Message from the Chair

I am delighted to serve as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the UCI School of Medicine. This is an exciting time as we align with the Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) to expand research in child health, advance the education of pediatric providers and further enhance the clinical care of children and youth. 

UCI and CHOC have a combination of outstanding educators, researchers and clinicians who lead important education and research missions and provide exceptional care for children. People who care for children know there is nothing more important or satisfying than improving children’s health, preventing or treating disease and teaching the next generation of pediatric providers. Together, we will advance these missions. 

Our residency programs are robust, with excellent trainees who will enter their desired careers in primary care or subspecialty pediatrics as dedicated clinicians committed to excellence and lifelong learning. Our fellowship programs are expanding. We currently offer six competitive fellowships in areas such as neonatal intensive care and infectious diseases. Our graduate medical education programs integrate patient care, didactic teaching and research to fulfill our fundamental missions. Our clinicians provide exceptional care to children across the age and disease spectrums. Drawing from these areas of excellence, our aim in the coming years is to further enhance our learners’ research and training opportunities. 

I encourage you to learn more about our department and our programs. Our diverse team of health providers applies advanced medical knowledge across the full spectrum of childhood illness, ensuring the health of children in our community. UCI Pediatrics and CHOC are leaders in the care of children and the training of pediatric medical care providers. Combining the cutting-edge work of these two institutions will accelerate the advancement of child health throughout Southern California.

Coleen K. Cunningham, MD
Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics