Estelle B. Gauda

Senior Scientist
Translational Medicine

Dr. Gauda is board-certified in Paediatrics and Perinatal-Neonatal Medicine. She joined SickKids in March 2017 as Head of the Division of Neonatology, Women’s Auxiliary Chair of Neonatology and Senior Associate Scientist in the Research Institute. She is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto and Director of the newly branded Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health.

Dr. Gauda has clinical expertise in Perinatal-Neonatal care of the high risk newborn and a solid research portfolio in babies and preclinical models investigating 1) mechanisms that control breathing with a focus on maturation of the carotid body and its effects on breathing during development in health and disease, 2) novel therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of acute and chronic lung disease in premature infants, and 2) the use of clonidine for the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Dr. Gauda has a passion for mentoring and teaching and has lead federally funded programs to increase the pipeline of underrepresented minorities in biomedical research and clinical medicine. She has lead faculty professional development programs that support careers in academic medicine with work/life integration and satisfaction.

Research

Dr. Gauda is a physician-scientist with clinical expertise in Perinatal-Neonatal care of the high risk newborn and has a solid research portfolio investigating mechanisms that control breathing with a focus on maturation of the carotid body and its effects on breathing during development in health and disease in premature infants. She has extensive research experience in using animal models. Her latest area of research is to investigate novel biological mechanisms that might be used as new therapeutic target to prevent the development of lung injury in premature babies.

Education

Degrees

• 1980–1982: MD, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
• 1976–1980: 6-year Medical School, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Postgraduate, Research and Specialty Training

• 1985–1988: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Perinatal-Neonatal, Rainbow Babies’ and Children’s Hospital Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
• 1982–1985: Resident, Pediatrics, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, United States

Experience

Hospital

• 1988–2017: Staff Neonatologist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1988–2017: Staff Neonatologist, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Medical System, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1999–2007: Director, Center for Neonatal Transitional Care, Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Research

• 1994–1996: Guest Researcher, NIMH, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Bethesda, Maryland, United States

University

• 2014–2017: Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development, John Hopkins Children’s Centre, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 2008–2020: Professor of Pediatrics, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 2006–2014: Chair, Associate Professor Promotions Committee, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1998–2008: Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1993–2000: Director, Perinatal-Neonatal Fellowship Program, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1989–1998: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 1988–1989: Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Achievements

• 2017–Present: Elected Member, Observational Safety Monitoring Board. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Prevent Study
• 2014–2018: President, International Society for Arterial Chemoreceptors

1. Gauda EB, McLemore GL. (2020). Premature birth, homeostatic plasticity and respiratory consequences of inflammation. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology. 274: 103337.
2. Kang NY, Ivanovska J, Tamir-Hostovsky L, Belik J, Gauda EB. (2018). Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia in Premature Infants: The Link Between Low Fat Stores, Adiponectin Receptor Signaling and Lung Injury. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 1071: 151-157.
3. Gauda EB, Master Z. (2018). Contribution of relative leptin and adiponectin deficiencies in premature infants to chronic intermittent hypoxia: Exploring a new hypothesis. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology. 256: 119-127.
4. Master ZR, Porzionato A, Kesavan K, Mason A, Chavez-Valdez R, Shirahata M, Gauda EB. (2016). Lipopolysaccharide exposure during the early postnatal period adversely affects the structure and function of the developing rat carotid body. Journal of Applied Physiology. 121(3): 816-827.
5. Chavez-Valdez R, Ahlawat R, Wills-Karp M, Gauda EB. (2016). Mechanisms of modulation of cytokine release by human cord blood monocytes exposed to high concentrations of caffeine. Pediatric Research. 80(1): 101-109.

See a full list of Estelle Gauda's publications