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Department of Pediatrics

Since the late 19th century, the Department of Pediatrics has been improving and redefining pediatric care, research and training.
 Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN) clinician Eric von Hahn, MD stacking wooden blocks with patient during an appointment at Tufts Medical Center.
Changing pediatric medicine

Our story of caring for children begins as a floating hospital on a ship in Boston Harbor in 1894. Fast forward to today, and that spirit of delivering care under any circumstance is alive and well. That means piloting a program to fight food insecurity for pregnant parents and or conducting ground-breaking clinical trials in genetic testing. It’s also creating a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) to bring care to children in need across Massachusetts. This collaboration brings the best minds in pediatrics together. Residents from BCH train at Tufts Medicine hospitals and community locations, and Tufts University School of Medicine students are exposed to advancements in pediatric medicine at Tufts Medicine and BCH locations. 

From behavioral health issues to cardiac concerns, Tufts Medicine Pediatrics + BCH are partnering to provide our pediatric community with expert care and a welcoming environment. 

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Our divisions

The Tufts Medicine Department of Pediatrics is made up of 10 divisions.

We also partner closely with other departments and divisions that treat a range of conditions in both adults and children, including:

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Department research

In the Department of Pediatrics, we’re lifelong learners who believe in the power of research to push our field forward. When we work together, we can redefine what’s possible in pediatric care and innovation. Our divisions are involved with several active and innovative research programs that strive to answer complex questions about childhood cancer, injury prevention and diagnostic trends for autism spectrum disorder.

Center for Children with Special Needs

The world can be a frustrating place for a child living with developmental challenges. The researchers at the Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN) use our resources to make breakthroughs on behalf of every child and family we care for.

What does that look like in practice? It’s studying the cultural considerations that affect how autism spectrum disorders are detected and diagnosed. Or evaluating the impact of an ADHD monitoring system, which tracks how well a child with ADHD is developing and learning at school.

Hospital medicine

Hospital medicine is an emerging field. And with a new discipline comes new opportunities to serve our hospitalized patients better. Our Pediatric Hospitalist Program, in partnership with BCH, is developing clinical practice guidelines for pediatric hospitalists, creating standards for communication and collaboration and looking for ways to give newborns a healthy start.

Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI)

At the Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), we’re dedicated to better understanding the intimate biological connection between child and parent during and after pregnancy.

The in-utero environment has a major influence on the developing fetus, altering their gene expression and health outcomes by extension. Pregnancy is also a “stress test” for later health problems in the biological parent, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Newborn medicine

Researchers at the Division of Newborn Medicine look for answers to the most pressing questions affecting the health of both newborns and their mothers. That means studying neonatal abstinence syndrome to establish best treatment practices, developing safety standards for newborn antibiotic use and comparing resuscitation methods in the delivery room.

Training + education

Our training and education programs are designed with the next generation of great pediatric clinicians in mind. Tufts University School of Medicine students learn from both Tufts Medicine and Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) teams. BCH residents and fellows also train at several Tufts Medicine sites. We're proud to offer a triple board program in pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry. This is a distinguished program in high demand – with only eight other programs in the country.

It’s not often that you can do something that you feel is going to really change the world and change clinical practice for everyone.
Jonathon Davis, Vice Chair, Division Chief, Newborn Medicine
Speaking with the Associated Press concerning his affiliated research on genetic testing, which was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Jonathon Davis, Vice Chair, Division Chief, Newborn Medicine
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Our leadership

Our leadership team gives us the guidance and support we need to ensure that the clinical, research and training goals of the department are met.

  • Department Chair: Geoffrey Binney, MD
  • Vice Chair, Division Chief, Newborn Medicine: Jonathon Davis, MD 
  • Medical Director of Informatics for Pediatrics: Jennifer Murzycki, MD
  • Interim Division Chief, Pediatric Cardiology: Mark Zilberman, MD
  • Interim Division Chief, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: Ludwig E. von Hahn, MD
  • Division Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology GI and Nutrition: Khoa Tran, MD 
  • Division Chief, General Pediatrics: Shirley Huang, MD 
  • NICU Medical Director: Jaclyn Boulais, MD
  • Division Chief, Pediatric Rheumatology: Trevor Davis, MD 
  • Division Chief, Pediatric Surgery: Walter Chwals, MD
  • Director, Triple Board Residency Program: Karen Saroca, MS, MD
  • Director of Training, Developmental Behavior Pediatrics: Carol Baumgupta, MD
  • Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship: Rachana Singh, MD, MS
Shirley Huang, MD examines patient with a stethoscope during a pediatric primary care appointment at Tufts Medical Center.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, our specialists across Tufts Medicine offer the best in healthcare, when and where our patients need it.

James Goodman, MD of Circle Health and Pelham Family Practice listening to a pediatric patient's heart with a stethoscope during a primary care appointment.
Our doctors + care team

Our specialists and care team members across Tufts Medicine deliver unmatched healthcare with a personalized touch.

Child is playing and fixing an electronic device at their desk and using a desk light.
Articles
Toy Safety
December 19, 2023
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in both 2020 and 2021, approximately 200,000 children were seen in emergency departments across the country for toy-related injuries. We sat down with pediatrician Charles Hannum, MD to talk about the most dangerous toys of the year. By recognizing the dangers and hazards associated with toys, injuries are preventable.
Articles
MIRI PIs Honored at 2023 Perinatal Research Society Annual Meeting
December 14, 2023
The MIRI was very well represented at the annual Perinatal Research Society Annual Meeting Utah from September 29-October 1, in the beautiful setting of Park City.
News
A New Grant Expands Dr. Elizabeth Yen’s Research
November 6, 2023
A new, three-year NIH grant will expand Dr. Elizabeth Yen's research and initial pilot study findings about the effects of prenatal opioid exposure in an infant's first year of life.
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