Department of Pediatric Surgery

Eunice Huang, MD, MS, has joined Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as associate surgeon-in-chief and chief surgical quality and innovations officer. She is also professor and vice chair of Clinical Services in the Department of Pediatric Surgery.

Physician-scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are investigating whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be spread through aerosolized emissions (microscopic droplets and particles) during minimally invasive surgery in children.

During the first few weeks of the statewide stay-at-home order issued by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, physicians at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital saw a higher volume of pediatric traumas, including ATV accidents, dirt bike accidents and pellet gunshot wounds.

Jeffrey Upperman, MD, a national leader in pediatric trauma and disaster preparedness, has joined Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as surgeon-in-chief and chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery. He started Nov. 1.

After successfully serving as Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s first Surgeon-in-Chief for 17 years, John W. Brock III, MD, will transition to focus on his role as Senior Vice President of Pediatric Surgical Services and will become Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus. Brock will be succeeded as Surgeon-in-Chief by Jeffrey Upperman, MD.

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt kicked off its yearlong campaign to empower teens to “Be in the Zone — Turn off Your Phone” during the first of three hospital-focused seminars.

Vanderbilt researchers report that they have found a factor involved in the persistence of embryonic cells implicated in childhood liver cancer.