The Division of Newborn Medicine maintains several active research programs, from National Institutes of Health-funded basic research to collaborative, multi-center clinical trials. Current areas of investigation include respiratory muscle function and fatigue, brain blood flow and its relation to brain injury in premature infants, chronic lung disease, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
Using a genome-based approach, the lab has pioneered studies of a family of proteins called serpins, which protect cells from injury. An investigation is underway to examine how serpins work in normal development as well as the role they play in certain cancers and infections.
Other areas of interest include:
- Very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants and their susceptibility to staphylococcal infections
- Drug therapies to prevent chronic lung disease in pre-term neonates
- Perinatal brain injury
- Congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract development
Learn more about the Hooven Lab.
Enroll in a Clinical Study
The Pitt+Me Registry connects community members and patients of all ages with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. Parents who enroll their children in the Pitt+Me Registry will learn about research studies in areas of their choosing related to their child’s health.