Evon B. Lee, PhD

Evon
B.
Lee
PhD
Professor of Pediatrics
Developmental Medicine
Director
Vanderbilt Consortium Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program
Director of Training
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Phone
(615) 322-4487
Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
11101
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9003
evon.lee@vumc.org

Developmental disabilities; autism spectrum disorder

Specialty
Child Development
Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University, 1980

Alice P. Lawrence, MD

Alice
P.
Lawrence
MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Developmental Medicine
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
11101
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9003
alice.p.lawrence@vumc.org

Specialties
Child Development
Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
M.D.
Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 2005
Residencies
Pediatrics Residency-Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA
Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Residency-Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

Fred S. Lamb, MD, PhD

Fred
S.
Lamb
MD, PhD
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics
Critical Care Medicine
Director
Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
5121
Nashville
Tennessee
37232

Dr. Lamb is interested in how LRRC8 family anion channels support and regulate reactive oxygen species-dependent cytokine signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells. Disrupting the expression or function of these channels reduces extracellular production of superoxide anion by NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1). This superoxide is required for signaling by molecules such as TNFα, IL-1β and bacterial endotoxin that promote inflammation. Movement of superoxide into cells via LRRC8 channels can also promote oxidative stress and cell injury. The Lamb lab is working to understand if inhibition of these channels can provide protection from both acute (sepsis), and chronic (hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis) vascular dysfunction.

>> View Publications on PubMed

fred.s.lamb@vumc.org

Cardiac Critical Care

Specialties
Cardiology, Pediatric
Critical Care, Pediatric
M.D.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1989
Ph.D.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1989
Residency
Pediatric Residency - Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
Fellowship
Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship - University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA

Amethyst C. Kurbegov, MD, MPH

Amethyst
C.
Kurbegov
MD, MPH
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
10th Floor
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9175
amethyst.kurbegov@vumc.org

Specialty
Gastroenterology, Pediatric
M.D.
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 1997
M.P.H
University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, 1993
Residency
Pediatric Residency - University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 2000
Fellowship
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship - Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2004

Heather L. Kreth, PsyD

Heather
L.
Kreth
PsyD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Pediatric Psychology
Clinical Director
Inpatient Behavioral Health
Clinical Director
Acute Behavioral Health Services
Phone
Delivery Address
2141 Blakemore Ave
Room / Suite
150E
Nashville
Tennessee
37212
heather.l.kreth@vumc.org

Psychiatric crisis, behavioral health in pediatric settings, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts

Specialty
Psychology, Child and Adolescent
Psy.D.
Psychology - William James College, Newton, MA

Valentina Kon, MD

Valentina
Kon
MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Nephrology
Margaret T. and H. Laird Smith Chair in Nephrology
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
10111
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9560

Research in the Kon lab has focused on exploring connections between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) especially on mechanisms underlying CKD-associated dysfunction in macrophage lipid handling and inflammatory function. This field has gained urgency because of strong epidemiologic evidence that individuals with any degree of renal dysfunction are at a tremendously increased risk for developing CVD. Our studies have established that even in the absence of long-standing CKD and concomitant risk factors, CKD in childhood causes specific lipoprotein abnormalities linked to maintenance of normal vascular function, including inflammatory responses in macrophages and production of adhesion molecules by endothelial cells. In more recent studies, we show that that kidneys are involved in lipoprotein homeostasis and that kidney disease modifies lipoprotein structure, composition, and function which in turn modulate cells in the renal parenchyma. We are especially interested in the role of renal lymphatic vessels which transport lipoproteins out of the interstitial compartment, and we propose are key mediators of the renal response to injury. The laboratory utilizes molecular approach, cellular physiology techniques, and genetically modified mouse models as well as rat models of renal injury to understand how lymphatic vessels affect kidney disease.

valentina.kon@vumc.org

Specialty
Nephrology, Pediatric
M.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1977
Internship
Internship, Pediatrics-Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
Residency
Residency, Pediatrics-Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
Fellowships
Fellowship, Pediatric Nephrology-Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA
Fellowship, Pediatrics-Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Fellowship, Research, Nephrology-Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA
Fellowship, Medicine (Nephrology)-Brigham and Women's Hospita, Boston, MA

Carrie L. Kitko, MD

Carrie
L.
Kitko
MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Hematology/Oncology
Ingram Professorship in Pediatric Oncology
Department of Pediatrics
Medical Director
Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program
Phone
(615) 936-1762
Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Room / Suite
397
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-6310

Dr. Carrie Kitko is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and has served as Medical Director of the pediatric stem cell transplant program since June 2015. Dr. Kitko is passionate about clinical research and has served as site Primary Investigator for several important clinical trials which have resulted in many high impact publications for which she has been a co-author or lead author. She also has extensive leadership experience outside of VUMC. She served as the Vice Chair and then Chair of the Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Consortium (PTCTC) Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD) committee from 2013-2022. The Center for International Bone Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) is a collaborative resource of data and experts supporting research in cellular therapies to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Kitko served a five-year term on the Pediatric Cancer committee and is currently in her fifth of five years on the GVHD committee. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is the leading pediatric oncology clinical trial consortium that every major children’s hospital belongs in order to bring cutting edge clinical trials to our patients. Dr. Kitko was appointed as Chair of the COG Cellular Therapy Committee in August 2023 for a 10-year term.

>> View Publications on PubMed

carrie.l.kitko@vumc.org

Allogeneic stem cell transplant, graft-versus-host disease, clinical trials

Specialty
Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric
M.D.
Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 1999
Residencies
Pediatric Residency-Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Pediatric Chief Resident-Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Fellowship
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship-University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI