SOCCS Awards

Trainees Research Award

Supported by The Children’s Heart Foundation

The AAP Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Research Fellowship Award, supported by The Children’s Heart Foundation (www.childrensheartfoundation.org), will provide up to $35,000 in funding for a training fellow in a U.S. pediatric cardiology or cardiac surgery training program (including 4th year fellowships and adult congenital cardiology fellowships), or in an advanced pediatric or adult congenital cardiology fellowship, who has demonstrated aptitude for basic, translational, or clinical science research.

Click here to download the Award Guidelines 
Click here to download the Trainees Research Award Application 
Click here to submit completed application and documents.

Award Timeline

May 1, 2026:        Deadline for receipt of application
July 2026:        Notification to Investigator and institution
September 2026:    Initiation of the Award
October 2-4 2026:    Presentation of Award during the AAP National Conference & Exhibition – San Diego, CA
October 2027:    Scientific Progress Report due
October 2027:    Final Financial Report due
October 2027:    Presentation of research results at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition – Chicago, IL

Award Recipients

2025-26
Tracey Crooks, MD, University of Colorado – “Observational Study of the Impact of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors on Skeletal Muscle”

2023-24
Michael Kim, MD, Hospital for Sick Children – “Virtual Reality Simulation to Improve Parent Discharge Education and Readiness for the Transition to Home after Congenital Heart Surgery (CHS)”

2022-2023
Kari Phillips, MD, University of Utah – “Shared Decision-Making in Pediatric Heart Transplant”

2021-2022
Mohammad Al-mousily, MD, Medical University of South Carolina – “The Use of a 12 Lead ECG and Artificial Intelligence with a Machine Learning Model to Identify Structural Heart Disease”

2020-2021
David Staudt, MD, PhD, Stanford University - “Unraveling the Molecular Modifiers of Hypertrophic and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy”

2019-2020
Rohan Kumthekar, MD, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC - " A Novel Tool for Percutaneous Implantation of Pacing and Defibrillation Leads in Small Children and Infants "

2018-2019
Joshua Kurtz, MD, FAAP, Medical University of South Carolina - "Detecting the Pathophysiology that Drives Fontan-Associated Liver Disease"

2017-2018
Jessica Garbern, MD, FAAP, Boston Children’s Hospital - "Maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes"

2014-2015 
Andrew L. Cheng, MD, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, "Effects of Hemorheology on Flow in the Fontan Circulation"

2013-2014 
Shahryar Chowdhury, MD, "Investigating the Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Risk"

2012-2013
Stephanie J. Nakano, MD, University of Colorado, "Regulation of Phosphodiesterase Activity in Pediatric Heart Failure "

2011-2012
Katja M. Gist, DO, University of Colorado, "Use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy for the Early Detection of Acute Kidney Disease in Children Post Cardiopulmonary Bypass "​​​

Young Investigator Awards are awarded to the best scientific abstracts presented at the National Conference & Exhibition meeting in clinical research and basic science categories.

Award Recipients

2024

First Prize: Impact of Animal Assisted Therapy on Quality, Completeness, and Patient and Parental Satisfaction in Children Undergoing Clinical Echocardiography 
Sydney Collins

Second Prize: Bicuspid Aortic Valve in Infants Without Severe Congenital Heart Defects: Epidemiology, Clinical Features and Outcomes 
Haley Elise Sherburne, MD

Third Prize: Opioid and Methadone Prescribing for Infants with Surgical Congenital Heart Disease 
Ruby Barq, MD

Poster Awards

Student and Resident: Creation of A Dedicated Fetal Cardiology Curriculum For Pediatric Cardiology Fellows 
Nia Choi

Fellow/Early Career: Implementation of Food Insecurity Screening in Pediatric Cardiology Clinic
Derek Norton, MD

2023

Zachariah E. Hale, MD – Sacubitril vs. ACE/ARB for Pediatric Heart Failure

Jordan John, MD – Reclassifying the Pathogenicity of KCNE1 Variants for Long QT Syndrome

