https://medicine.ouhsc.edu/academic-departments Parent Page: Academic Departments id: 23109 Active Page: Our Teamid:23118

Section Leadership

Trent Tipple, MD

Trent E Tipple, MD

Professor and Section Chief, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Nutrition Physiology, Biochemistry& Molecular Biology
Children's Health Foundation Reba McEntire Endowed Chair in Neonatology

Medical and Operational Leadership

Hala Chaaban, MD
Pediatrics

​Hala Chaaban, MD

Associate Professor
Adjunct Professor of Nutrition Sciences
Director of Translational Research, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine


1200 North Everett Drive; ETNP 7504
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

405-271-5215

Hala-Chaaban@ouhsc.edu


Clinical/Research/Academic Interests:
Necrotizing Enterocolitis, preterm intestinal development, antibiotics use in the neonatal ICU. 


Languages Spoken: English, Arabic


MyNCBI Publications


Fun Fact: "I raid the swear jar at my home to buy coffee."


Academic Section(s):

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine


Education:

MD: Beirut Arab University Medical School - 2001 
Pediatric Residency: American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon - 2004 
Fellowship: Neonatology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon - 2006 
Perinatal-Neonatal Fellowship: Women and Infants Hospital of RI/Brown University, Providence, RI - 2009
Pediatric Residency: University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD - 2011 


Board Certification(s):

American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine


Clinical/Research Interests:

Dr. Chaaban is a neonatologist and physician-scientist in the Dept of Pediatrics with a clinical and research interest in Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). She is a recipient of a K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award and currently the PI of a Lead Project for an NIGMS P20 COBRE grant with the Department of Immunology and Microbiology. Dr. Chaaban currently serves as a Council member for the Necrotizing Enterocolitis Society among 11 other leaders in the field. Her laboratory focuses on identifying strategies that promote postnatal maturation and barrier function in infants at risk of this devastating disease. These factors include maternal demographics/pathologies, neonatal feeding practices, antibiotic use, and others. Her most recent work involves human milk bioactive components, specifically hyaluronan, one of four glycosaminoglycans in human milk. Using murine models of NEC, in-vitro culture models (enteroids), and human samples, Dr. Chaaban’s work aims to improve our understanding of NEC, develop reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis of NEC, and develop strategies that prevent this deadly disease.


Select Honors & Accomplishments:

2020: Geoffrey Altshuler Founder’s Award, Children Hospital Foundation
2017: Mentor Award, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatric Research Day 
2017: Young Faculty Award, Southern Society of Pediatric Research
2016: Mentor Award, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatric Research Day
2016: Young Faculty Award, Southern Society of Pediatric Research
2015: Mentor Award, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatric Research Day
2015: Young Faculty Award, Southern Society of Pediatric Research
2014: Outstanding Pediatric Faculty Award, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
2013: Young Faculty Award, Southern Society of Pediatric Research,
2011: Best Pediatric Resident, Mercy Medical Center
2008: Clinical Research Award, Chatham Perinatal/Neonatal New England Conference
2008: NCE Section on Perinatal Pediatrics Fellows Program, American Academy of Pediatrics, Perinatal Section,
2007: Clinical Research Award, Chatham Perinatal/Neonatal New England Conference
2007: Travel Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, Perinatal Section
2005: Best Pediatric Resident Award, American University of Beirut


Select Publications:

  • Chaaban, H., Patel, M. M., Burge, K. Y., Eckert, J. V., Lupu, C., Keshari, R. (2022). Early Antibiotic Exposure Alters Intestinal Development and Increases Susceptibility to Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Mechanistic Study. Microorganisms, 10(3), 519. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030519
  • Burge, K. Y., Wilson, A., Chaaban, H. (2022). In Vitro Apical-Out Enteroid Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE(184). PMID: 35758712. DOI: 10.3791/64003
  • Chaaban, H., Burge, K. Y., Eckert, J. V., Trammell, M., Dyer, D. W., Keshari, R. S., Silasi, R., Regmi, G., Lupu, C., Good, M., McElroy, S. J., Lupu, F. (2021). Acceleration of Small Intestine Development and Remodeling of the Microbiome Following Hyaluronan 35 kDa Treatment in Neonatal Mice. Nutrients, 13(6). PMID: 34204790. DOI: 10.3390/nu13062030 



