Excellence in Pediatric Care: The 2025 Micah Batchelor Awards
Four University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers are recognized for their innovative research in improving children’s health.
Since 2004, the Micah Batchelor Awards for Excellence in Children’s Health Research have recognized trailblazing physician-researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics. The annual awards, established through the generosity of the late George E. Batchelor in memory of his grandson, inspire innovative ideas and solutions that will improve the health and well-being of children.
The 2025 awards ceremony was held on November 12 at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute.
Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School, highlighted the profound impact of The Batchelor Foundation’s philanthropy.
“The Micah Batchelor Awards not only applauds the awardees’ accomplishments but also offers great promise for the discovery of treatments and cures that will help children battling pediatric illnesses,” said Dean Ford. “We are extremely grateful to The Batchelor Foundation for their unwavering support of our Department of Pediatrics and research programs.”
Commitment to Advancing Children’s Health
The Micah Batchelor Awards for Excellence in Children’s Health Research are made possible through the ongoing generosity of The Batchelor Foundation. In 2001, during the dedication of the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute, George E. Batchelor announced an additional $5 million gift to establish the Micah Batchelor Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Research. In 2014, The Batchelor Foundation committed another $5 million to create the Fellow and Scholars Award.
Glenn Flores, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics, senior associate dean of child health and the George E. Batchelor Endowed Chair in Child Health at the Miller School, emphasized the dedication of this year’s awardees.
“All of our award recipients embody the core value of the relentless pursuit of excellence in conducting medical research,” said Dr. Flores. “We are grateful for The Batchelor Foundation’s unwavering and unparalleled support of our department, research programs and Batchelor’s Children’s Research Institute as we pursue new treatments and cures for pediatric illnesses.”
“Congratulations to our award-winning physician-scientists for their outstanding work to prevent, treat and cure childhood illnesses,” added Joel Samuels, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Miami. “Your innovative work in pediatrics and neonatology exemplifies the spirit of inquiry the Batchelor family set out to inspire.”
Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risks in Infants
This year’s Micah Batchelor Award for Excellence was awarded to Merline Benny, M.D., an associate professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology. Dr. Benny was previously awarded the Micah Batchelor Scholar Award and the Micah Batchelor Fellow Award. She is the first person to win all three Batchelor awards.
The award will allow Dr. Benny to focus on preventing the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease that prematurely born infants face later in life due to the supplemental oxygen they need to survive.
Her team has identified a gene, Gasdermin D (GSDMD), that they believe is the key reason oxygen exposure causes vascular damage in preterm infants. Her research will investigate how GSDMD causes neonatal oxygen-induced vascular and heart damage in preterm-born survivors. These studies will aim to demonstrate that blocking GSDMD can prevent vascular and heart diseases caused by early oxygen exposure in newborns.
“To have my research recognized is both humbling and inspiring,” Dr. Benny shared. “This achievement is not mine alone. It reflects the encouragement and support I received from so many people who have been with me along this journey.”
AI Models that Identify Rare Genetic Disorders
Klaus Schmitz-Abe, Ph.D, a research associate professor in the Division of Neonatology, was awarded the Micah Batchelor Fellow Award.
Dr. Schmitz-Abe’s research focuses on using artificial intelligence to help identify and diagnose rare genetic disorders. Researchers hope to build an AI model that can identify and rank potentially harmful genetic variants.
The AI model will help researchers and clinicians focus on relevant findings and significantly reduce analysis time. A panel of experts will select specific cases to validate whether the model’s predictions are supported by biological evidence.
Early-Career Faculty Awards
Agustin Cabrera, M.D., and Qifei Li, Ph.D., both assistant professors of pediatrics at the Miller School, received the Micah Batchelor Scholar Awards, which recognize early-career faculty exploring innovative strategies to improve health outcomes for children.
Dr. Cabrera, a board-certified pediatrician in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, is working to better understand the ways in which doctors measure how well a patient is breathing. Currently, there are discrepancies in the results and validity of the two tests that measure breathing for children. This research seeks toimprove how doctors monitor breathing in children, especially those with conditions that affect how they breathe.
Dr. Li is researching treatment options for children afflicted with rare, inherited muscular and cardiovascular conditions. His work has the opportunity to create improved treatment options for children with similar muscle and heart diseases.
Tags: Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Batchelor Foundation, Dean Henri Ford, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Dr. Agustin Cabrera, Dr. Glenn Flores, Dr. Klaus Schmitz-Abe, Dr. Merline Benny, Dr. Qifei Li, Micah Batchelor Award for Excellence in Children's Health Research, neonatology, pediatric pulmonology, pediatrics