Recognized International Leader in Developmental Cardiovascular Physiology Joins Sidra Medicine from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Dr. Istvan Seri, MD, PhD, HonD has been appointed as Division Chief of Neonatology, Director of the Neonatology Center of Excellence and Vice Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine, an all-digital medical and academic research center focusing on women’s and children’s health. Dr. Seri will report to Clinical Chief for Pediatrics Dr. Ziyad Hijazi, MD, MPH. Dr. Seri will hold a full time faculty appointment with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. In his new role at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Seri will provide strategic medical direction and leadership of the Neonatal Center of Excellence and the Neonatal & Perinatal Program to ensure a patient- and family-focused and service-oriented environment using a multidisciplinary approach along with state-of-the-art educational and research activities.
“Advances in neonatology have increased survival rates for premature infants and newborns with serious disorders. We are gathering a superb team of specialists at Sidra Medicine who will bring internationally recognized expertise and latest techniques to Qatar and Dr. Seri’s appointment is clear proof of that. His career spans close to four decades, countless awards and hours spent at the bedside working to improve patient outcomes. I’m proud and honored that he is joining the Sidra Medicine team,” said Dr. Ziyad Hijazi.
Prior to joining Sidra Medicine, Dr. Seri served as Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and Director of the Center for Fetal and Neonatal Medicine at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). He also served as the Chief of the USC Division of Neonatal Medicine at CHLA and LAC+USC Medical Center. At CHLA and USC, Dr. Seri oversaw the expansion of the USC Division of Neonatal Medicine, through the establishment of the Institute of Maternal-Fetal Health (IMFH), incorporating the Division of Neonatology and the IMFH into a multidisciplinary center.
“I am passionate about joining Sidra Medicine’s clinical team and working with distinguished professionals in the field. It is an honor to be part of such an excellent and unique initiative and I am looking forward to building a center of excellence in Qatar to provide patients in the country, the region and across the globe with state-of-the-art healthcare services. Advances in the field of neonatology and perinatology now allow us to consider not only the newly born but also the yet unborn fetus as a patient and I’m very much looking forward to bringing the novel understanding and technologies we have contributed to develop to continue our research activities in this area at Sidra Medicine,” said Dr. Seri.
Dr. Seri obtained his MD and PhD in Budapest, Hungary at Semmelweis University School of Medicine and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He completed his clinical training in pediatrics and neonatology at Semmelweis University and his basic and clinical research training in developmental physiology, and renal cellular physiology and neonatology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA respectively. Before joining the faculty at USC, he was faculty at Harvard Medical School and the University of Pennsylvania.