That's Pediatrics

Dr. Linda McAllister-Lucas is an NIH-funded physician-scientist who investigates how dysregulated intracellular signaling contributes to inflammatory disease and cancer. She co-directs a research laboratory with her husband Dr. Peter Lucas, a member of the faculty in the Department of Pathology. Their joint Lucas / McAllister Laboratory comprises ten scientists at varying stages of training. Learn more about Dr. McAllister’s research.

The central focus of the Kane Lab is understanding the genetic and immunological basis for protective antiviral immune responses, as well as the molecular details underlying the direct inhibition of retroviral replication by restriction factors. Dr. Kane’s lab utilizes both in vitro and in vivo tools to investigate intrinsic, innate, and adaptive immune responses to retroviral infection. The research is centered around three questions: What allows some individuals to restrict or control retroviral replication? How do retroviruses counteract host defenses? And what are the features of successful anti-retroviral immune responses?

Dr. Bailey is a pediatric oncologist with an interest in pediatric sarcomas. She is also a physician-scientist in the Lucas/ McAllister Lab in the Rangos Research Center of the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Currently, Dr. Bailey's research focus is on Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone malignancy in children.

Dr. DePas's lab is focused on developing a clear picture of the biogeography of infection sites, determining how the spatial structure impacts bacterial activity and interactions with host cells, and recapitulating important aspects of the infection environment in vitro in order to gain an in-depth understanding of cellular processes that are relevant to pathogenesis. To achieve these goals, they utilize MiPACT-HCR, a tissue-clearing and cellular visualization technique that allows for 3D imaging of fixed tissue samples, along with in vitro techniques to characterize the formation and dispersal of bacterial biofilms in conditions that mimic the in vivo environment. Dr. DePas's lab is chiefly interested in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), emerging pathogens that are particularly problematic for patients with CF. By applying their described methodology, they are working to determine the context in which NTM form biofilms during infection and how biofilm formation contributes to disease severity.

Dr. Radovic is interested in increasing adolescent and parent participation in mental health treatment when depression or anxiety treatment is recommended within primary care. She is especially interested in using internet technology such as social media to enable connections between adolescent and young adult peers as well as parent peers who have mental health illness in common and has developed a publicly available website intervention for teens and young adults (sova.pitt.edu) and for parents (wisesova.pitt.edu). Currently, she is has a career development award from National Institute of Mental Health and is conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of the SOVA intervention. She is also part of the ETUDES (Enhancing Treatment and Utilization for Depression and Suicidality in Pediatric Primary Care, etudes.pitt.edu) team, an NIMH funded ALACRITY center.

Dr. Chong is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. At the Center for Rare Disease Therapy at UPMC Children’s, Dr. Chong’s role often involves evaluating patients with immune disorders to determine whether they are candidates for a bone marrow transplant.

Dr. Allyson Larkin is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and is part of the Allergy and Immunology Division here at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She joined the Department of Pediatrics in July of 2011 after completing her fellowship program here at Children’s. She currently serves as the Fellowship Program Director, the Co-Director of the Difficult to Treat Asthma Clinic and the Course Director for medical students and resident allergy and immunology rotations.

The Silva Lab studies chikungunya virus, a reemerging arbovirus that has recently caused explosive epidemics of febrile arthritis throughout many parts of the world. Dr. Silva’s research interests are focused on virus-host interactions that dictate chikungunya virus entry, tropism, replication compartment formation, and pathogenesis. By understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern viral and host determinants of viral replication, Dr. Silva aims to contribute to a better understanding of acute and chronic chikungunya disease. Dr. Silva also serves as the Facility Manager for the A-BSL3 laboratory at Rangos Research Center.

Dr. Stacey Cook is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of The Complex Care Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

This center offers primary care and care coordination for kids with complex medical needs. Their mission is to be a central point of contact for families who use many services at Children’s.

Dr. Freeman is a Fellow at UPMC specializing in Infectious Diseases. Learn about her Coronavirus research.