Karen Ramirez Suarez, MD
Associate Scholar
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Colombia | Dominican Republic | Botswana
- Child Health | Climate Change | Environmental health | Women's health
Languages: Spanish(native), English(fluent),French (beginner)
BIO STATEMENT
Karen is an international medical doctor from Colombia, with a postgraduate degree in epidemiology. Currently, she is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study. This project investigates how brain development is influenced by exposure to substances, as well as environmental, social, and biological factors during pregnancy and after birth. She is passionate about public and global health, focused on community, women’s, and children’s health. She is committed to advocating for healthcare equity and is actively engaged with multiple organizations including "Puentes de Salud" and "Medicos Unidos," which provide resources to the Latinx community in Philadelphia.
Recent Global Health Projects
1. Participates in the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study, sponsored by the NIH. This is the largest long-term study of early brain and child development in the United States. Her role involves managing strategic partnerships to enhance community outreach and achieve recruitment goals for the Philadelphia area.
2. Collaborates on the FLOURISH (Following Longitudinal Outcomes to Understand, Report, Intervene, and Sustain Health for Infants, Children, and Adolescents who are HIV-Exposed Uninfected) Study in Botswana. This ongoing prospective observational study, conducted by the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership (BHP), aims to assess and improve health outcomes for HIV-exposed uninfected infants, children, and adolescents. She has also contributed to the development of an NIH proposal to further support this research project.
Publications
Otero HJ, Miranda-Schaeubinger M, Schenkel SR, Ramirez-Suarez KI, Cerron-Vela CR, Wannasarnmetha M, et al. Feasibility of brain ultrasound performed by nurses in the evaluation of newborns who are HIV exposed in utero and uninfected: A pilot study in Botswana. Children. 2024;11(9):1039. DOI: 10.3390/children11091039
Biko DM, Ramirez-Suarez KI, Barrera CA, Banerjee A, Matsubara D, Kaplan SL, et al. Imaging of children with COVID-19: experience from a tertiary children’s hospital in the United States. Pediatr Radiol. 2021;51(2):239–47. DOI: 10.1007/s00247-020-04830-x
Last Updated: 06 September 2024