Three faculty in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Pediatrics have been elected to join the Society of Pediatric Research (SPR).
Daniel Benedetti, MD, MA, Stephanie Doupnik, MD, MSHP, and Jeffrey Hine, PhD, have been elected to SPR as the newest class of members in 2025, just as Eric Austin, MD, MSCI, director of the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Monroe Carell assumes the role of SPR president for June 2025-May 2026. Austin was chosen as president-elect in 2024.
The SPR provides a forum for young investigators to exchange ideas, encourages research that benefits the well-being of children and allows researchers across the country the opportunity to present their work and to collaborate. SPR is also the founding organization of the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, the premier North American scholarly child health meeting, which will be held April 24-28.
Active members are independent researchers who have been nominated and seconded by SPR members and approved by the SPR Council who are conducting hypothesis-driven research in a field related to pediatrics.
“I want to congratulate Daniel, Stephanie and Jeffrey for their election to the Society for Pediatric Research, a well-deserved recognition of their dedication and contributions to research that enhances the care and well-being of children,” said William Cooper, MD, MPH, interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Pediatrics and associate dean for Faculty Affairs for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Their selection to SPR honors a legacy of research excellence at Vanderbilt and paves the way for transformative advancements to pediatric health care.”
Benedetti is an associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology whose focus is on the care of children with renal tumors, liver tumors, neuroblastoma and genetic predisposition to cancer. He is on the steering committee of the Children’s Oncology Group Renal Tumor Committee, where he works to develop and conduct clinical trials for children with cancers of the kidney. Benedetti is also a bioethicist with expertise in ethical issues in pediatrics and pediatric cancer care. His research explores ethical dilemmas that occur in the care of children with cancer, with an emphasis on understanding cases where families refuse recommended treatment.
Doupnik, assistant professor of Pediatrics, serves as director of the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. Her research focuses on developing innovative health care services for children needing emergency and hospital care. Much of her work has focused on improving access to high-quality mental health services and on implementing suicide prevention care in pediatric medical centers. She also has expertise in clinical epidemiology, population health and health services research.
Hine is an associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Developmental Medicine and the director of Primary Care Outreach and Training for the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD). He specializes in assessment and care of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental differences. His current research interests focus on developing and implementing novel models of service delivery and training, specifically through telemedicine and integration of developmental and behavioral health services into primary care settings.
