By Marina Pazin

In one of her megahits, Whitney Houston proudly proclaims: “I believe the children are our future.” As true as the statement is, it’s also unfortunately the case that the future of many children, particularly those born prematurely, lies often in the hands of skilled neonatologists.  Prematurity poses a severe risk factor for these tiny infants for development of Necrotizing Enterocolitis, NEC, a common complication characterized by necrosis of the intestinal tissue within the first few weeks of life.  Depending on the severity of NEC that follows, the symptoms of the disease could range from moderate to severe, with extreme NEC leading to mortality. This realization is all too real to Dr. Brandy Frost who, as a neonatologist at the Evanston Hospital branch of the NorthShore University Healthcare System, frequently has to come to terms with the reality that sometimes human life just can’t be saved.  Yet, being part of a miraculous process by which the opposite occurs is what keeps her going. “The most interesting thing about my job is watching a premature baby go from a tiny, fragile being to a strong, resilient infant- initially they are completely dependent on technology for survival, but as they approach term gestation, they become quite like a full term baby that can breathe, eat, and maintain temperature. I think it is truly amazing! “

For Brandy, the decision to become a neonatologist was an easy one. While during her undergraduate career she toyed with the idea of becoming a physical therapist, an eye-opening experience in children’s hospital in her hometown, Kansas City, uncovered her love for pediatrics once and for all. “I found it fascinating, and I loved watching my uncle (a pediatric anesthesiologist practicing at the same hospital] help people feel better… I truly loved pediatrics. Kids are amazing in that they are so resilient, and I really wanted to be part of helping them heal.”  With a predisposition towards the pediatrics field, Brandy  successfully completed Kansas Medical School, deciding to specialize in neonatology in the process.

For her continued training, Brandy moved to Illinois and completed her fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Michael S. Caplan, a world-renown leader in the NEC field. Being a neonatologist allows her to work with kids while being very intellectually engaged and to form close relationships with parents whose children she treats. Moreover, serving as a neonatal fellow uncovered her love for clinical and basic science research, both of which she continues to pursue today. “During the time I spent in Dr. Caplan’s lab as a fellow, I was able to learn basic laboratory techniques, and develop a sense of what a challenge it can be to do good research.”  Paralleling her clinical work, the focus of Brandy’s basic research has been to uncover the signaling pathway by which TGFβ growth factor modulates proinflammatory response triggered by toll-like receptors, which, in some models has been shown to lower the incidence of NEC. Although she admits that, at times, inconsistencies in data from bench-science studies make her work as a research scientist quite frustrating, she nonetheless finds working toward a goal of further understanding diseases that affect premature infants a very enjoyable process. As a faculty member at the same hospital where she once served as a fellow, Brandy is also a principal investigator on several clinical studies. The focus of these projects ranges from comparing TGFβ levels in breast milk (which has been shown to be more beneficial over formula at lowering NEC incidence rate among preemies) among the mothers whose babies develop NEC relative to those who do not, to assessing treatments and therapeutics options to curb the incidence and the severity of this disease.

Being busy with all the projects and her patients has not precluded her from creating a family of her own. She is a mom to a preschooler and a toddler and feels fortunate to have found a balance between her working and family life. “I have been lucky… I have managed to balance all of my responsibilities as well as I can.” As someone who has gotten to know Brandy as an accomplished doctor, scientist, and a mother, I couldn’t agree more.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Marina Pazin.  Ms. Pazin is a PhD candidate at NorthShore University Health System.

Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article?  Send nominations to communications@awis-chicago.org. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.