Justin Azar, MD, completed his T32 training in June of 2020. He was a highly recruited PICU fellow from Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, having received his MD degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Azar has been working in two areas 1) studies of the impact of hyperoxia on brain tissue oxygenation and outcome in critically ill infants and children with severe traumatic brain injury, and 2) studies of the impact of nutrition in the PICU. His study in traumatic brain injury is being mentored by Dr. Robert Clark along with Dr. Christopher Horvat and is examining the relationship between systemic hyperoxia and both brain tissue oxygen and overall outcome in infants and children with severe traumatic brain injury. That is an extremely timely area of investigation given the recent studies across pediatric critical care suggesting deleterious systemic consequences of hyperoxia, yet the well-known concerns related to brain tissue hypoxia, particularly after acute brain injury. Given his interest in PICU nutrition he is also examining anthropometrics as predictors of mortality in critically ill infants and children using the electronic health records, and a 10-year cohort. This year, he presented his work in nutrition at the SCCM Congress. He also enrolled in the Certificate Program in Clinical Research from the Institute for Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and took nine courses including Computer Methods in Clinical Research, Clinical Research Methods, Biostatistics, Analysis of Variance and Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Measurement in Clinical Research, Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research, Clinical Decision Analysis, and Medical Writing.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Undergraduate
2003-2007 Hampden-Sydney College Bachelor of Science
Hampden-Sydney, VA Biology, Spanish Valedictorian
Graduate
2007-2011 George Washington University Doctor of Medicine
Washington, DC
Post-Graduate
2011-2014 Children’s National Medical Center Pediatric Residency
Washington, DC
2014-2015 Children’s National Medical Center Pediatric Chief Residency
Washington, DC
2016-2018 Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Pediatric Critical Care
Pittsburgh, PA Fellowship
2018-2020 NRSA Fellow T32 HD040686 Training in Pediatric
Neurointensive Care and
Resuscitation Research
HONORS AND AWARDS
2006 Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
2006 Phi Beta Kappa
2006 Chi Beta Phi National Science Honor Society
2007 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
2007 H.B. Overcash Award for Excellence in the Biological Sciences
2007 James R. T. Hewitt Biology Award
2007 Phi Sigma Iota, National Foreign Language Honor Society
2010 Gold Humanism Honor Society
2011 Medical Student Teaching Award
2014-15 Chief Resident, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
PUBLICATIONS
- Azar JM, Darbari DS, Meier ER, Conklin LS, Darbari A. (2014). Inflammatory bowel disease in sickle cell disease: diagnostic and treatment challenges. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology. November 54(5).
- Chretien K, Azar JM, Kind T. (2011) “Physicians on Twitter.” Journal of the American Medical Association. February 305(6): 566-8.
PRESENTATIONS
- Azar JM, Agrawal D. “Pathways: Making Residency Fit the Resident.” Platform presented at the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Regional Fall Meeting, Spotlight on Program Innovation. Falls Church, VA. September 2014.
- Azar JM, Khan MA. “Evaluation of Immediate Post-Operative Complications of Ambulatory Office-Based Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.” Poster presented at Children’s National Medical Center Research Day. Washington, DC. May 2014
- Davis A, Markowsky A, Azar JM, Neel ML, Duke N, Levin A. “Impact of PEWS triggered primary team huddle on ICU transfer and patient deterioration.” Poster presented at Children’s National Medical Center Research Day. Washington, DC. April 2015.
- Davis A, Markowsky A, Azar JM, Neel ML, Duke N, Levin A. “Impact of PEWS triggered primary team huddle on ICU transfer and patient deterioration.” Poster presented at Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference. San Antonio, TX. July 2015.
- Azar J, Kantawala S, Kochanek P, Clark R, Horvat C. (2020) Increased mortality risk in underweight critically ill children. Crit Care Med 48(Suppl 1):203.