Committees

Membership Committee

Nicole Spillane, MD (Chair)
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, NJ

Rehman Chowdhry, MD
Albany Medical Center
Albany, NY

Melanie Leong, MD, MS, FAAP
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Westchester Medical Center
Valhalla, NY

Kavya Rao, MD
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

Laura Perretta, MD
The Regional Neonatal Center Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Westchester Medical Center
Valhalla, NY

Jennifer Duchon, MDCM, MPH, DrPH
Mount Sinai Medical Center
New York, NY

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: A strong commitment to establish a diverse and inclusive group of members who are representative of our pediatric research community at large.

Responsibilities:

Review all membership applications to ensure that applicants fulfill the requirements set forth by ESPR bylaws.
Update membership requirements when necessary to ensure all eligible providers are included.
Provide outreach to regional institutions regarding the benefits of ESPR membership.
Highlight new members at our annual meeting.
Assist in both adapting current and developing new initiatives to support ESPR membership.

Nominating Committee

Elisa Muniz, MD, MS (Chair)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY

Shaon Sengupta, MD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA

Jennifer Cerone, MD, FAAP
Albany Medical Center
Albany, NY

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: To recruit representative and diverse nominees for the election of open council and officer positions.

Responsibilities:

Notify membership of open positions and request nominations (November-January).

Review nominees to be sure they meet bylaws criteria, are current members of ESPR, and create ballot.

Run elections such that voting occurs February through midnight of the day before the annual business meeting at the ESPR Scientific Meeting.

Notify elected council members and officers as well as those not elected of their status. Those newly elected will be invited to the Council and Business Meetings at the ESPR Scientific Meeting. Those not elected will be encouraged to join an ESPR committee.

Planning Committee

Vivien Yap, MD (Chair)
Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, NY

Jayasree Nair, MD
John R Oishei Children's Hospital
Buffalo, NY

Elizabeth Yen, MD
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, MA

Catherine Buck, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, CT

David Kaufman, MD
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, VA

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: To ensure the successful planning, coordination and execution of the ESPR annual conference

Responsibilities:

To work with the ESPR President, Council and relevant Subcommittees to develop the program for the annual conference. This includes the selection of themes and speakers for the plenary sessions, the Great Debate, the Mentor of the Year Award, as well as the pre-conference workshops (Timeline: June-Sept).
To work closely with vendor and service agents in the selection and provision of necessary conference supplies and materials. This will include the selection of the site venue and amenities, audio-visual equipment and staffing, as well as software and administrative support for abstract submission and review, conference registration, and communication with ESPR members (Timeline: throughout).
To invite the ESPR community to submit their science and volunteer as abstract reviewers and conference session moderators (Timeline: Oct-Dec).
To organize the review of the submitted abstracts (original science and case competition), the selection of abstracts for presentation, and to finalize the conference content and agenda (Dec-Jan).
To identify the top ranked abstracts and cases for current and future ESPR award categories, including the Young Investigator Awards (Trainee and Faculty), Diversity in the Research Workforce Awards, the Clinical Case Competition, Quality Improvement Award, and Poster Awards (Jan).
During the conference, to organize and assist with all virtual and/or on-site activities to ensure the success of the event (March).
After the conference, work with the ESPR President, Council, and relevant Subcommittees to review conference feedback and incorporate recommendations for improvements in future conferences (April-May).

Sponsorship Committee

Kate Tauber, MD (Chair)
Albany Medical Center
Albany, NY

Heather Brumberg, MD
Marie Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center - New York Medical College
White Plains, NY

Ranjith Kamity, MD, FAAP, CHCQM
NYU Langone Hospital
Mineola, NY

Kelley Kovatis, MD
Christiana Care
Newark, DE

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: To secure financial support for ESPR initiatives (including annual meetings, workshops, and webinars) in the form of sponsorship or exhibitorship from both academic and non-academic sources

Responsibilities (months in parentheses refer to timelines for securing financial support for the annual meeting):

Establish a list of academic and non-academic sponsors and exhibitors, and their contact representatives (June-July)

Send invitations and information about ESPR initiatives to each contact, to gauge their interest in financially supporting these (August)

Work closely with the president, president-elect, treasurer, and other council members to keep lines of communication open with each of the academic and non-academic contacts, in order to answer any questions they may have about our initiatives, and the benefits of sponsorship or exhibitorship, and to facilitate the exchange of any necessary financial documents (September-December)

Work closely with the Treasurer and other financial representatives of ESPR to ensure the timely delivery of committed funds from sponsors and exhibitors (January-March)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Suhasini Kaushal, MD (Co-Chair)
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, DC

Sripriya Sundararajan, MD (Co-Chair)
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Mitchell Kresch, MD, FAAP
Penn State Health Children's Hospital
Hershey, PA

Elisa Muniz, MD, MS
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY

Onome Oghifobibi, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: To serve as the diversity, equity and inclusion committee of the ESPR and promote awareness in diversity, equity and inclusion within all the committees, offices and members. Our tasks include actively diversifying membership and leadership, representing the board on matters of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and supporting initiatives that will help direct the course of the ESPR in such related matters.

