University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics Presents Groundbreaking Research at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2026 Annual Meeting

Faculty and trainees from the University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics attended the Pediatric Academic Societies 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston, MA earlier this month. Their participation reflects the department’s continued commitment to advancing child health through discovery, education and clinical innovation.

Among the highlights, research led by Dr. Lori Devlin, neonatologist with Norton Children’s Neonatology and professor in the UofL School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, was recognized among the top 5% of abstracts presented at the conference. This distinction underscores the significance and national impact of her work addressing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), a condition affecting infants exposed to opioids before birth.

In addition to Dr. Devlin’s research, Department of Pediatrics faculty and trainees presented a wide range of studies and quality improvement initiatives across subspecialties, contributing to ongoing conversations shaping the future of pediatric medicine.

Additional presentations included:

• Shannon Evans, Alison Lyle, Bridget Hempel – “Analyzing Cases of Ethical Complexity Using the 4-box Method: Outpatient Pediatrics”
• Heather Felton – “Evaluating Digital Advocacy to promote evidence based pediatric guidance”
• Hannah Fischer – “Safe and Equitable Implementation of Early Skin-to-Skin Care in Very and Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants (Neonatal Quality Improvement I)”
• Courtney Giannini – “Mitigating Unsafe Patient Behaviors in the Healthcare Setting-Tips and Tools Using a Multidisciplinary Approach”
• Christine Joseph – “Exploring the Prevalence of Second Victim Syndrome Among Pediatric Residents and Fellows”
• Matthew Kinney – “Vaccine Safety in Norton Children’s Medical Group”
• Cole Labhart – “Use of AI-generated Content in Personal Statements Among Pediatric Residency Applicants”
• Elizabeth Lehto – “Adolescent-Centered Development of a Bill of Rights for Adolescent Emergency Department Care”
• Allison Lyle – “Top Articles in Medical Education 2025: Applying the Current Literature to Educational Practice and Scholarship”
• Pooja Meili – “The Impact of Childhood Obesity on Severity of Illness in Community Acquired Pneumonia in the PICU”
• Kaitlyn Newton – “A Comparative Study of Medical Management vs Transcatheter PDA Occlusion using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy”
• Samuel Pouncey – “Identifying Risk Factors for Outpatient Treatment Failure of Tracheostomy-Associated Respiratory Infections in Pediatric Patients: A Retrospective Study”
• Noah Thackeray – “Gauging the Temperature: A Qualitative Study Exploring Pediatric Resident Perceptions of Rapid Response Events”

About the University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics: The University of Louisville (UofL) Department of Pediatrics, part of UofL’s School of Medicine, aims to provide inclusive excellence in clinical care, medical education, pediatric research and community advocacy to meet the health-related needs of children. The faculty are researchers who explore innovation in pediatric medicine, serve on local, regional and national committees and organizations while helping set standards of care and formulate new models of treatment. They are educators, focused on training the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. In addition, our faculty serves as pediatricians who provide services of Kentucky and the region through our affiliation with Norton Children's Hospital. For more information, visit the department website.