Neonatology Research The division has an unwavering commitment to foster basic, translational, and clinical research.
Our faculty are involved in cutting-edge research related to enteral nutrition, microbiome and prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, hypoxia ischemic encephalopathy, nitric oxide and oxidative stress, health care economics, breastfeeding and lactation, neonatal sepsis and inflammatory biology, medical ethics, developmental follow-up, and clinical trials.
Areas of Research
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD): Catalina Bazacliu, M.D.
Clinical Research Program: Michael D Weiss, M.D.
GI Rehabilitation: Josef Neu, M.D.
Inflammation: Rashmin C Savani, MB, ChB
Neuro NICU: Michael D Weiss, M.D. and Nahla Zaghloul, M.D.
Outreach Program: Michael D Weiss, M.D.
Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS): Catalina Bazacliu, M.D. and Nahla Zaghloul, M.D.
Pulmonary Hypertension of Neonatal and Infant: Mohamed Ahmed, MD, Ph.D, and Catalina Bazacliu, M.D.
Simulation Training Program: Helen H Hu, M.D.
Small Baby: Marie T Berg, M.D.
Publications
Click the link below to see a list of publications on PubMed for all of our Neonatology researchers. Additionally, you can see individual researcher’s publications by visiting their profile linked below.
Our Researchers
Click on each researcher’s profile to view their research focus areas, publications, and grants.
Our Research Labs
Ahmed Lab
Our main lab focus, to investigate the oxidative stress and its impact on neonate lung diseases. Our research team are involved in clinical as well as basic/transitional research. Currently, we are studying many approaches, in a trial to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology associated with progression of neonatal chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension in premature babies and find out an innovative therapeutic approach, by using new molecules (e.g. MIF inhibitor, ENAMPT antibody & VIP analogue), or by tackling autonomic regulation of vascular tone via neuromodulation strategy approach.
Neu Lab
My research programs can be generally described as Developmental Gastroenterology and Nutrition. More specifically, I have focused on studies related to intestinal problems such as “necrotizing enterocolitis”, spontaneous intestinal perforations, food protein intolerance, intestinal rehabilitation after surgery. I also have done considerable research in the areas of intestinal mucosal immunology, human milk, artificial intelligence and multiomics.
Savani Lab
The Savani laboratory has over 30 years of experience in the biology of hyaluronan (HA) and its receptor RHAMM. We have developed the expertise and tools (including techniques, antibodies, peptides, small molecules, cDNAs, knockout, and transgenic mice) to examine this system in angiogenesis, inflammation, lung development, injury, and repair. In particular, my laboratory has been focused on the activation of the innate immune system via the Nlrp3 inflammasome, a master regulator of the inflammatory response. In particular, we have demonstrated that the Nlrp3 inflammasome is a critical component in the pathogenesis of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease of preterm infants with respiratory failure at birth. We have developed specific RHAMM antagonists that block the activation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome. My laboratory tested the first RHAMM-based peptide that ameliorated inflammation and fibrosis in a rodent model of acute lung injury. In preliminary data, we show that an optimized RHAMM-based peptide blocks Nlrp3 inflammasome activation and inflammation in a neonatal mouse hyperoxia model of BPD. We wish to commercialize this peptide as a preventative therapeutic for BPD.
Active Research Projects
PI: Michael Weiss
Florida Neonatal Neurologic Network
The purpose of this study is to create a detailed medical and sample database of infants born with HIE.
PI: James Wynn
Neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (nSOFA) Calculator
In contrast to sepsis definitions in adults and children, definitions of sepsis commonly used in neonatology are variable and heavily predicated on the isolation of pathogens from blood and/or the associated length of prescribed antimicrobial treatment. Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. The presence of life-threatening organ dysfunction is demonstrated using a sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) to determine risk of ICU admission or mortality. To define sepsis in neonates therefore requires an operational definition of organ dysfunction applicable specifically to this population (neonatal SOFA; nSOFA) that predicts mortality in the setting of presumed infection. We recently showed the progression of organ failure in neonates with lethal LOS in a large retrospective cohort (2016). Guided by those data, we developed and tested an objective, electronic health record (EHR)-automated, nSOFA scoring system to predict mortality from LOS in premature, very low birth weight infants (2019).
PI: Michael Weiss | Sponsor: Thrasher Fund
Melatonin as a neuroprotective therapy in neonates with HIE undergoing hypothermia
This project will examine the safety and dosing of enteral melatonin in infants with HI undergoing hypothermia. The phase 0/1 study will examine the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and safety and effectiveness of enterally-administered melatonin in reducing oxidative stress and the inflammatory cascade in neonates undergoing hypothermia. In addition, outcomes at 18-22 months will be performed. The study will be carried out in the Florida Neonatal Neurologic Network, which the PI founded.
PI: Michael Weiss | NIH R-01
Central Nervous System Derived Exosomes: A Novel Source of Biomarkers for Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) affects 1-8 in 1000 live births. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves survival but 35% of surviving treated neonates have significant residual disability. Monitoring of HIE at the bedside currently relies on neurological exam, ultrasound, and aEEG, but these methods do not adequately identify hypothermia nonresponders. Multiple biomarkers have been tested for prediction of neurological outcome, however none have translated into a clinically used test to guide therapy or to predict prognosis. In part this is because markers may be blocked by the blood brain barrier or non-specific to the central nervous system (CNS). PA-18-485 highlights that the development of “biomarkers to provide accurate estimate of the timing, nature and extent of brain injury for infants at risk for neonatal encephalopathy” is a critical research goal of the NICHD. Assay development and neuroprotective treatment must be tailored to the unique clinical phases of HIE: acute (0-6 hrs), latent (6-12 hrs), secondary (12-72 hrs) & tertiary (>72 hrs). Central nervous system-derived exosomes (CNSEs) are nanovesicles that freely cross the blood brain barrier and contain surface markers from their cell of origin (neurons/astrocytes); purification of CNSEs essentially allows non-invasive sampling of the neonatal CNS without contamination from non-CNS sources. We hypothesize that CNSE based assays from the acute, latent and early secondary clinical phases of HIE in term neonates can a) predict short term clinical outcomes (vEEG) as well as MRI changes associated with neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes at 2-years and b) identify the relative contribution of various pathologic processes to adverse outcomes in the individual neonate. Further, we hypothesis that CNSE based assays can be used to quantify the effects of therapeutic neuroprotectants in target cells (neurons/astrocytes) in real time, potentially augmenting future HIE pharmacology studies.
PI: Michael Weiss | NIH SBIR
Multimodal Monitoring for Neonatal Neurocritical Care
Neonatologists provide life-supporting care to babies born with difficult health conditions. In this proposal we will build an electronic tool to improve the quality of care and patient safety for these very fragile patients. Improved care is realized by providing a variety of clinical decision support tools to clinicians including: a continuous searchable stream of relevant data, smart thresholds and alarms, protocol support, shift-change hand-off support, and improved information visualization utilities that highlight critical changes in patient condition.
PI: Michael Weiss
STAR Trial
A PHASE 2, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, ACTIVE-CONTROL, MULTIPLE-ASCENDING DOSE STUDY TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY, TOLERABILITY, PHARMACOKINETICS, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF RLS-0071 IN NEWBORNS WITH MODERATE OR SEVERE HYPOXIC-ISCHEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY UNDERGOING THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA