The NEC Society, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing necrotizing enterocolitis, is thrilled to announce that Dr. Ravi Patel has joined the organization’s Scientific Advisory Council.

Dr. Patel is a neonatologist and clinician-scientist at Emory University & Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, focused on understanding the epidemiology of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. He completed undergraduate studies at Emory University, returning for fellowship training and subsequently joining the faculty in 2011. He earned a M.Sc. in Clinical Research in 2014 and completed advanced QI training at Cincinnati Children’s I2S2 program in 2015. His research is supported by the NIH and he is a co-investigator in the NICHD Neonatal Research Network. His work has been published in leading journals including the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. He is an elected member of the Society for Pediatric Research, a collaborator to the International Society for Evidence-based Neonatology, and an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Perinatology.

Dr. Patel notes, “I am honored to join the NEC Society’s Council and excited to work with talented and motivated clinicians, families and stakeholders all focused on this singular, devastating disease. Together, I am confident that we can stimulate research to generate new insights into the pathophysiology of NEC, help identify and advance promising treatment and prevention studies and disseminate research findings so caregivers can use the new knowledge to benefit infants at risk for NEC.”

Dr. Patel contributed to the success of the 2017 NEC Symposium by co-facilitating the Innate Immunity session and providing his expertise throughout the planning and implementation of the conference. Dr. Patel serves on the International Neonatal Consortium (INC) NEC Workgroup, as well as the U.K.’s Special Interest Group on NEC (SIGNEC).

Founder and director, Jennifer Canvasser shares, “The NEC Society is honored to welcome Dr. Ravi Patel to the Advisory Council. Dr. Patel is extraordinarily committed to the organization’s mission, and values our transdisciplinary, collaborative approach. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Patel to our core team!”

Dr. Ravi Patel joins the NEC Society’s 12-seat Scientific Advisory Council: 

• Steven Abrams, MD, University of Texas at Austin
• Gail E. Besner, MD, FACS, FAAP, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Michael Caplan, MD, Northshore University Health System
• Samir K. Gadepalli, MD, MBA, University of Michigan
• Sheila M. Gephart, PhD, RN, University of Arizona
• Amy Hair, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital
• Jae Kim, MD, PhD, University of California, San Diego
• Troy A. Markel, MD, FACS, FAAP, Indiana University 
• Steven J. Mcelroy, MD, University of Iowa
• Ravi M. Patel, MD, MSc, Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
• Alexander Penn, PhD, US Army Institute of Surgical Research
• Mark Underwood, MD, University of California, Davis

Former Advisors:

• Elizabeth Cristofalo, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Richard Ehrenkranz, MD, Yale University
• Christina Valentine, MD, MS, RD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital