Children's Research Institute Leadership

Robert Kliegman, MD, executive vice president, Children's Research Institute Robert Kliegman, MD, was named executive vice president of Children's Research Institute in 2004. Kliegman also serves as pediatrician-in-chief and Pamela and Leslie Muma Chair in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Kliegman's research interests include neonatology, perinatal glucose insulin relationships, neonatal nutrition, perinatal public health and perinatal ethics. Kliegman is the co-editor of Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics.  More ...

Ellis Avner, MD, director, Children's Research Institute Ellis Avner, MD, was appointed director for Children's Research Institute in 2004. He also serves as associate dean for Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He serves as past president of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology and the Council of American Kidney Societies, and as an elected member of the Standing and Executive Committee of the International Pediatric Association. Avner co-directs one of only four federally funded Centers of Scientific Excellence in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in the United States, and the only center that focuses on PKD in children. More ...

Juliet Kersten, vice president, Research Administration, Children's Research Institute Juliet Kersten was appointed vice president of research administration for Children's Research Institute. She earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and a master's degree in Business-Health Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. Kersten was awarded an administrative fellowship at Children's Hospital and Health System in 1988 and has remained with the health system. Her roles have included rehabilitation services manager, health system planning manager, director of planning and marketing, special assistant to Chief Operating Officer and director of research administration.

Marc Gorelick, MD, MSCE, associate director, Children's Research Institute Marc Gorelick, MD, MSCE, was named associate director of Children's Research Institute in 2007. Gorelick also serves as Jon E. Vice Chair in Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and professor of  Pediatrics and Population Health and Chief of the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. More....

Ronald Hines, PhD, associate director, Children's Research Institute Ronald Hines, PhD, was appointed associate director for Children's Research Institute in September 2005. This position is in addition to his positions at the Medical College of Wisconsin as co-section chief of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacogenetics and Teratology, co-director of the Birth Defects Research Center and professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology and Toxicology. More ...

Shelly Malin, PhD, RN, director, Advanced Practice Nursing and Research Department Shelly Malin, PhD, RN, was named the director of Nursing Research in 2005. Malin also is director of Advanced Practice Nursing, and a clinical associate professor at Marquette University-College of Nursing. Malin earned her BSN from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1974, her MSN in pediatrics from Marquette University in 1983 and her PhD in nursing in 1994 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. More...

Patricia D. Wilson, PhD, associate director, Children's Research Institute
Patricia Wilson, PhD, was appointed associate director of Children's Research Institute in 2007. She also directs the Children's Kidney Disease Research Program.  As professor of Pediatrics at Medical College of Wisconsin, she leads a multi-disciplinary program aimed at developing novel therapeutic approaches for polycystic kidney diseases. More...

Scientific Advisory and Policy Committee

• Marc Gorelick, MD*
• Elena Semina, PhD*
• Harry Whelan, MD 
• Ronald Hines, PhD*
• Rimas Orentas, PhD*
• David Harder
• Robert Montgomery, MD 
• Cheryl Hillery, MD
• James Tweddell, MD
• Stephen Duncan
• William E. Sweeney*
• Colin Rudolph, MD*
• Ramesh Sachdeva, MD
• Calvin Williams, MD, PhD
• Mary Jo Kupst, PhD
• Ellis D. Avner, MD, chair*
• Robert Kliegman, MD*
• Kathy Sawin, DNS, CPNP, FAAN*
• Shelly Malin
• Keith Oldham, MD*
• Kirk Pritchard
• Gail McCarver, MD 
• Howard Jacob, PhD*
• Greg Anderson
• Thomas Malin, MD 
• Paula North, MD, PhD
• Juliet Kersten*
• Kathy Mussatto
• B. Li, MD
• Laura Cassidy, PhD
• John Thometz, MD

* Executive Committee member