NEC Society Board Member Steven A. Abrams, MD, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) for his contributions to infant and micronutrient nutrition. Dr. Abrams is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School in Austin, TX. He is a leader in pediatric nutrition research with interests in growth and human milk fortification in preterm infants.Â
Dr. Abrams served as a founding member of the NEC Society’s Scientific Advisory Council in 2014 and now serves on our Board of Directors.Â
NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the field of medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and have made major contributions to the advancement of medical sciences, health care, and public health.Â
Dr. Abrams is a key voice and leader in the field of human milk and infant nutrition. Notably, in the early decades of his career, Dr. Abrams played a vital role in advancing the science that established what we now understand: human milk is the best nutrition for premature infants, and both mother’s own milk and pasteurized donor human milk should be routinely used in NICUs.
The NEC Society congratulates Dr. Abrams for his election to the National Academy of Medicine. We are deeply grateful for his invaluable contributions to the field and for his advocacy for the use of mother’s own milk to provide the best protection against NEC.
Dr. Abrams joins Scientific Advisory Council member Gail Besner, MD, who also received the high honor of joining the NAM in 2025. Dr. Besner is the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the 2026-2027 President of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Dr. Besner’s laboratory has been studying NEC for over 30 years. Her work has been integral to advancing the field.
The NEC Society is honored and grateful for Dr. Abrams’ and Dr. Besner’s leadership, pioneering research, and dedication to building a world without NEC through research, education, and advocacy.
The NEC Society is the world’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to necrotizing enterocolitis, working tirelessly to advance research, education, and advocacy.Â
