Shari Barkin, M.D.
Barkin named to direct General Pediatrics division
Shari Barkin, M.D., has joined the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt as chief of the Division of General Pediatrics.
Barkin previously served as an associate professor of Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University's School of Medicine, Brenner Children's Hospital.
“After a national search for a leader of our Division of Academic General Pediatrics, we were very excited to attract Shari Barkin to this critical position,” said Arnold Strauss, M.D., chair of Pediatrics and medical director of Children's Hospital.
“Dr. Barkin's commitment to working for change through community interactions and education will make a huge difference for all children in Middle Tennessee.”
Rebecca Swan, M.D., director of the Pediatric Residency Program, has served in the interim role as vice chair of General Pediatrics since Gerald Hickson, M.D., stepped down in 2003 to become the director of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"Dr. Barkin brings a proven track record in clinical research and medical education, as well as a strong commitment to community health and outreach. Our entire division is excited to welcome her to Vanderbilt,” Swan said.
Barkin earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. She completed her residency at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
Then she was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at UCLA, after which she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research at UCLA's Health Services Research Center in California. There she received a master's degree in Science and Health Services.
Barkin's research interests include positive parenting strategies to improve children's health, violence prevention, injury prevention and obesity prevention. Currently, she is completing the first national randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of an office-based violence prevention intervention, working with more than 200 pediatric practitioners and close to 5,000 families across the country. She is dedicated to a multidisciplinary community-based approach in her research, education and clinical work.
She has authored or co-authored more than three dozen articles and abstracts for scholarly publications. She has given more than 100 lectures and oral presentations on topics including youth violence prevention and drowning prevention.
“I am excited that we were able to recruit such an accomplished, enthusiastic, energetic, and effervescent leader to the Division of General Pediatrics here,” said Kevin Johnson, M.D., vice chair of Biomedical Informatics, who led the search committee.
Barkin said the collaborative atmosphere at Vanderbilt was especially attractive.
“I was drawn to the opportunity to lead the divison due to the unique combination of a cadre of excellent colleagues, a vision for improving children's health and an institution that is supportive of innovative growth,” Barkin said.