D. Brent Polk To Lead Pediatrics Programs

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 24 Nov 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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D. Brent Polk has been named chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chair of pediatrics and vice president of academic affairs at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, effective April 1, 2010.

A distinguished researcher and clinician, Polk will serve as professor of pediatrics and biochemistry and molecular biology at the Keck School of Medicine.

As chair of pediatrics, he will be responsible for the department's educational, research and service missions, and he will oversee faculty working at Childrens Hospital and the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. He also will serve as vice dean for clinical affairs (Childrens Hospital Los Angeles).

"Dr. Polk is recognized for his innovative research and comprehensive, caring treatment of pediatric patients," said Keck School dean Carmen A. Puliafito. "He is a gift to the young patients who will benefit from his care and expertise."

Richard D. Cordova, president and CEO of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, joined Puliafito in expressing enthusiasm for Polk's recruitment.

"We're elated with the appointment of Dr. Polk to this pivotal position, and it comes at an important point in the history of Childrens Hospital. During the challenging days and months ahead, Dr. Polk will be called upon to help us open the doors to our new hospital building, lead our research agenda and forge new and stronger relationships with the community and other health care providers, while strengthening our already close partnership with USC."

Polk succeeds Roberta G. Williams, who served as professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School and vice president of the Department of Pediatrics and academic affairs at Childrens Hospital since 2000.

"I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to come to Los Angeles to work with the leadership of USC, the Keck School of Medicine and Childrens Hospital," Polk said. "I see this as a chance to strengthen the ties between these historic institutions," said Polk, who added that he looks forward to assisting with the opening of the new Childrens Hospital in 2011.

Polk comes to USC from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he is chief of the D. Brent Polk Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of the Digestive Disease Research Center and a tenured professor of pediatrics and cell and developmental biology.

The division provides care, diagnostic evaluations, research and testing, as well as management and treatment for infants, children and young adults suffering from nutritional, gastrointestinal or liver disorders. He also served as both interim chair of pediatrics and interim medical director at Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt.

As a renowned researcher on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and immune regulation of the gastrointestinal tract, Polk's research interests focus on regulation of growth and development of the intestinal cell as related to ontogeny (the development of organisms) and disease.

Polk's achievements include being named a Presidential Scholar at Ouachita University in Arkansas, winning the Turner Scholar Award at Vanderbilt University and winning the 2009 Grant W. Liddle Award, which recognizes faculty who demonstrate exemplary leadership in the promotion of scientific research at Vanderbilt.

He was honored with the distinguished alumnus award from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in September.

Polk was recently elected to chair the American Gastroenterological Association Institute Council. He also is chair of the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Committee, and he serves on the scientific advisory board for the University of San Francisco's Digestive Diseases Center. He was the U.S. organizer and scientific adviser for the World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in 2008.

He has served as an ad hoc journal reviewer for nearly 40 medical journals, including the American Journal of Pathology, Cancer Research, European Journal of Immunology, Gastroenterology, Journal of Pediatrics and Nature.

Source
University of Southern California

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