SCORE Updates
| 2026 Graduating Fellows | SCORE Projects |
Megan Abbott, MD
| Increasing Clinical Trial Readiness in DS-Creation of Dravet-Specific Clinical Outcome Measures Through qualitative interviews and iterative adaptation I am working to adapt previously created clinician and caregiver reported outcome measures for Dravet Syndrome. Clinician interviews have been completed with a final focus group planned before piloting and caregiver interviews are ongoing. |
Honora Burnett, MD, MPP
| Enhancing Uptake of State Paid Family Leave Among Low-Income Perinatal Women to Improve Maternal and Child Health K23 Application to the NICHD Synopsis: Paid family leave (PFL) improves the health of women and infants, yet low-income families, who stand to benefit most, often do not know about PFL or cannot access these benefits. This project will identify barriers to PFL use among low-income perinatal women in Colorado, partner with families and clinicians to design a solution delivered during perinatal group visit care, and test whether that solution is feasible and helps more families access PFL. Findings will inform larger studies aimed at ensuring that family-supportive policies like PFL reach the families who need them most. |
Michelle Knees, DO
| Two projects: Secure Messaging Workload and the Effect of an Enhanced Workflow Intervention Among Hospitalist Clinicians
Establishing Consensus-Based Best Practices for Inpatient Secure Messaging: A National Delphi Study |
Melanie Stall, MD
| Stakeholder Driven Development of Multilingual Educational Videos About Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials Partnering with parents of children with cancer and multidisciplinary clinicians, educational videos about pediatric cancer clinical trials were co-designed. Focus groups were conducted to iteratively choose video topics, edit scripts, and refine visuals. Videos were initially developed in Spanish and will be adapted into additional languages. Videos will be piloted with parents of children with newly diagnosed cancer to assess their feasibility and acceptability as a tool to improve parental understanding. |
Christine Welles, MD
| Enrollment assister perspectives on private health insurance for undocumented immigrants In this study, enrollment assisters perceived this state-sponsored marketplace like program improved the health and well-being of undocumented immigrants while reducing reliance on emergency care. Additionally, enrollment assisters provide critical support in connecting undocumented immigrants to health insurance and helping them navigate the system. These findings may inform efforts by other states seeking to develop similar programs amid declining federal funding for health insurance for underserved populations. |
Jordan Wyrwa, DO
| Recovery of Consciousness and Function in Pediatric Patients with Disorders of Consciousness Children with disorders of consciousness (DoC; e.g., coma) may quickly recover or may never regain consciousness and die prematurely. Despite this massive difference in outcomes, early prognostication is not currently possible for these children, causing excessive stress for families and impeding rigorous testing of early interventions, when they could have the most impact. By leveraging the existing, comprehensive clinical practices at Children’s Hospital Colorado, this project contributes to our fundamental understanding of outcomes and prognostic factors in pediatric DoC, providing direction for families and clinical teams, enabling the identification of modifiable factors to improve outcomes, and facilitating cohort enrichment in clinical trials. |
| 2025 Graduating Fellows | SCORE Projects |
Jordan Cole, MD
| Implementation of Equitable Genetic Testing for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Formative Evaluation involves multisite retrospective EHR data and mixed methods (surveys/qualitative) to explore reasons for inequities in access to genetic testing for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. During training, she published preliminary work for this project, including developing and validating an ICD-10 code-based algorithm for NDDs and developing and content-validating a caregiver survey. She also completed foundational steps for the remaining aims of her grant. |
Kristine Corkum, MD
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Impact of Childhood Cancer Prognosis on Pediatric Oncofertility Decision-Making. The study explored the lived experiences of providers who care for oncology patients with uncertain or poor outcomes in the context of oncofertility care. Her work will contribute to the development of a pediatric oncofertility decision aid to support shared decision-making in challenging clinical scenarios. Additionally, she submitted a career development award in February. |
Jonathan Hills-Dunlap, MD, MPH
| Patient Experience and Clinical Outcomes with Pediatric Robotic Bariatric Surgery. Using primarily qualitative research methods, the study investigates patient and caregiver experiences with robotic-assisted bariatric surgery in pediatric populations. The quantitative methods of this mixed-methods study assess whether robotic-assisted bariatric surgery improves post-operative clinical outcomes as compared to more traditional laparoscopic approaches. |
Aakriti Pandita, MD
| Developed an AI powered tool called AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Documentation Assistant) to streamline documentation for busy clinicians and is currently studying its implementation. She conducted a qualitative study exploring clinicians’ perceptions of the use of AI documentation support in clinical contexts. This work led to her application and receipt of a digiSPARK pilot grant ($57,500) and a Faculty Well- being Innovation award ($50,000) through the Office of Faculty Experience/SOM Dean’s Office. |
Raymundo Quintana Quezada, MD, FAAC
| Cardiovascular and limb outcomes of patients with peripheral artery disease according to lower extremity atherosclerotic plaque burden and composition on Computed Tomography Angiography. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether lower extremity atherosclerotic plaque burden and composition assessed by computed tomography can predict major adverse limb events (MALE). He expects the findings to be able to advance personalized risk stratification in PAD and support national efforts to enhance PAD diagnosis, management, and research. For this research, he was awarded a $25,000 one-year American College of Cardiology Clinical Trials Research/Medtronic Grant award. |
Laura Ann Wang, MD, MPH
| Two projects: The first examined whether maternal penicillin allergy affects syphilis treatment during pregnancy, potentially increasing the risk of congenital syphilis in the newborn infant. The second project examined the safety of penicillin allergy evaluation in pediatric patients who report a penicillin allergy and are undergoing surgery. She is currently preparing a K-award application that she plans to submit this October. |
