Advancing Innovation in Child Health: UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at PAS 2026

From April 24 to April 27, more than 20 experts from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh contributed to the 2026 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting in Boston. The annual meeting connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians, and medical educators worldwide united by a common mission: Connecting the global academic pediatric community to advance scientific discovery and promote innovation in child and adolescent health.

Our experts contributed in several ways throughout the conference, including presenting posters, moderating sessions, leading workshops, and more.

“The work they shared highlights just some of the many ways in which UPMC Children's is leading in clinical care, education, and discovery,” says Andrew Buchert, MD, MSL, vice president of medical affairs, UPMC Children’s.

UPMC Children’s was a proud sponsor of the conference where it was also an exhibitor.

Read our conference recap below.

Day 1

Srinivasan Suresh MD, MBA, FAAP, chaired the State of the Art Plenary, “Ready, Set, Implement: A Pragmatic Artificial Intelligence Strategy Guide for Pediatric Leaders to Lead Change Across Core Missions," followed by his presentation on Generative AI.

Jacqueline Ho, MD, MSc, chief, Nephrology Division, moderated an oral abstract session sharing discovery and innovation. Our experts capped off the day sharing their high yield and impactful research innovations at the evening's poster session: Talia Magoon, MD, MS, Kimberly Rush, Eleanor Sharp, MD, MS, and Rachel Zuellig, MD.

Day 2

The second day of the meeting featured a talk by UPMC Children's neonatologist and physician-scientist Thomas A. Hooven, MD, workshops led by Maya Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS, and Eleanor Sharp, MD, MS, and a presentation by medical student Emily Egbert, MAT, MPH, ScM.

Professor emeritus and world authority on neonatal jaundice Jon Watchko, MD, chaired the “Audrey K. Brown Bilirubin Symposium and Club: Management of Hyperbilirubinemia in the Preterm Infant – Examining Morbidities, Research and Management.”

The afternoon poster session featured the research and clinical innovations of four of our GME trainees, Angeliz M. Caro Monroig, MD, MPH (PEM), Madalyn Lutz, DO (NICU), Alexandra Vincent, MD (PHM), and pediatrics intern Anthony C. Restaino, MD, PhD.

We concluded the day with an engaging reception with our colleagues, alumni, and friends.

Day 3

University of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatrics faculty, including Jenny Ruiz, MD, MSCE, Eleanor Sharp, MD, MS, and Daniela Brissett, MD, moderated oral abstracts and chaired panel discussions, pediatrics emergency medicine faculty member Lindsay Ercole, DO, showcased a poster on pediatric trauma, and dual-Neonatology and Clinical Informatics fellow Chelsea Bitler, DO, MS, presented her work on machine learning–enabled risk adjustment in the NICU for outcomes benchmarking.

Andrew Nowalk, MD, PhD, and Noel Spears, MD, MPH, delivered a talk on mentoring and tips for success along the often winding career journey in the UPMC Children’s-sponsored Trainee Zone in the afternoon.

Day 4

Maya Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS, clinical and translational science researcher and clinician in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics, led a workshop on “Partnering for Impact: Human-Centered Design in Pediatric Clinical Care, Education, and Research” and Pediatric Hospital Medicine faculty member Cassandra Nelson, DO, co-led a workshop on “The POWER of WORDS - Unconscious Ink Shaping the Careers!”

The day also featured poster presentations by Pediatric Emergency Medicine faculty member Elena Chen, MD, and GME trainees Alison R. Clarke, MD, Julia W. McDonald, MD, and Daniel Mohan, MD.

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellow Catherine Madden, DO, MS, presented a talk on “Early Recruitment Matters: Rethinking “Rest” Ventilation During Neonatal ECMO.”

UPMC Children’s will once again sponsor this premier academic pediatric research meeting, which returns April 28 to May 5, 2027 in Minneapolis.

View the full list of 2026 participation, including poster titles, and more.