UPMC Newborn Medicine Program New Faculty Spotlight: Mishref Abdelhamid, MD, Brings Extensive Experience and Passion for Neonatal Critical Care

Mishref Abdelhamid, MD, recently joined the UPMC Newborn Medicine Program and is an assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Newborn Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Abdelhamid arrived at UPMC in February 2025, bringing with him more than 15 years of international experience in pediatric and neonatal critical care, as well as a passion for clinical excellence and education.

Background and Clinical Experience

Dr. Abdelhamid earned his medical degree from Assiut University Faculty of Medicine in Egypt in 2004. He completed his initial pediatric residency training at the same institution, and then a master’s degree in Pediatrics. Driven by a desire for broader clinical experience, he moved to Saudi Arabia, where we worked extensively in pediatric critical care for more than a decade. His clinical roles included positions at Jeddah Clinic Hospital, Saad Specialist Hospital, King Fahad Hospital, and Al-Moosa Specialist Hospital, where he managed complex pediatric cardiac and critical care cases.

In 2019, Dr. Abdelhamid transitioned to the United States, where he completed a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Michigan State University, serving as Chief Fellow in his final year. Following his fellowship, he pursued an additional ACGME-accredited pediatric residency, also at Michigan State University.

“I initially chose neonatology because I wanted to save the lives of these tiny, fragile patients," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "Every step we take can significantly impact their outcomes, and that responsibility is what drives me every day."

Clinical and Research Interests

During his career, Dr. Abdelhamid has developed particular expertise in neonatal hemodynamics, mechanical ventilation, and advanced delivery room management techniques for complex cases. His prior experience working with patients in the cardiac intensive care unit has informed his practice in the NICU in terms of neonatal cardiac and respiratory support for critically ill newborns.

Dr. Abdelhamid also had made prior contributions to research and quality improvement projects aimed at enhancing neonatal outcomes. During his residency and fellowship training at Michigan State University, he was involved basic science studies using cardiac organoids to model how maternal pre-gestational diabetes affects fetal heart development. This research resulted in important insights in several published studies (see below for references).

“My work with cardiac organoids helped demonstrate the direct impact of maternal diabetes on fetal heart development," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "We replicated conditions in the lab, showing clear physiological changes similar to those seen clinically in infants born to mothers living with diabetes."

Quality Improvement and Education

In addition to his prior basic science research, Dr. Abdelhamid has been actively involved in several quality improvement (QI) initiatives, and it is an area in which he will continue to focus efforts.

One of these projects at Michigan State focused on the "Golden Hour" care for preterm infants. Golden Hour protocols are care pathways designed to optimize critical interventions immediately after birth and during the first hour of life to improve outcomes in pre-term neonates and others born with complex health conditions. In addition, Dr. Abdelhamid helped to lead the transition at Michigan State to a nonpharmacologic approach for managing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, implementing the Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) protocol, that led to substantial improvements in care and reduction in hospital length of stay for these neonates.

The ESC protocol emphasizes creating a comforting environment that minimizes stimulation and promotes natural comfort measures, including support for optimal feeding and nutrition, adequate sleep and rest, and effectively consoling neonates without the use of opioids or opioid-based medications.

"The ESC protocol significantly reduced medication use, and hospital stays for babies experiencing withdrawal," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "It's about creating a nurturing and calming environment that meets the infant's basic needs naturally."

Dr. Abdelhamid also is passionate about medical education and has regularly training residents, nurses, and nurse practitioners on various aspects of neonatal and perinatal care

"Teaching is central to what I do," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "I believe that effective bedside teaching and clear communication enhance patient care outcomes and help build confident, skilled clinicians."

Joining the UPMC Newborn Medicine Program and Looking Forward

When deciding on his next career step, Dr. Abdelhamid was drawn to UPMC because of its exceptional reputation and the complexity and variety of neonatal cases it handles.

"I had multiple offers, but UPMC stood out," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "The clinical environment here is unmatched. You see the most challenging cases and have the resources and support necessary to achieve the best outcomes for our critically ill newborns."

Since his arrival, Dr. Abdelhamid has already been recognized for his collaborative and communicative approach in the NICU. During his first shift at UPMC, he helped to lead a team in managing a challenging resuscitation of a 22-week-old premature newborn.

“Respect and clear communication with your team is crucial," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "When everyone understands the plan and their role, it significantly improves patient outcomes. Maybe more so than anything else, I want to help foster and promote a team-based approach to care. There’s a lot of ways to do that and it’s something our program and the greater UPMC system is a supporter of."

As Dr. Abdelhamid moves forward on his path in the UPMC Newborn Medicine Program, he plans to continue his involvement in quality improvement initiatives, particularly around optimizing delivery room practices and expanding nonpharmacological treatments for neonatal opioid withdrawal. He also intends to maintain his commitment to medical education and clinical mentorship.

"Joining UPMC is an exciting opportunity to grow professionally in one of the country's leading neonatal programs," says Dr. Abdelhamid. "I look forward to contributing to the exceptional care provided here and helping advance neonatal medicine through clinical excellence, education, and research."

Links to Prior Published Research from Dr. Abdelhamid on Maternal Diabetes and Its Effects Embryonic Heart Development

• Kostina A, Lewis-Israeli YR, Abdelhamid M, Gabalski MA, Kiselev A, Volmert BD, Lankerd H, Huang AR, Wasserman AH, Lydic T, Chan C, Park S, Olomu I, Aguirre A. ER stress and lipid imbalance drive diabetic embryonic cardiomyopathy in an organoid model of human heart development. Stem Cell Reports. 2024 Mar 12; 19(3): 317-330.
  
  
• Lewis-Israeli YR, Abdelhamid M, Olomu I, Aguirre A. Curr Protoc. Modeling the Effects of Maternal Diabetes on the Developing Human Heart Using Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Heart Organoids. Curr Protoc. 2022 Jun; 2(6): e461.