University of Iowa News Release

Oct. 17, 2007

UI Children's Hospital physician to receive research honor

Edward F. Bell, M.D., will receive the 2007 Fomon-Peterson Founder's Award from the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research (MSPR) during the organization's meeting Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.

Bell is a professor of pediatrics in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and a neonatologist at UI Children's Hospital. He served as director of the Division of Neonatology and medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from 1988 until 2005. He currently serves as vice chair for faculty affairs in the UI Department of Pediatrics.

Bell's clinical interests include newborn intensive care and the post-discharge care of medically fragile NICU graduates. His research activities involve thermal physiology, fluid and electrolyte balance, energy metabolism and substrate utilization, and anemia and transfusion practices in preterm infants.

The MSPR created its Founder's Award in 1986 to honor a senior investigator and member or former member of the professional organization. The honorees have made significant contributions to the medical literature and fostered pediatric medical research in the Midwest. Previous winners with UI connections include:

-- 1986: Samuel J. Fomon, M.D., professor of pediatrics (emeritus), UI Carver College of Medicine

-- 1995: Fred G. Smith Jr., M.D., professor and head of pediatrics (emeritus), UI Carver College of Medicine

-- 2002: Jean E. Robillard, M.D., UI vice president for medical affairs and dean, UI Carver College of Medicine

-- 2004: Robert P. Kelch, M.D., former UI vice president for health affairs, UI Health Care

-- 2005: John A. Widness, M.D., professor of pediatrics, UI Carver College of Medicine

In recognition of Bell's efforts, the Association of American Medical Colleges awarded him its prestigious "Humanism in Medicine" Award in 2002. The award honors a single medical school faculty physician from a U.S. or Canadian medical school who is a mentor for medical students and a practitioner of patient-centered care.

Bell also received the 2001 Faculty Humanism Award from the UI Carver College of Medicine.

UI Children's Hospital serves children and their families at its main campus in Iowa City and satellite clinics in communities throughout Iowa. A 165-bed "hospital within a hospital," UI Children's Hospital benefits from the sophisticated services and comprehensive resources of UI Hospitals and Clinics. Child magazine ranks UI Children's Hospital among the top 20 children's hospitals in the nation.

STORY SOURCE: Joint Office for Marketing and Communications, University of Iowa Health Care, 200 Hawkins Drive, Room E110 GH, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1009

MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Moore, UI Health Care, 319-356-3945, thomas-moore@uiowa.edu.