by Rachel Vitolo
Three pediatric faculty members, Kevin Ess, MD, PhD, Zachary Warren, PhD, and Derek Williams, MD, MPH, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS), one of the nation’s oldest and most renowned academic societies.
The APS, founded in 1888, was the first North American honorary society for academic pediatricians. Members are recognized for leadership, teaching, research and contributions at an international level.
As of this year, there are currently 34 Department of Pediatrics faculty who are members of the APS.
“Election to the APS is one of the most distinguished honors for academic pediatricians,” said Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP, chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Pediatrics, Pediatrician-in-Chief at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and James C. Overall Professor.
“Drs. Ess, Warren and Williams are highly deserving of this honor, and I am delighted that their innovative and impactful research is being recognized in this way.”
Ess, director of the Division of Pediatric Neurology and Gerald M. Fenichel Professor of Neurology, has spent almost two decades deciphering the molecular mechanisms required for normal brain development and how disruptions of these processes lead to malformations of the cerebral cortex. In addition to his robust research program, his clinical activities focus on managing intractable epilepsy in children, and he has a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of the genetic disorder Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.
Warren, professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Special Education, was recently named director of the Division of Developmental Medicine. His research focuses on early detection and intervention
for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as the development of technological applications for potential intervention. Warren has held many roles across Vanderbilt since joining the faculty in 2006, including director of Autism Research for the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Department of Pediatrics, deputy director of engagement for the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation and executive director of the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) in the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
Williams is director of the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine and an associate professor of Pediatrics. His research program centers on improving care delivery and outcomes for children with pneumonia and other acute respiratory illnesses.
He is supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications. His scientific contributions have been recognized by the Academic Pediatric Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America/Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society of Hospital Medicine. Williams is also a member of the Executive Council of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network.