Educational Leadership

Erynn Bergner, MD

Erynn Bergner, MD

Assistant Professor
Fellowship Program Director, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Assistant Medical Director of Neonatal Nutrition, Oklahoma Children's Hospital
Medical Director, Oklahoma Mother's Milk Bank

Douglas Dannaway, MD

Doug Dannaway, MD

Associate Fellowship Program Director
Director of Neonatal Education and Simulation
Associate Medical Director of Transport, Labor, Delivery, and Consultation
Associate Professor, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Netsanet Kassa, MD

Netsanet Kassa, MD

Assistant Professor
Director of Resident Education, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Research Leadership

Hala Chaaban, MD

​Hala Chaaban, MD

Associate Professor
Adjunct Professor of Nutrition Sciences
Director of Translational Research, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Peter Vitiello, PhD

Peter Vitiello, PhD

Associate Professor
Adjunct Professor of Physiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Director of Laboratory Research, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Faculty

Tamara Alexander, MD

Tamara Alexander, MD

Assistant Professor

Lora Bailey-Downs, PhD

Lora Bailey-Downs, PhD

Assistant Professor

Faizah Bhatti, MD

Faizah Bhatti, MD

Associate Professor
Adjunct Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Member, Oklahoma Center for Neurosciences

Sara Brewer, DO

Sara Brewer, DO

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Kathryn Burge, PhD

Kathryn Burge, PhD

Assistant Professor

Trassanee "Pearl" Chatmethakul
Nalini Dasari, MD

Nalini Dasari, MD

Assistant Professor

Rose Doolittle, MD

Rose Doolittle, MD

Assistant Professor

Jeffrey Eckert, PhD

Jeffrey Eckert, PhD

Director of Lab Research
Assistant Professor of Research

Arlen Foulks, DO

Arlen Foulks, DO

Assistant Professor
Medical Director of NeoFlight Neonatal Transport Service
Assistant Medical Director, Level 2 NICU at St. Anthony Hospital
Chair of American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics (AOBP)
Chair of the Neonatal Exam Committee on the AOBP
Adjunct Clinical Assistance Professor in Pediatrics at OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and Center of Health Sciences

Abhrajit Ganguly, MD

Abhrajit Ganguly, MD

Assistant Professor

Vadim Ivanov, MD

Vadim Ivanov, MD

Assistant Professor
Assistant Medical Director of CCMH NICU
Neonatologist

Erin Jain, MD

Erin Jain, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor
Pediatrician

Barbara Johnson, MD

Barbara Johnson, MD

Assistant Professor
Assistant Director of NICU Resident Education

Samuel Levin, MD

Samuel Levin, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor
 

Karman Low, MD

Karman Low, MD

Assistant Professor

Marjorie Makoni, MD

Marjorie Makoni, MD

Assistant Professor
Neonatologist

Erin Mamatov, MD

Erin Mamatov, MD

Assistant Professor

Maxwell Mathias, MD

Maxwell Mathias, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Alicia Ann Moise, MD
Raja Nandyal, MD

Raja Nandyal, MD

Professor of Pediatrics
Medical Director Oklahoma Infant Transition Program (OITP)
Medical Director of Oklahoma Transition Clinic (OTC)
Chairman of OUHSC Neonatal Mortality Committee (NMC)

Azif Safarulla, MD

Azif Safarulla, MD

Pediatrician

Tavleen Sandhu, MD

Tavleen Sandhu, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Associate Director of NeoFlight Neonatal Transport Service

Kris Sekar, MD

Kris Sekar, MD

Professor
Neonatologist

Birju Shah, MD, MPH, MBA

Birju Shah, MD, MPH, MBA

Associate Professor
Neonatologist

Pratibha Thakkar, MD

Pratibha Thakkar, MD

Assistant Professor

Anne Wlodaver, MD

Anne Wlodaver, MD

Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Medical Director of SAH Level II NICU