Sandra Juul, MD, PhD
Professor and Head, Division of Neonatology
Dr. Sandra ”Sunny” Juul, M.D., Ph.D., recently became the new Division Chief of Neonatology at UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. After completing her medical degree, residency, fellowship and two years as an acting assistant professor at the University of Washington, Dr. Juul left Seattle in 1991 for the University of Chicago where she began a Ph.D. in Developmental Biology. She then joined the faculty at the University of Florida in 1993, where her Ph.D. work was completed. In 2000, Dr. Juul was successfully recruited back to Seattle. She has been an outstanding clinician and educator, and has developed an internationally recognized NIH funded research program devoted to improving neonatal neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Dr. Juul is principal investigator on studies focusing on the neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (Epo) in neonatal models of brain injury. She has performed many preclinical trials to bring Epo neuroprotection from the bench to the bedside. This research has shown that Epo protects the neonatal brain from injury due to hypoxia and oxidative injury. She is currently the principal investigator of the PENUT Trial, a large multi center trial designed to test whether Epo improves the outcome of extremely preterm infants.
Dr. Juul’s ultimate goal is to identify new therapeutic approaches to neonatal brain injury, determine whether they are safe and effective, first in preclinical models, and finally in patients at high risk for brain injury. Using a variety of approaches and several animal models, she is testing new approaches to preventing and treating neonatal brain injury.
“As a neonatologist, I am honored to participate in the care of precious, fragile individuals ranging from extremely preterm infants to term neonates with complex medical or surgical problems. These small patients and their families humble me with their endurance in the face of great adversity. I believe that my role as an academic neonatologist is to work to advance care and improve outcomes for our patient population. My research focuses on neonatal neuroprotection: how to optimize neurodevelopment, protect the newborn brain from injury, and how to repair the injured brain.”
