The Pathophysiology of Cardiac-Associated vs. Prematurity-Associated Necrotizing Enterocolitis
The NEC Society is honored to fund Colton Wayne, MD, with $5,000 as our Pediatric Surgery Research Fellow Award recipient. His project, “The Pathophysiology of Cardiac-Associated vs. Prematurity-Associated Necrotizing Enterocolitis,” focuses on the cellular and molecular differences in the pathophysiology of Cardiac NEC vs NEC in premature infants.
Babies with certain medical conditions, such as congenital heart defects (CHD), are at a higher risk of developing NEC, even when they are born at term. There is limited research on the correlation between NEC and CHD, and this project aims to uncover some of the standing questions we have.
Dr. Wayne is a pediatric surgery research fellow working in Dr. Gail E. Besner’s lab, Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and President-Elect of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Dr. Besner’s lab has been studying NEC for over 30 years and has been integral to many breakthroughs in the field.
This award is in partnership with the American Pediatric Surgical Association.
At the NEC Society, we are committed to building a world without NEC by advancing research, education, and advocacy. Dr. Wayne exemplifies this mission through his expertise, scientific curiosity, and dedication to this field.
