Susanna McColley, MD

Clinical and Community Trials
Pronoun: She, Her
Contact: SMcColley@luriechildrens.org

“My work of over 30 years aims to improve diagnosis and treatment, and to reduce health disparities, for children with cystic fibrosis. I am passionate about training the next generation of child health researchers, especially those who are currently underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce.”

Biography

Scientific Director, Interdisciplinary Research Partnerships, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute
Professor of Pediatrics (Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Associate Clinical Director for Child Health and Director, TL1 Multidisciplinary Training Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute
Editor-in-Chief, Pediatric Pulmonology

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Susanna McColley, MD, is a pediatric pulmonologist whose research focuses on improving the health of people with cystic fibrosis through understanding risk factors for more severe disease, improving methods of screening and diagnosing, and testing new treatments. Dr. McColley has a long-standing focus on reducing health disparities in cystic fibrosis. She is an internationally recognized expert in cystic fibrosis newborn screening, serving as Vice Chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Newborn Screening Consortium and as a member of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Newborn Screening Working Group. In her role as Associate Clinical Director for Child Health at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Dr. McColley is highly engaged in overcoming translational science barriers in child health. She directs the NUCATS TL1 Multidisciplinary Training Program in Child Health and is also passionate about training the next generation of child health researchers.

Education and Background

Fellowship in Pulmonology, Johns Hopkins Hospital 1988-1991
Residency in Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital 1985-1988
MD, Northwestern University 1985

Research Highlights

A TEN-YEAR EVALUATION OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS NEWBORN SCREENING IN THE UNITED STATES

This multi-aim interdisciplinary project evaluates outcomes of infants with cystic fibrosis born in the United States since newborn screening was implemented nationwide. Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential to avoid early malnutrition and catastrophic outcomes in infants with cystic fibrosis, but preliminary data showed that some infants have marked delays in evaluation since newborn screening was implemented. Dr. McColley and the research team use data from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry and the NewSTEPS data repository of the Association of Public Health Laboratories to study variation in newborn screening processes and outcomes. Qualitative research methods are used to glean valuable information about barriers to timely diagnosis for all infants with cystic fibrosis from the perspective of public health lab personnel and cystic fibrosis clinicians.