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Faculty

Department of Pediatrics
Pankaj Agrawal M.D., MBBS, MMSc

Pankaj Agrawal, MBBS, MMSc

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Genetics, Neonatology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Pankaj Agrawal is a physician-scientist with research focused on the application of genomics and multi-omics in neonatal care and the determination of the genetic and molecular bases of various orphan diseases, with a particular focus on congenital myopathies. Dr. Agrawal moved from Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) in 2023 where he was the Merton Bernfield Chair...
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Klaus E. Schmitz Abe

Klaus Erich Schmitz-Abe, Ph.D.

Research Assoc. Professor of Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Klaus Schmitz-Abe's area of excellence is investigation. He is an applied mathematician with more than 16 years of experience as a statistical geneticist focused on the determination and development of mathematical models and statistical methods for the localization, detection, and characterization of the genes that underlie human disease.

After...
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Susana Agudelo Uribe

Susana Agudelo Uribe, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Susana Agudelo Uribe is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She was commission into the U.S. Navy in 2012 through the Health Professional Scholarship Program and she obtained her medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY in 2016. She completed her training in Pediatrics in 2021...
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Eduardo Bancalari, M.D.

Eduardo H Bancalari, M.D.

Professor Emeritus
Publications
Biography: Dr. Eduardo Bancalari is an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and past Director Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Newborn Service at Holtz Children’s Hospital. He is also Associate Chair in the Department of Pediatrics.
He is the author or co-author of more than 350 papers and book chapters in the areas of neonatal...
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Emmalee S Bandstra, M.D.

Emmalee S. Bandstra, M.D.

Professor of Clinical

Biography: Dr. Emmalee S. Bandstra is an Emerita Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Attending Neonatologist in the UM-affiliated Jackson Memorial Hospital-Holtz Children’s Hospital and Jackson North Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Dr. Bandstra earned her medical degree and completed postgraduate...
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Merline Benny, M.D.

Merline Benny, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Merlin Benny is a neonatologist and physician-scientist with a research interest in the pathogenesis of early origins of vascular morbidities and cardiopulmonary diseases in preterm-born survivors. Dr. Benny completed medical school at T.D Government Medical College in India, Pediatrics residency at Kansas University Medical Center and Neonatology fellowship at Brown...
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Laura Chavez

Laura Chavez, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Laura Chavez is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Jackson Health System. Dr. Chavez continues to serve as a clinical neonatologist, attending the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Holtz Children’s Hospital and...
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Nelson Claure, MSc, Ph.D.

Nelson Claure, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Research Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineer

Biography: Dr. Nelson Claure is Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami. He is part of the Faculty of the Division of Neonatology and is the Director of the Neonatal Respiratory Physiology Laboratory. Dr. Claure has focused his research on improving the understanding of neonatal respiratory physiology and mechanisms leading to respiratory and...
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Teresa Del Moral, M.D.

Teresa Del Moral, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. del Moral earned her MD. (1984) and PhD (1988) degrees from the University of Granada in Spain. After doing her Pediatric Residency training in the Hospital Clinico in Granada, she came to the USA to do basic research at the University of Miami and subsequently stayed for General Pediatric and Neonatal-Perinatal training.

Upon completion of sub-specialty...
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Shahnaz Duara, M.D.

Shahnaz Duara, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Shahnaz Duara is a senior faculty in the Division of Neonatology and is responsible for the duties listed above. Administratively, Dr. Duara assists the division director as needed and serves as liaison to OB, Holtz administration, and several other services they collaborate with, most recently with the newly reorganized Fetal Surgery program. Dr. Duara has a significant...
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Marta G Galarza, M.D.

Marta G Galarza, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Galarza Graduated Medical School from Ponce Health Sciences University-School of Medicine. She then completed a Pediatric Residency with the University of Florida Health Science Center/Jacksonville, followed by a Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at St. Louis University Health Science Center, Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Dr. Galarza is board certified in pediatrics...
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Qifei Li, M.D.

Qifei Li, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Qifei Li, a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Neonatology, joined the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in April 2023. He earned his Ph.D. from Utah State University in 2015 and began his career in genetics, both clinical and research. Dr. Li completed his postdoctoral training from 2018 to 2022 in Dr. Pankaj Agrawal’s lab at Boston Children’s...
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Hernando Lluberes, M.D.

Hernando Lluberes, M.D.

Medical Director Newborn Nursery of Jackson South Medical Center

Biography: Dr. Hernando Lluberes started working with the UM in 1995 with the Neonatology Department. Initially they were covering Jackson North Maternity Center and at the same time Jackson Memorial hospital newborn nursery and NICU D, intermediate care.

At the same time, they started providing services and coverage of the newborn nursery at Deering Hospital...
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Shiyu Luo, M.D.

Shiyu Luo, Ph.D.

Publications
Biography: Dr. Shiyu Luo currently works as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

After receiving her PhD degree, Dr. Luo worked as a visiting scientist at the Division of Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center focusing on mitochondrial medicine. In 2019, Dr. Luo joined...
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Connie Morrow, Ph.D.

Connie Morrow, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor

Biography: Dr. Connie Morrow is a Licensed Psychologist, Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and the Co-Director of the Perinatal CARE Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She has more than two decades of experience implementing Maternal Child Health (MCH) research and service programs. She is the Principal Investigator of the HRSA funded Healthy...
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Augusto Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP

Augusto Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Augusto Schmidt graduated from medical school at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, where he had his first contact with experimental research working with animal models of congenital defects at Dr. Lourenco Sbragia's laboratory, a pediatric and fetal surgeon. Following medical school Dr. Schmidt continued in the laboratory as a graduate student where...
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Ilene R, Sosenko, M.D.

Ilene R, Sosenko, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Ilene Sosenko received her medical school training both at Temple University School of Medicine and UCLA, where she received her MD degree. Dr. Sosenko’s Pediatric Residency commenced at UCLA and completed at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Sosenko received her Neonatology training at the Joint Program in Neonatology (Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and...
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Maritza Torres, M.D.

Maritza Torres, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Maritza Torres is a Clinical Attending of Neonatology and an Assistant Professor with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Serving as a mentor for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program since 1999, Dr. Torres has been instrumental in training healthcare professionals in neonatal care. She is also an active member of the Committee of Clinical Competence for...
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Lilliana Villegas, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Biography: Dr. Lilliana Villegas is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Holtz Children’s Hospital. Born in Los Angeles, raised in Miami, FL, she earned her medical degree at the University of the Florida, College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at University of Miami Miller school of Medicine.

Dr....
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Shu Wu, M.D.

Shu Wu, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Shu Wu is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of the Neonatal Developmental Biology Laboratory in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She obtained her medical doctoral degree in China, completed residency and chief residency training in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital,...
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Karen Young, M.D.

Karen Young, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Karen C. Young is Professor of Pediatrics, Director of the Neonatology Fellowship Program and Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Holtz Children’s Hospital. Originally from Jamaica, she earned her medical degree at the University of the West Indies and completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship...
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