Julia Carell Stadler, left, Jonathan Gitlin, M.D., and Judy Aschner, M.D., at a recent event announcing the establishment of the Julia Carell Stadler Chair, to be held by Aschner. (photo by Joe Howell)
New chair continues Carell family’s proud giving history
Judy Aschner, M.D., director of the Division of Neonatology at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, has been named the first holder of the Julia Carell Stadler Chair.
The endowed chair was created by the Carell family, and is named after Julia (Julie) Stadler, co-chair of the Campaign for Children and Mothers at Children's Hospital and daughter of Children's Hospital namesake, the late Monroe Carell Jr.
“It's a great honor to have a chair that bears my name at this extraordinary medical center, but I'm equally honored that Dr. Aschner will be the chair's first holder,” Stadler said. “In both her research and clinical practice, she is leading advances in Neonatology that will have a profound impact on so many tiny lives. I'm gratified that this chair will support and recognize that work.”
Jonathan Gitlin, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics, said the new chair reflects the dedication of Julie Stadler and her husband, George, who is serving as co-chair of the Campaign for Children and Mothers.
“This commitment on the part of the Carell family represents the ongoing and consistent involvement of the families with Children's Hospital. It honors the legacy begun by Julie's father, Monroe, and by the commitment that [her mother] Ann and Monroe have already made in 1991 with the endowment of the Ann and Monroe Carell Family Chair.”
The Julia Carell Stadler Chair will honor a Children's Hospital faculty member who is advancing the field of Neonatology through research and patient care.
“Judy Aschner is the ideal candidate to be the first holder of this new endowed chair,” Gitlin said. “She is passionate, brilliant, articulate and devoted to the academic principles of scholarship in her chosen field.”
Aschner joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2004 after previously serving as professor of Pediatrics and director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine training program at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York and completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship there.
“It is hard to find the right words to express how very honored I am to be the first Julia Carell Stadler Professor of Pediatrics,” Aschner said. “I am very grateful to the Carell family, who have endowed this chair that serves as a further testament to the commitment and vision of the Carell and Stadler families to the children of our community and to Vanderbilt University.
“I had tremendous respect and fondness for Monroe Carell Jr., who welcomed and encouraged me from my first days in Nashville. Julie's leadership has been crucial and she has worked with skill and passion to carry on his vision for better health for babies and children in Nashville and beyond.”
Aschner's laboratory research focus is on the regulation of neonatal pulmonary circulation and the factors contributing to pulmonary hypertension in infants with lung and heart disease. Her clinical research interests include optimizing ventilator management of infants to prevent chronic lung disease, treatment of infants with pulmonary hypertension and the nutritional management of premature infants.