The Department of Pediatrics has a unified focus on improving the well-being of children and families, with the ultimate goal of supporting children as they grow into healthy adults. Pediatric research is inherently broad—spanning prenatal care through adolescence, genetics to community engagement, and disease-focused treatments to public health initiatives.
To effectively address this complexity, the department collaborates with nearly every department across the Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, as well as with national and international partners.
The Department of Pediatrics maintains a robust research portfolio, with nearly $16 million in total external funding in 2023. Key areas of focus include:
- Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity – with a focus on inpatient and outpatient food insecurity
- Medical Education
- Neonatal Research – clinical trials and observational studies of prematurity
- Community Engagement and Community Health
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Childhood Malignancies
- Obesity Prevention and Treatment
- Family Systems and Health
- Kidney Disease – including hypertension, transplant, and acute kidney injury
- Care of Children with Chronic Illness
- Celiac Disease and Food Allergy
- Vaccines in Special Populations
