Catherine M. Avitabile, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Attending Physician, Cardiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Core Faculty, Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness, 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 (Medicine)
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2007.
Permanent linkBA (Economics)
University of Notre Dame, 2003.
MD (Medicine)
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
Selected Publications
Avitabile CM, McBride MG, Zhang X, Ampah S, Goldstein BH, Alsaied T, Wittekind SG, Whitehead KK, Zemel BS, Paridon SM: Peak work rate increases with lower extremity-focused exercise training in adolescents with Fontan circulation. J Am Heart Assoc December 2022 Notes: doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.027464. Online ahead of print.Avitabile CM, McBride MG, Harris MA, Whitehead KK, Fogel MA, Paridon SM, Zemel BS: Skeletal muscle deficits are associated with worse exercise performance in pediatric pulmonary hypertension. Frontiers in Pediatrics 5(10), October 2022 Notes: doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1025420. eCollection 2022.
Hopper RK, Abman SH, Elia EG, Avitabile CM, Yung D, Mullen MP, Austin ED, Bates A, Handler SS, Feinstein JA, Ivy DD, Kinsella JP, Mandl KD, Raj JU, Sleeper LA: Pulmonary hypertension in children with Down syndrome: results from the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network Registry J Pediatr August 2022 Notes: In press.
Avitabile CM, Zhang X, Ampah S, Wang Y, Ash D, Nialn K, Mercer-Rosa L, Fierro J, Frank D, Gibbs KA: Factors associated with discontinuation of pulmonary vasodilator therapy in children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension. J Perinatol June 2022 Notes: doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01421-6. Online ahead of print.
Austin ED, Mullen MP, Elia EG, Sleeper LA, Avitabile CM, Bates A, et al for the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network Investigators: Survival and hemodynamics in PH patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the PPHNet registry. Oral presentation by Austin at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco CA May 2022.
Avitabile CM, McBride MG, Whitehead KK, Fogel MA, Paridon SM, Zemel BS: Skeletal muscle deficits and physical inactivity are associated with worse exercise performance in pediatric pulmonary hypertension Poster presentation at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco, CA May 2022.
Gardner MM, Faerber J, Glatz AC, Preminger TJ, Avitabile CM, Shankar S, Shustak RJ, Weber DR, Schachtner S, Ravishankar C, Goldberg DJ. : Relationship between serum brain-type natriuretic peptide and biomarkers of growth in infants with shunt-dependent single cardiac ventricle. Am J Cardiol March 2022 Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.01.052. Epub ahead of print.
Ivy DD, Mattooch S, Silveira L, Taylor A, Young D, Mullen MP, HAndler S, Krishnan US, Freire G, Hopper RK, Varghese N, Fineman J, Austin ED, Avitabile CM and the PPHNet Actigraphy Jr Study Group: Actigraphy as a study endpoint to facilitate pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension trials and drug development for children ages 0-6 years. 15th International Conference in Neonatal and Childhood Pulmonary Vascular Disease, San Francisco, CA February 2022 Notes: Poster presentation, available virtually due to COVID19 pandemic.
Handler SS, Varghese NP, Rosenzweig EB, Yung D, Krishnan U, Whalen E, Bates A, Avitabile CM, Jackson EO, Hirsch R, Fineman J, Abman SH, for the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet): Building a Dedicated Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Program: A Consensus Statement from the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network. Pulmonary Circulation 12(1), February 2022 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.12031.
DeBie FR, Avitabile CM, Flohr S, Land S, Mathew L, Rintoul NE, Hedrick HL: BNP levels in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia-related pulmonary hypertension treated with treprostinil. 38th Annual Children's National Symposium: ECMO and the Advanced Therapies for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Failure, Virtual meeting due to COVID19 pandemic February 2022 Notes: Virtual oral presentation Avitabile as discussant.