Responsibilities:

To act as an advisory body and work with board and committees on issues and initiatives that impact diversity and inclusion.
To understand the current demographics of our leadership and members
To develop a repository of resources for our membership and leadership.
To support efforts that seek resources and programs on diversity and inclusion and conduct activities that promote awareness, action and in some cases changes in the way ESPR addresses diversity and inclusion.
To develop regular sessions (virtual) with invited speakers to address topics that enhances diversity and inclusion within the medical research community and propose strategies to support the efforts.
To develop mentoring and networking opportunities between senior and under- represented junior members.
To create a safe environment for open/constructive/ongoing discussion of diversity, inclusion, equity and respect.
To create an inclusive culture that fosters creativity and productivity through collaboration in diversity.
To collaborate with and respond to our members in implementing the mission of this committee.

DEI Website Resources

This page is intended to provide resources to the membership that support efforts to expand a diverse and inclusive work force in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Resources are highlighted for members of URM groups, defined as: underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Mexican Americans, Mainland Puerto Ricans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders), individuals with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQ, and individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) mission is to lead scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. The NIMHD has been a leader in increasing the scientific community’s focus on non-biological factors such as socioeconomics, politics, discrimination, culture, and environment in relation to health disparities. NIMHD invests in research and fosters collaborations and partnerships to promote and support evidence-based science to inform practice and policy. https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nimhd.nih.gov%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=u9FILDaGaepFaShW21NtP74aaonds%2FqHsleIJzznkGM%3D&reserved=0

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is a nationwide consortium of biomedical professionals and institutions collaborating to provide, all trainees, across the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programming. The NRMN aims to utilize structured mentorship and networking experiences to enhance the training and career development of individuals from diverse backgrounds, communities, and cultures who are pursuing biomedical and behavioral research careers. The NRMN links highly knowledgeable and skilled mentors from various disciplines with talented, motivated and diverse mentees from the undergraduate to early career faculty level. https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.niddk.nih.gov%2Fresearch-funding%2Fresearch-programs%2Fdiversity-programs%2Fnetwork-minority-health-research-investigators-nmri&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=D66kqD7OPBclVSnCF4eSWkfgord7GdkKmfVVLfVmOc8%3D&reserved=0

NIH Diversity in Extramural Programs : https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fextramural-diversity.nih.gov%2Fguidedata%2Fdata&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=IOdZRdF%2FK4Dhf5DOtvVCBHegDD8fjxMbRK2v5KhPd9w%3D&reserved=0

The L’Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants of $60,000 each for their contributions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and commitment to serving as role models for younger generations. https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lorealusa.com%2Fcsr-commitments%2Fl%25E2%2580%2599or%25C3%25A9al-usa-for-women-in-science-program&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=hCLb95uF6Ll%2FtJG3B3d9n3uioiazJlTmOXa%2FrQLG%2BVI%3D&reserved=0

The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, formerly known as the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program, was created to increase the number of faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who can achieve senior rank in academic medicine, dentistry, or nursing and who will encourage and foster the development of succeeding classes of such physicians, dentists, and nurse-scientists. Four-year postdoctoral research awards are offered to historically disadvantaged physicians, dentists, and nurses who are committed to developing careers in academic medicine and to serving as role models for students and faculty of similar background. https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amfdp.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=PPGXui2kAE09WzxSoB3ojvA4JQIW6Ysl%2FXQlO4ZLxkU%3D&reserved=0

National Medical Association (NMA)

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nmanet.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=vnXRdYqf8y7UsWvghGyZe%2FKO7ofAdbzYu6pJkW5q8o8%3D&reserved=0

National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhmamd.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=4g0bJk%2BPMZ7wNkQ%2BchA0Z67KDHvyqo6T2VuKzA951fY%3D&reserved=0

Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glma.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=%2Fdm%2FcPPDGFJYGAWN1dZgBeL26qIrgy2Kw4FbxPaEqxY%3D&reserved=0

Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aaip.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=H9GHxrzREP%2FH9vWj0TcThftuNEVR3ZnRK8NKxpgFekM%3D&reserved=0

American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwa-doc.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CHeather.Brumberg%40wmchealth.org%7Cffc73f9c11a74ec2051c08d84e9e480c%7C04a4e212fbc24cbdacc567389ee10acb%7C0%7C0%7C637345789005748050&sdata=fBjGWMW09SMTQzGj4LP%2BsJwOmKkw67c74pEo9ntBsLU%3D&reserved=0

New England Journal of Medicine Race and Medicine contains free access to articles

https://www.nejm.org/race-and-medicine

Social Media Committee

Alla Kushnir, MD, FAAP (Chair)
Cooper Union Hospital
Camden, NJ

Praveen Chandrasekharan, MD, MS
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

Vignesh Gunasekaran, MD
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: To serve as the social media committee of the ESPR and promote a public image, name recognition and visibility of all the committees, offices and members of the ESPR. Our tasks include disseminating information about activities of the ESPR, including meetings, workshops and call for abstract submissions.

Responsibilities:

To contribute to name recognition of the organization.
To attract new members.
To inform social media platform users about meetings hosted by the ESPR.
To solicit abstract submissions and call for workshop proposals.
To share accomplishments of ESPR members.
To interact with other organizations and foster collaborations.
To provide a user-friendly, culturally inclusive platform to interact with trainees and faculty alike.
To convey important messages by the various committees of the ESPR.

Junior Representative Committee

Vignesh Gunasekaran, MD (Chair)
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

Yaritzy Astudillo, MD
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital
Valhalla, NY

Mandate and Responsibilities

Mandate: A strong commitment to engage and support junior members who are representative of our pediatric research community at large

Responsibilities:

Establishing presence of junior members across ESPR
Integrating junior into any and all ESPR operations/activities
Facilitating mentorship for junior members and collaboration with senior members
Supporting activities to increase recruitment of early career members