Sara Stephens, MPH – Variant Reclassification among 308 Children Undergoing Genetic Testing in a Large Tertiary Center for Heritable Arrhythmia Syndromes

Morgan Lentz, BS – Screening for Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Pediatrics

Robert Loar, MD – Implementation of a Short Stay Protocol Reduces Post-Operative Length of Stay after Pediatric Heart Surgery

Alan Wang, MD – The Effect of Zip Code on Racial Disparities in Exercise Capacity for Pediatric Patients

2022

Spencer Barfuss, MD, FAAP – Standardizing Discharge Furosemide Duration Following Uncomplicated Congenital Heart Surgery.

Matthew L. Dove, MD – CMR Findings of COVID-19 Vaccine Associated Myocarditis at Intermediate Follow-Up: A Comparison to Classic Myocarditis and MIS-C Related Myocarditis

Tyler Novy, MD – Genetic Testing for Patients with Non-Williams Supravalvar Aortic Stenosis

2021

Ryan D. Byrne, MD, Baylor College of Medicine - Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis Hospitalizations Among Adults with CHD

Michael A. Bruno, MD, Baylor College of Medicine - Electrocardiogram Findings in Long-Term Pediatric Cancer Survivors Exposed to Anthracyclines

Jessica Hook, MD, Medical University of South Carolina - Factors Associated with Mortality and Adverse Outcomes in Infants Undergoing Truncus Arteriosus Repair

2020

1st: Melodie M. Lynn, DO, Texas Children’s Hospital - Adult Congenital Heart Disease Mortality in the United States, 1999-2017

2. Mehul D. Patel, MD, University of Texas - Birth location and timing of surgical center ICU admission in infants with prenatally diagnosed hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a report from the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative

3. Adam M. Butensky, MD, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York – Cardiac Evaluation of Patient with 22q11.2 Duplication Syndrome

2019

Training Fellows Category
Talha Naiz, MD – Gender Differences in Morphology, Disease Phenotype and Outcomes Among Children and Young Adults with Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Anna Vernardos, MD – Fetal Aortic Annular Growth in the “Borderline” Left Heart Varies by Cardiac Phenotype

Resident/Medical Student Category
Stephanie Hadley, BA – Oxidative Stress Linked with Clinical Outcomes and Biomarkers of Neurologic Damage in Infants undergoing Cardiac Surgery

John Tadros, MD – Assessing the Psychosocial Impact of Pediatric Heart Transplantation on Family Functioning

The Founders Award (named after the "founders" of the Section) recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery.

Dr. Serratto was a longtime member of SOCCS and the Founder of the Specialty Review in Pediatric Cardiology course, which has helped pediatric cardiology fellows pass their pediatric cardiology boards for 40 years. Due to her dedication to educating pediatric cardiology fellows and faculty, the Master Educator Award is named in her honor. This award is presented every year to a pediatric cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon that exemplifies excellence in the areas of education and/or leadership.

2024      Robert Ross, MD

2023      Eudice E. Fontenot, MD

2022      John Dale Kugler, MD

2021      Gil Wernovsky, MD

2020      Nancy Ann Ayres, MD

2019      Peter Lang, MD

2018      Hugh D. Allen, MD

Given to the best Advocacy abstract at the Annual Meeting. Named after Dr. Roberta Williams, who has been a persistent and enthusiastic champion for improvement in the systems of care for patients with chronic disease, originating in childhood. Her influence has been felt at the national and international level where she is engaged in advocacy for health, job opportunities and housing for young adults with chronic disease

2024   Larissa Man-Yin Wenren, MD  - Development and Implementation of a Health-Related Social Needs Screener in a Hospital-based Pediatric Cardiology Clinic

2023    Alan Wang, MD – The Effect of Zip Code on Racial Disparities in Exercise Capacity for Pediatric Patients

2022    John Shabosky, MD - Sociodemographic Associations of Transition Readiness Progress in Adolescents: Outcomes of a Formal Congenital Heart Disease Transition Program