His professional track record demonstrates that he is an exceptional clinician and surgeon, as well as a dedicated educator, mentor and thought leader in the field with an extensive publication record. Supportive, family-centered care is the cornerstone of Dr. Winlaw’s clinical approach. He is committed to clear and frequent communication with parents/guardians and patients. Dr. Winlaw’s focus as a leader is on ensuring an excellent culture of care, including seamless multidisciplinary te...

Children's Research Fund Endowed Professorship in Neurobiology

I am an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician in Cardiology at Lurie Children’s Hospital. I completed my general pediatric training at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. I completed my clinical cardiology training at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University Medical Center, followed by completion of non-invasive cardiac imaging training.

I am interested in treating all manner of allergic diseases. Teaching patients and families is paramount to their ability to help manage their condition. Medical informatics provides a number of tools that can help patients and their physicians to obtain the best outcomes.