Catherine M. Avitabile, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Attending Physician, Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Faculty Member, Clinical Futures Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department: Pediatrics
Contact information
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Education:
BA (Economics)
University of Notre Dame, 2003.
MD
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2007.
Permanent linkBA (Economics)
University of Notre Dame, 2003.
MD
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2007.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Pulmonary hypertensionEchocardiography
Pulmonary vein stenosis
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Description of Research Expertise
Pulmonary hypertensionFontan physiology
Peripheral determinants of exercise capacity
Exercise training
Right ventricular function
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Actigraphy
Wearables
Selected Publications
Gipsman AI, Danzer E, Aarthun A, Mathew L, Flohr SJ, Avitabile CM, Hedrick HL, Fedec A, Wang Y, Ash D, Panitch HB: Long-term pulmonary function outcomes in children with pulmonary hypoplasia. J Pediatr 285(1): 285:114671. October 2025.Whitworth H, Wagner K, Avitabile CM, Blowey B, Costello RA, Davis JC, Davis DH, Ellison AM, Giglia TM, Himebauch AS, Houng K, Law CK, Mavroudis CD, Mercer-Rosa L, O’Byrne ML, Ravishankar C, Raffini LJ.: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a pediatric pulmonary embolism clinical pathway and pulmonary embolism response team. Pediatr Crit Care Med Page: Accepted, September 2025.
Niccum M, Avitabile CM, Albizem D, Meluskey H, Penney C, Hanna BD, O'Byrne ML, Bshouty Z, Frank DB. : Pulmonary vascular compromise is associated with survival in pediatric pulmonary hypertension: a new computational model. Pulm Circ Page: 15(3):e70156, September 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1002/pul2.70156.
Meluskey M, Blowey B, Bustin A, O’Byrne ML, Rome JJ, Frank DB, Avitabile CM, Gupta M, Tang J, Butler KKL, Mavroudis CD, Fuller S, Callahan R: Systemic sirolimus monitoring in pediatric pulmonary vein stenosis. Pediatr Cardiol Page: Accepted, September 2025.
Austin ED, Mullen, MP, Avitabile CM, Krishnan US, Rosenzweig EB, Keller RL, Kinsella JP, Yung D, Steffes L, Bates A, Elia EG, Romer LH, McGrath-Morrow S, Bernier ML, Mandl KD, Raj JU, Sleeper LA, Abman SH : Pulmonary hemodynamics and long-term outcomes in children with pulmonary hypertension-associated bronchopulmonary dysplasia J Peds Page: Accepted, September 2025.
Morris H, Reilly M, Zhang H, Dong X, Gibbs K, Avitabile CM, DeMauro SB, Bamat NA. : Characteristics associated with death or tracheostomy in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia following predominant non-invasive respiratory support. J Perinatol Page: doi: 10.1038, August 2025 Notes: epub ahead of print.
Vega TF, Huber M, Jensen EA, Avitabile CM, Lorch SA, Gibbs KA, O'Byrne ML, Frank DB, Bamat NA : Pulmonary vasodilator use in very preterm infants in United States children's hospitals. J Perinatol Page: doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02309-x, August 2025 Notes: Epub ahead of print.
Parker C, Whalen E, Smith MA, Becerra J, Stevens L, Avitabile CM, Brown A, Cash M, Jackson EO, McSweeney J, Miller-Reed K, Reyes JT, Sheppard C, Mullen MP; Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet): Anxiety and depression screening of youth in pediatric pulmonary hypertension clinic: a multi-center, cross-sectional study. Pulm Circ 15(2): e70117, June 2025.
Kleppinger C, Ivy D, Stockbridge N, Bates A, Handler S, Krishnan US, Mullen MP, Yung D, Hopper RK, Varghese NP, Fineman J, Austin ED, Avitabile CM, Freire G, Clark J, Sun H P: Procedural variation may contribute to 6-minute walk distance variability in real-world pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension study. AAPS J 27(5): 114, June 2025.
Mullen MP, Ivy DD, Varghese NP, Winant AJ, Cortes-Santiago N, Vargas SO, Porres D, Maschietto N, Critser PJ, Hirsch R, Avitabile CM, Hopper RK, Frank BS, Coleman RD, Agrawal PB, Madden JA, Roberts AE, Collins SL, Raj JU, Austin ED, Chung WK, Abman SH. : SOX17-associated pulmonary hypertension in children: a distinct developmental and clinical syndrome. J Pediatr 278(1): 114422, March 2025.