2024 Helen B Taussig Memorial Lecture - Gail D. Pearson, MD, ScD, FAHA

 

Dr. Pearson is a pediatric cardiologist who serves as senior pediatric science advisor at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). During her more than 27-year tenure at NHLBI, her major accomplishments include spearheading the creation of the Bench to Bassinet Program, a comprehensive translational research effort in pediatric cardiovascular diseases that includes the Pediatric Heart Network and Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Pearson helped lead the development and implementation of federal research efforts to understand and combat Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). She is also the senior pediatric lead for the NIH RECOVER program that focuses on long COVID-19 across the lifespan.

Dr. Pearson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, a Master of Public Administration degree from American University and Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Science degrees from Johns Hopkins University.

She completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Children’s National Hospital.

In addition to her work at NHLBI, Dr. Pearson spent more than two decades caring for children with heart disease and mentoring fellows and junior faculty at Children’s National Hospital, where until August 2020 she was an adjunct professor of pediatrics. She’s now Professor Emerita.

Dr. Pearson has received numerous awards, including the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Disease in the Young Meritorious Achievement Award; the NHLBI Excellence in Mentorship Award; and several NHLBI Director’s Awards and NIH Director’s Awards.

In her illustrious career, Dr. Pearson has also authored more than 100 articles, book chapters and abstracts.