By Christina Echegaray
The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (TNAAP) has awarded top honors to three physicians in the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics.
TNAAP is a statewide professional membership and child advocacy organization dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children and adolescents. Each year, the organization’s annual awards recognize and honor pediatricians and community members who have made exceptional contributions to children’s health advocacy in Tennessee.
The three Vanderbilt pediatricians recognized for 2023 are:
- Kathryn Edwards, MD — Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Kelsey Gastineau, MD — Early Career Physician of the Year.
- Cassandra Brady, MD — AAP Special Achievement Award.
“I am thrilled to be able to celebrate and honor these three outstanding pediatric clinicians — Dr. Edwards, Dr. Gastineau and Dr. Brady — for their well-deserved TNAAP achievements and recognitions,” said Steve Webber, MBChP, MRCP, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, James C. Overall Professor and pediatrician-in-chief for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. “As leaders in pediatric health care, they have dedicated their careers to the health and well-being of children with the impact of their research and advocacy felt regionally, nationally and even globally. Please join me in congratulating them.”
Edwards’ award comes on the heels of her retirement from a distinguished career at Vanderbilt as an internationally recognized infectious disease expert. Over four decades, she made countless contributions to vaccine evaluation and implementation, public health advocacy, and the mentorship and training of new generations of experts in infectious diseases.
During her career, she served as the principal investigator for a Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit funded by the National Institutes of Health and tested vaccines for H1N1 flu, H5 avian flu, pertussis, pneumococcus, smallpox, anthrax and others.
“It has been a distinct honor to work closely with members of the TNAAP and to serve Tennessee children for over 40 years. Thank you for this opportunity,” said Edwards, professor of Pediatrics Emerita.
A pediatric hospital and public health researcher at Monroe Carell, Gastineau is a physician advocate specializing in pediatric injury prevention. Her research experience and interests include implementation of evidence-based, community-focused interventions and secondary database analysis to reduce firearm injuries in youth. She is a member of TNAAP.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this year’s Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Early Career Physician of the Year Award. Advocacy work can be challenging at times, especially as a new physician, but it also provides a wonderful opportunity to develop enriching relationships with community members and advocates committed to making the lives of all children better,” Gastineau said. “I am so grateful to TNAAP and my many mentors for fostering these relationships and helping to cultivate my passion for firearm injury prevention into action.”
Brady, associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics and a pediatric endocrinologist, has spent her career advocating for the health and well-being of pediatric patients. In her work to improve health outcomes, she is a member of the Endocrine Society and the Pediatric Endocrine Society, and she serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology subgroup. This is the second time she’s received the Special Achievement Award from TNAAP, with the first time in 2021. She has also been a repeat recipient of Excellence in Patient Experience Awards.
“I appreciate this award from the TNAAP and am extremely grateful for my colleagues here as well as throughout the state who dedicate their time to safe/accessible health care for children,” Brady said.
