Amy Hobson, DO
Dr. Amy Hobson is a neonatology fellow at the University of Iowa where she also completed her pediatric residency. She is interested in predictive analytics and is working with the hemodynamics team to develop a predictive algorithm of the PDA in preterm infants based on continuous vital sign data and targeted neonatal echocardiography. The current model is able to predict a high-volume PDA shunt with high accuracy with the goal to eventually use a similar model as a clinical tool for PDA screening and monitoring response to pharmacologic treatment.
Nadine Kibbi, MD
After being exposed to various kinds of research during medical school at the American University of Beirut, and residency at the Children's Hospital of Richmond, Dr. Nadine Kibbi pursued clinical research as a Neonatology fellow at the University of Iowa. Dr. Kibbi’s main research project has been to evaluate the impact of a patent ductus arteriosus on the cerebral maturation in very preterm infants. She is using the Iowa PDA score to objectively define the hemodynamic significance of the PDA and how those deemed hemodynamically significant may affect the Burdjalov score of the aEEG tracings during the neonate's NICU stay. This will give insight into the PDA and brain dynamic in premature infants.
Melanie Morris, MD
Dr. Melanie Morris went to medical school at the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Iowa. The underlying physiology of pulmonary hypertension in patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is complex and can include multiple etiologies such as pulmonary vascular disease, left heart failure, flow mediated disease, and pulmonary vein disease. Dr. Morris’ project is a retrospective cohort study to identify the underlying frequency of these abnormal cardiopulmonary profiles in infants born < 30 weeks gestational age with chronic pulmonary hypertension and BPD based on serial targeted neonatal echocardiography exams.
Ashley Schlapper-Sevcik, DO
After completing her residency at Iowa Methodist Blank Children’s Hospital, Dr. Schlapper-Sevick started her neonatology fellowship at the University of Iowa in 2023. She is currently studying right ventricular dysfunction in BPD patients with pulmonary hypertension or evidence of pulmonary vascular changes (BPD-RH phenotype) and BPD patients with systemic hypertension or evidence of systemic vascular changes (BPD-LH phenotype) compared to BPD without any hypertension or vascular changes compared to term controls. Hemodynamics echo results are primarily used to determine phenotypes and to determine the level of dysfunction present.
