Susana Ares

I am currently an assistant pediatrician at University Hospital LA PAZ, in Madrid, a tertiary grade hospital with around 7500 deliveries per year. I have been involved with several trials since 1994 most of them as principal investigator. These trials were mostly related to thyroid alterations in newborns, and some of them related to general pediatrics and vaccine. I was the site co-PI for the Grant 1 R01 NS45109-01A1: Multicentric study Phase 1 of thyroid hormone in extremely premature infants supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) during 2005-2009. My research during these last 15 years resulted in multiple reports published in international journals and book chapters. I am also involved in other clinical research, experimental design and analysis activities combined with clinical work in the Neonatology Unit. I coordinate, organize and set courses for the Neonatal nurses and residents. I have been involved in the planning, design and successful completion of the THOP 1 pilot study recently published in Pediatrics. I have the expertise, leadership and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the proposed work. I have a broad background in pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology and thyroid disorders in infancy, with specific training and expertise in key research areas for this application. As a PhD I have directed a Thesis in Portugal and some of the results were recently published in Thyroid (Maria J. Costeira, Pedro Oliveira, Susana Ares, Gabriella Morreale de Escobar, Joana A. Palha Iodine Status of Pregnant Women and Their Progeny in the Minho Region of Portugal. Thyroid. February 2009, Vol. 19, No. 2: 157-163). I expanded my research to include changes in clinical practice associated with neonatal thyroid monitoring in different Neonatal Units in Spain. As PI or co-Investigator on several previous university and Spanish National Health Institute funded grants, I laid the groundwork for the proposed research by developing effective measures of thyroid alterations during the neonatal period and other perinatal factors relevant to the adequate neurodevelopment of the preterm infants, and by establishing strong ties with other neonatal units that will make it possible to recruit and track participants over time. In addition, I successfully administered the projects (e.g. staffing, research protections, budget), collaborated with other researchers, and produced several peer-reviewed publications from each project. As a result of these previous experiences, I am aware of the importance of frequent communication among project members and of constructing a realistic research plan, timeline, and budget. The current project builds logically on my prior work, and I am very proud to collaborate with co-investigators (Drs. LaGamma, van Wassenaer AG, Golombek, Kok, and the rest of the team) who provide additional expertise in cognition. In summary, I have a demonstrated record of successful and productive research projects in an area of high relevance for our newborn population, and my expertise and experience have prepared me to collaborate with research and clinical projects.