Los Angeles General Medical Center Division of Neonatology
Los Angeles General Medical Center
Los Angeles General Medical Center is the largest public hospital in the county and one of the biggest public hospitals in the United States. It has been part of the urban Los Angeles community for over 145 years and serves the 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles General Medical Center serves all residents of Los Angeles county regardless of income or background including those who are indigent or receive Medi-Cal only.
The neonatal intensive care unit at the Los Angeles General Medical Center has 39 licensed beds and the faculty and hospital staff care for neonates with disease complexity and severity ranging from very high-risk, often extremely premature critically ill neonates born at the Los Angeles General Medical Center to less premature and more stable infants requiring care during the immediate transitional period and beyond. In addition, the unit accepts critically ill patients transferred in from different NICUs and the hospital’s emergency room who benefit from the highly specialized and developmentally oriented patient care provided in the NICU at Los Angeles General Medical Center. This Los Angeles General NICU also offers specialized neonatal care including treatment of neonatal surgical conditions, Therapeutic Hypothermia Program for neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and a CCS-accredited comprehensive high-risk neonatal follow-up at the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
USC Division of neonatology runs the Molecular Biology laboratory located at the Keck School of Medicine focuses on preterm lung injury and repair mechanisms. Basic and translational research with active funding from federal and private foundations are conducted in this laboratory. Additionally several multicenter clinical trials are conducted in this NICU.
Dream it.
Build it.
Grow it.
Melinda Star Guido
One of the world's smallest surviving babies born anywhere in the world
24 Weeks, 270g born at Los Angeles General Medical Center
Rowena Cayabyab, MD, MPH
Medical School: University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines
Residency: Pediatrics, LAC+USC Medical Center
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Positions since Residency:
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital
Associate Medical Director, NICU, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital
Description of Current Position:
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Director of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Research, USC/LAG Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Research Interests: Epidemiology and Outcomes research
Manuel Durand, MD
Medical School: San Marcos University Medical School, Lima, Peru
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Texas at San Antonio
Fellowship: Pediatric Pulmonology, McGill University, Montreal Children’s Hospital
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine:
McGill University, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, Canada
University of Manitoba, Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
University California San Francisco/Children’s Hospital, Cardiovascular Research Institute
Positions Since Residency/Fellowship:
Director, USC Neonatology Fellowship Program 1990-2002
Attending Neonatologist, Arcadia Methodist Hospital, Arcadia, CA
Attending Neonatologist, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center, San Gabriel, CA
ECMO Research Program, Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, CA
Director, Clinical Pulmonary Research/Pulmonary Function
Courtesy Staff, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Description of Current Position:
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Attending Neonatologist and Director of BPD Clinic, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Research Interests:
- Developmental pulmonary physiology/ pulmonary function in infants with acute and chronic lung disease (BPD)
- Respiratory mechanics and long-term outcome in preterm infants treated with antenatal steroids/postnatal corticosteroids
- In-utero smoke, vitamin C and newborn pulmonary function
- Episodes of hypoxemia in preterm infants
- Follow-up of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
Hemananda Muniraman, MBBS, MRCPH
Medical School: J.J.M. Medical Callege, Davangere, India
Residency: The Children’s Hospital at SUNY Downstate Pediatric Residency Program
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Positions Since Residency/Fellowship:
Attending Neonatologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Phoenix Children’s Hospital at Phoenix
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Creighton University School of Medicine and University of Arizona, Phoenix Campus
Medical Director of Small Baby Program, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix
Description of Current Position:
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Director of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Hemodynamics, USC/LAG Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
National Committees:
Board of Medical Advisors, American Association for Respiratory Care
Research Interests:
- Respiratory support in preterm infants, point of care lung ultrasound, currently leading a multicenter study on lung ultrasound in preterm infants with respiratory distress - clinicaltrials ID: NCT0592507
Smeeta Sardesai, MD, MS Ed, FAAP
Medical School: Goa Medical College, University of Bombay, India
Residency: Pediatrics, Martin Luther King, Jr/Drew Medical Center
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Masters in Medical Education: Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Positions Since Residency:
Staff Neonatologist, Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Medical Director, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center, San Gabriel, CA
Courtesy Staff, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Attending staff, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Staff Neonatologist, Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Associate Director of Neonatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Medical Director, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Chair Department of Pediatrics, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Description of Current Position:
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Program Director of USC/LAG Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Service Chief of Neonatology, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Fiona Wertheimer, DO
Medical School: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Florida-Jacksonville
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Positions Since Residency:
Chief Resident in Pediatrics, University of Florida-Jacksonville
Attending Neonatologist, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Description of Current Position:
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine
Director of Newborn Nursery, Los Angeles, General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Amy Yeh, MD, MPH
Medical School: Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI
Residency: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine:
LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Positions Since Residency:
NICCU Hospitalist, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Chief Fellow, USC/LAC+USC Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Description of Current Position:
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Associate Program Director of USC/LAG Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Director of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Education, USC/LAG Medical Center Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Neonatal Database/Neonatal Quality Improvement Program
Lorayne Barton, MD, MPH
Medical School: UC Irvine
Residency: Pediarics, LAC+USC Medical Center
Fellowship, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: LAC+USC Medical Center
Positions Since Residency: Fellow in Health Administration
Maternal & Child Health and Health Promotion, Loma Linda University
Description of Current Position:
Associate Professor, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Neonatal Database Administration
Attending Neonatologist, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Neonatal Quality Improvement Program Lead Physician
Point of Care Echocardiography in the Neonate
Mahmood (Mac) Ebrahimi, RDCS
Instructor in Clinical Pediatrics
Farshad, RDCS
Basic Science Research
Changgong Li, PhD
Graduate School:
1987 - B.S., Cell Biology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
1990 - M.S., Biochemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
1996 - Ph.D., Chemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
Postdoctoral Training:
1996-2000 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, Women's & Children's Hospital, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles
Description of Current Position:
2016 - Associate Professor of Research Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Women's & Children's Hospital, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles
Grants:
NIH, NHLBI
Wnt5a Regulates Lung Maturation $1,849,960
RO1, HL144932, Changgong Li & Parviz Minoo, Co-PIs
March 2019 – February 28, 2023.
NIH, NHLBI
Postnatal Alveolar Formation $2,195,048
RO1, HL143059, Parviz Minoo, PI, Changgong Li, co-Investigator
August 2018 – July 30, 2022.
Parviz Minoo, PhD
Graduate School: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Postdoctoral Training: Mayo Graduate School of Medicine
Description of Current Position:
Hastings Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Research, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Section Editor, Journal of Pediatric Research
Grants:
NIH, NHLBI
Postnatal Alveolar Formation $2,195,048
RO1, HL143059, Principal Investigator
August 2018 – July 30, 2022.
NIH, NHLBI
Wnt5a Regulates Lung Maturation $1,849,960
RO1, HL144932, Co-Principal Investigator
March 2019 – February 28, 2023.
NIH, NHLBI
Beyond the barrier: alveolar epithelial cell $4,200,000
biology in health and disease
R35 HL135747, Co-Investigator
July 2017- June 2024