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The Division of Neonatology is active in many different types of research. For clinical projects there is a General Clinical Research Center Neonatal Scatter-Bed Program with full-time research nurses available for assisting investigators with their research. A number of clinical projects are active at the present time. Within the Animal Resource Facility in the Basic Medical Sciences Building, there are neonatology laboratories for animal projects. Additionally, several neonatology faculty are involved in collaborative research endeavors with UNM basic science faculty.

Currently the Division Neonatology Faculty are involved in the following research projects:

Prophylaxis of Adrenal Insufficiency to Prevent CLD : Kristi Watterberg, MD, Principal InvestigatorProphylaxis of Adrenal Insufficiency to Prevent CLD: Kristi Watterberg, MD, Principal Investigator. Dr. Watterberg received funding for this multicenter clinical trial, from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development of the NIH in 2001. This study of the effects of early low-dose hydrocortisone treatment to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia includes nine other sites nationwide. The short-term results of this study were published in Pediatrics (114:1649, 2004), and showed that for infants exposed to prenatal inflammation (chorioamnionitis), early treatment with low-dose hydrocortisone increased survival and decreased BPD. The two-year follow up of these infants will be completed in 2005.


A Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Tin-Mesoporphyrin to Reduce the Need for Phototherapy in Term and Near-term Infants: Dr. Ronald Poland, Principal Investigator sponsored by WellSpring Pharmaceutical. The drug being tested is an inhibitor of the enzyme, heme oxygenase, which is essential in the production of bilirubin. The study randomized infants whose serum bilirubin rises to the 75th percentile on a time-specific bilirubin nomogram which selects the infants at highest risk for needed treatment for hyperbilirubinemia. We are now doing the 3-year follow-up of randomized infants

The I.C.T.E.R.U.S. Trial: Safe Outcomes for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: Initial Clinical Testing, Evaluation and Risk-Assessment in the US Study. Dr. Ronald Poland is the Principal Investigator in this study, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, to compare the effectiveness of alternative methods of risk assessment (including the current AAP Guidelines) to identify infants at risk for severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

A randomized, masked, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of darbepoetin alfa administered to preterm infants: Robin Ohls, MD, Principal Investigator. Dr. Ohls received funding from the Thrasher Research Fund for this 3 year multicenter study to evaluate the short term hematologic and long term neurodevelopmental effects of two red cell growth factors, erythropoietin and darbepoietin. Her previous research reported a potential benefit of erythropoietin on improved cognitive outcomes in ELBW infants (Pediatrics 2006;118:635-40).

Biomarker Profiles of Neonatal Sepsis and Recovery: Robin Ohls, MD, Principal Investigator, in collaboration with Dr. Nader Bishara, Neonatal Fellow. Funding from the NIH will begin soon for this 3 year translational study which evaluates the efficacy of combining daily clinical data with approximately 100 markers of inflammation (measured daily on discarded glucose strips) to identify neonatal sepsis, prior to the onset of symptoms.

The Effects of Preterm Delivery on Gene Expression: Robin Ohls, MD, Principal Investigator. Basic science research in the Developmental Hematopoiesis Laboratory at UNM focuses on developmental regulation of erythropoietin gene expression in the human fetus, as a model organ system for evaluating the impact of preterm birth on changes in gene expression. In addition, Dr. Ohls has ongoing collaborations with colleagues at the University of California San Francisco performing vascular research on the developing human ductus, the University of Alabama-Birmingham performing immunological research on the developing GI system, and the University of Utah evaluating developmental expression of erythropoietin and other vascular growth factors in the fetal retina.

Adrenal Function in Ill and Surgical Newborns: Erika Fernandez, MD, Principal Investigator under the mentorship of Kristi Watterberg is currently investigating the adrenal function in acutely ill term newborns or infants undergoing surgery. The initial results are published in the Journal of Perinatology (25:114, 2005). Dr. Fernandez has received funding from the General Research Clinical Center at UNM since 2002 for this study and it is currently ongoing.

The TOUCH Project--Phase III : Dale Alverson, MD, Principal Investigator, through the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. A multi-funded program seeking to improve the quality of healthcare in Hawaii and New Mexico using computer and other telehealth technologies. This program extends to medical students, physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers in extended areas. It supports and studies the effectiveness of telehealth possibilities for all people involved in the care of patients. For more information go to http://hsc.unm.edu/touch
Telehealth : Dr. Alverson is currently a tenured Professor of Pediatrics and OB/Gyn and Regents Professor on faculty at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and prior Director of the Division of Neonatology, as well as prior Associate Director of the NIH supported UNM General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). He has been actively involved in clinical research related to hemodynamics, oxygen delivery and extraction concepts in the neonate with specific expertise in the application of non-invasive Doppler ultrasound in the determination of cardiac output and blood flow velocity. These techniques have been used in understanding better the relationship of hemodynamics in neonatal development and disease. For example, these methods have been applied in studies related to mechanical ventilation, the patent ductus arteriosus, red blood cell transfusion, and erythropoietin administration. In collaboration work, these techniques have been used in studies of the relationship of cardiac output to cortisol levels and survival in the critically ill preterm newborn. These studies may help to understand better the pathophysiology of prematurity and possibly direct more appropriate management strategies. In addition, he has been involved in establishing a research model for studying the effects of hypoxia on the developing brain using a perfusion system for neonatal rat brain slices and NMR spectroscopy. This research has entailed several individual and local/national collaborative research projects and publications.
Most recently, he has focused his research efforts on the evaluation of Telehealth and its clinical and cost effectiveness in providing health care services in rural New Mexico, as well as innovations in applying advanced computing, interactive fully immersive distributed virtual reality and Internet2 to Telehealth for training, education and virtual telemedicine clinics involving prior collaborative projects with NASA. In addition, he has worked with University of Hawaii and High Performance Computing Centers at UNM and Maui, the Pacific Telehealth and Technology HUI at Tripler AMC/VA, and recently with Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences and the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) for the Army Medical Research and Material Command using distributed virtual reality simulations for learning and training via the Internet2 Access Grid. He is also involved in International Telehealth and Advanced Technology collaborations, particularly with Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Nepal and India. This continued work has led to interstate and international efforts, such as the formation of the Four Corners Telehealth Consortium with Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, and development of formal research agreements with Ecuador. These efforts may be applied to a neonatal research network, creating a virtual collaboratory for project planning, implementation, ongoing discussion, surveillance and analysis. This Neonatal Research Network "Virtual Collaboratory" could facilitate knowledge sharing and coordination of multi-center research initiatives, as well as serve as a model for other similar multi-center research networks.