| 2024 Graduating Fellows | SCORE Projects |
Anna Abrams, MD
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Dr. Abrams’ research examines the impact of law enforcement presence in the pediatric emergency department on care delivery and health outcomes. Her SCORE project developed and validated a multivariable EHR-based model that predicts law enforcement presence during emergency department encounters. During her time as a fellow, she was awarded 1) the Ergen Family Pilot award, supporting qualitative interviews with pediatric emergency medicine physicians and nurses and 2) an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) funded PEDSnet Scholars Award which will support her research efforts over the next 2-years as she examines the prevalence and impact of law enforcement officers in the emergency department at multiple sites. |
Aubrey Armento, MD
| Dr. Armento’s research focus is on the female athlete triad in adolescents. Her SCORE project involved assessing differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors between adolescent female athletes with and without menstrual irregularities. Her plans after SCORE are to continue with the CCTSI K12 program and apply for an NIH K23 award with a study examining physical activity and bone health in female adolescents with restrictive eating disorders. |
Rachel Cafferty, MD
| Dr. Cafferty’s research program is focused on improving suicide outcomes for children and adolescents, through evidence-based screening and interventions in the Emergency Department (ED). Her primary SCORE project involved qualitative methods to examine child and caregiver perspectives of suicide risk screening in the ED and desired resources prior to ED discharge. Dr. Cafferty’s research is currently funded through the Research Scholar Award (Child Health Research Enterprise), which she will continue after SCORE. She plans to apply for an NIMH K23 award, using community participatory research methods to co-design a strengths-based intervention for linking children with elevated suicide risk to outpatient mental health services at ED discharge. |
Krista Eschbach, MD
| Dr. Eschbach’s research focus is on longitudinal outcomes after status epilepticus, specifically new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE). Her SCORE project consisted of qualitative interviews and described the long-term lived experience of patients with NORSE and their caregivers. After SCORE, she plans to apply for an NIH K23 award with a research proposal focused on health-related quality of life in children after status epilepticus. She will be involved in research leadership as Associate Research Director for the Neuroscience Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado. |
Kweku Hazel, MD
| Dr. Hazel’s SCORE project was an analysis of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program’s (MBSAQIP) dataset to examine variations in the choice of bariatric surgery among different racial and ethnic groups. He is now leading a research project funded by a 2-year NIH supplement, which centers on analyzing the secretomes of different fatty tissue deposits and assessing how weight loss affects these secretomes and their impact on muscle insulin sensitivity across diverse ethnic groups. Dr. Hazel intends to apply for a career development award within a year of completing SCORE. |
Ryan Kammeyer, MD
| Dr. Kammeyer’s research focus is on the neurologic and psychiatric complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). His SCORE project involved evaluation of blood-based biomarkers of brain injury in persons with SLE with and without neuropsychiatric symptoms, to aid in diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Since completing the SCORE Fellowship, he has entered the Clinical Faculty Scholars Program through the CCTSI, and will be applying for career development awards focused on evaluation of clinical measures and biomarkers to aid early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in pediatric SLE. |
Kristina Malik, MD
| Dr Malik’s research focuses on improving preventive care for children with chronic medical conditions and disabilities. Her SCORE projects included describing the national prevalence of mental health and dental diagnoses in children with medical complexity and understanding the concept of medical home for children with medical complexity through perspective of their parents. This latter work was funded through an Early Investigator award from CYSHCNet. After SCORE, she plans to apply for an NIH K23 to develop a healthy lifestyle intervention focusing on physical activity to be delivered in primary care for children with medical complexity. |
| 2023 Graduating Fellows | SCORE Projects |
Erin Bredenberg, MD
| Dr. Bredenberg has been working on completing current research initiatives, including a qualitative study exploring provider perspectives on barriers and facilitators to hepatitis C treatment, and a study to assess disparities in initiation of therapy and completion of treatment amount people with different types of substance use disorders. She hopes to continue to develop her research portfolio and hone her research interests over the next year, and then apply for the Clinical Faculty Scholars Program to work toward obtaining a career development award.
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Jessica Sanders, MD
| Dr. Sanders is applying what she’s learned during SCORE and writing up papers from her SCORE project, applying for grants that include a career development award and internal awards, and is benefitting from her participation in the Clinical Faculty Scholars Program
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Cristina Sarmiento, MD
| Dr. Sarmiento is using the strong foundation in health services research and an excellent mentorship network she obtained during the SCORE Fellowship to continue to focus on submitting an NIH career development award application, with the goal of submitting in June of 2024. |
Camille Stewart, MD
| Dr. Stewart has been continuing work on her Institute of Cannabis Research grant, and she continues her research work on the effects of cannabinoids in melanoma with funding from the Cancer League of Colorado and a career development award from the National Cancer Institute Early-Stage Surgeon Scientist Program. |
Jeniann Yi, MD
| Dr. Yi will be presenting her SCORE project at a national informatics conference later this year and submitting the manuscript early next year. She continues to participate in work-in-progress sessions through ACCORDS and has started the Dissemination and Implementation Science Graduate Certificate Program. She is working on society grant applications and plans to submit a career development award next year.
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