As a board-certified Pediatrician and a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Dr. Hiremath is an internationally recognized leader in eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), bringing nearly fifteen years of clinical and research experience to advance patient care and scientific discovery.

At Vanderbilt, Dr. Hiremath directs the multidisciplinary Pediatric EGID program, a leading referral center for EGID patients across the Southern region. His clinic is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, compassionate care while addressing unique challenges faced by the children and families living with these complex conditions. Dr. Hiremath’s dedication to his patients and their families has earned him accolades, such as the Health Care Hero Award from Vanderbilt’s Friends of Children’s Hospital. Guided by meaningful interactions and shared decision-making, he identifies unmet needs that shape his translational research program.

Dr. Hiremath’s interdisciplinary translational research integrates pathology, allergy and immunology, biomedical engineering, computer science, industry partners, and patient care. As an active member of the NIH-funded Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) he collaborates with global leaders in the field. Grants from NIH, the American College of Gastroenterology, and institutional programs support his research. He has authored/ co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has been invited to present at numerous national and international meetings. He is deeply committed to mentoring students, residents, and fellows and fostering the next generation of leaders.

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Schematic illustration of the multidisciplinary clinical and research endeavors to advance the field of EGIDs (including EoE)

Dr. Hine's current research and clinical interests include integration of behavioral-health services into pediatric primary care practices, early identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorder within primary care, and use of telemedicine to enhance treatment and support for children with behavioral-health concerns and their families.

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Since 1990, Dr. Hickson's research has focused on why families choose to file suit, why certain physicians attract a disproportionate share of malpractice claims, and studies linking disrespectful/ unprofessional behavior and surgical and medical adverse outcomes. His work also has focused on how to identify and intervene with high-risk physicians. Dr. Hickson's work has resulted in over 170 peer review articles and chapters; educational initiatives to promote disclosure of medical errors and address behaviors that undermine a culture of safety; and the development of PARS® (Patient Advocacy Reporting System) and CORSsm (Coworker Observation Reporting System), programs that use unsolicited patient and coworker complaint data as the basis for tiered interventions on high-risk clinicians. The PARS® and CORSsm programs have been implemented in more than 180 hospitals and health systems in the US.

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The Herington laboratory is focused on interventional approaches to regulate uterine contractions and efforts to better understand the mechanism of uterine contractility. Current treatments are limited in scope and efficacy, often adversely affecting both the mother and her offspring. Our laboratory has established a drug discovery strategy to identifying novel regulators of uterine myometrial contractility. Our laboratory is equipped for high-throughput screening of small-molecules using an in vitro cell-based assay, testing of hit-molecules in an ex vivo tissue contractility assay and pre-clinical in vivo testing in mouse models of preterm labor. Other experimental approaches include: traditional cell/molecular biology to elucidate mechanisms of action. Our laboratory utilizes mouse and human uterine myometrial tissue samples, mouse models of preterm labor, and transgenic mouse models of delayed parturition.

My commitment to a career focused on maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy and labor was initiated during my doctoral studies, where I established in vivo mouse models to examine the important effect of the embryo on maternal uterine changes necessary for the establishment of pregnancy. Specifically, use of mouse models of artificially-induced decidualization, allowed examination into the molecular and paracrine signaling between the embryo and uterus during the processes of implantation and decidualization. I have continued interests and enthusiasm in research centered on maternal-fetal interactions during early pregnancy. Through current collaborations with Dr. Bibhash C. Paria's, I have been fortunate to assist with research projects focused on: 1) improved understanding of the process of blastocyst implantation using mouse and hamster models and 2) exploring new therapeutic strategies for attenuating endotoxin-induced early pregnancy defects.

While a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Jeff Reese, I evaluated the mechanisms responsible for the delayed parturition phenotype of cyclooxygenase-1 knockout (Cox-1KO) mice. While unhindered uterine contractile function was observed in Cox-1KO pregnant females, an impaired cervical dilation phenotype was determined to contribute to parturition phenotype of these mice. Dr. Reese and I continue collaborative efforts to examine uterine and cervical function in mouse models of delayed parturition. Specifically, we utilize in vivo Raman spectroscopy to assess in vivo assessment cervical molecular changes during normal and impaired cervical remodeling in mouse models used to study pregnancy.

Dr. Bill Heerman is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics. He is the Director of the Division of Academic General Pediatrics and Program Director for the Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship. He also co-leads the Epidemiology Track of Vanderbilt's Master in Public Health Program. His research focuses improving maternal-child health outcomes related to obesity in communities through the development and implementation of behavioral interventions to support healthy childhood growth. He has a particular focus on low-income and minority populations. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and is committed to creating multi-generational solutions to health disparities.

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Dr. Hatch's research focuses on improving the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of mechanical ventilation (MV) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His research uses methods from epidemiology, implementation science, bioinformatics, human factors engineering, and quality improvement. Recent and ongoing work has focused on the safety of endotracheal intubation in newborns, the epidemiology of MV and sedation use in the NICU, developing novel methods to measure and decrease harmful MV in the NICU. In addition to his research, Dr. Hatch organizes and leads the quality improvement program in the Vanderbilt NICUs as the Director of Quality Improvement and Implementation Research.

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