Annual Scientific Conference
The Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) will hold its fifth annual Scientific Conference on Friday, Nov. 13, at UNO's Scott Conference Center. The Scientific Conference is CHRI’s flagship event that showcases the groundbreaking research being done by CHRI’s 600+ members. In addition, keynote speaker Maria Melendez-Gonzalez de Ferris, MD, assistant professor, University of North Carolina. Dr. Melendez-Gonzalez de Ferris works as a specialist in pediatric complex care. Her research focuses on healthcare transitions for children with medical complexity as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Her internationally known work evaluates children’s readiness for increasing autonomy in their healthcare and then creates systems to address those gaps and assure health through adolescence and young adulthood.
Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. for a light breakfast and networking. The Children's Nebraska Grand Rounds presentation that day will be incorporated into the Scientific Conference agenda and will start at 8 a.m., followed by the plenary session. Afternoon breakout sessions for CHRI’s areas of emphasis will round out the day.
More information on the Keynote SpeakerThe internationally know work of Maria Melendez-Gonzalez de Ferris, MD, evaluates children’s readiness for increasing autonomy in their healthcare and then creates systems to address those gaps and assure health through adolescence and young adulthood. Dr. de Ferris is the co-chair of the junior mentoring program at the International Pediatric Nephrology Association, as well as the associate editor of the International Society of Nephrology–Kidney Health Education for Global Impact. She also founded and is the co-director of the International Pediatric Nephrology Fellows Conference. Dr. de Ferris founded and is the director of University of North Carolina Healthcare Transition Program, which teaches healthcare transition preparation to adult-focused care, self-management skills and disease knowledge among adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions. She also founded and is the co-director of the International and Interdisciplinary Healthcare Transition Research Consortium. Dr. de Ferris has hundreds of publications with interdisciplinary collaborators from across the world and has received multiple honors and awards. She strives to create interventions that address gaps in health self-management and promote better adolescent and young adult outcomes.