The Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine awarded landmark NIH grant

The Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine was recently awarded a 2026 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Institutional Research Service Award to support the launch of its inaugural developmental brain science T32 Training Program, “From Bench to Bedside.” This marks the first time that a Division within the Department of Pediatrics has been selected to receive this prestigious grant.

Led by Lina Chalak, M.D., M.S.C.S., Professor and Division Chief, the program will equip clinical fellows and Ph.D. scientists with the knowledge and technical expertise needed to conduct both fundamental and translational research in developmental brain physiology, biochemistry, and cellular and molecular biology.

"I am so excited to receive this award to train the next generation of physician scientists in the pipelines," said Dr. Chalak. "This award is especially critical as NIH resources are shrinking. Our division has 50 years of excellence in mentoring and training, and we highlighted stories of success of prior trainees, which made this funding possible. I look forward to selecting fellows every year for this award and working with my associate fellowship program directors, Dr. Mir and Dr. Leon, and a stellar team of mentoring attendings."