Robert W. Hickey, MD, FAAP, FAHA

  • Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science
  • Director of Research, Division of Emergency Medicine

Administrative Assistant: Deborah Irwin

I have worked in Pediatric Emergency Medicine since 1989. Over this time, I have gained experience in basic and clinical research, dissemination of scientific ideas, and leadership. I have authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, 13 book chapters and have served on seven editorial boards. I have been supported by over 25 grants. I have served on study sections for both the Maternal Child Health Bureau and the NIH. I am the Director of Research within the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Emergency Medicine and I hold an appointment as Professor of Clinical and Translational Science within the University of Pittsburgh. I supervise a clinical research team in our ED that has enrolled over 10,000 children in research studies since 2010. 

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Junior Fellow, 1986-1987
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Candidate Fellow, 1988-1991
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow, 1997-2009
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1997-2009
  • Society for Neuroscience, 1998-2010
  • International Liason Committee on Resusciation, 2001-2010
  • American Heart Association, Fellow, 2005-Present
  • Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, 2011-Present

Education & Training

  • BS, Biology, Allentown College of St Francis de Sales, 1981
  • MD, Thomas Jefferson University College of Medicine, 1985
  • Pediatric Internship, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 1985-1986
  • Pediatric Residency, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 1986-1988
  • Pediatric Chief Resident, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 1987-1988
  • Pediatric Liason to the Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Center of Delaware, 1988-1989
  • Medicine Fellowship, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 1989-1991

Selected Publications

Carden MA, Brousseau DC, Ahmad FA, Bennett J, Bhatt S, Bogie A, Brown K, Casper TC, Chapman LL, Chumpitazi CE, Cohen D, Dampier C, Ellison AM, Grasemann H, Hickey RW, Hsu LL, Leibovich S, Powell E, Richards R, Sarnaik S, Weiner DL, Morris CR; Sickle Cell Disease Arginine Study Group and the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN).. Normal Saline Bolus Use in Pediatric Emergency Departments is Associated with Worse Pain Control in Children with Sickle Cell Anemia and Vaso-occlusive Pain. Am J Hematol. 2019;94:689-696. PMID: 30916794.

Shaikh N, Martin JM, Hoberman A, Skae M, Milkovich L, Nowalk A, McElheny C, Hickey RW, Kearney D, Majd M, Shalaby-Rana E, Tseng G, Alcorn JF, Kolls J, Kurs-Lasky M, Huo Z, Horne W, Lockhart G, Pohl H, Shope TR. Host and Bacterial Markers that Differ in Children with Cystitis and Pyelonephritis. J Pediatr. 2019 Mar 21. pii: S0022-3476(19)30027-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.01.012. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30905425

Ramgopal S, Dezfulian C, Hickey RW, Au AK, Venkataraman S, Clark RSB, Horvat CM. Association of Severe Hyperoxemia Events and Mortality Among Patients Admitted to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Aug 2;2(8):e199812. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9812. PMID: 31433484

Shaikh N, Martin JM, Hoberman A, Skae M, Milkovich L, McElheny C, Hickey RW, Gabriel LV, Kearney DH, Majd M, Shalaby-Rana E, Tseng G, Kolls J, Horne W, Huo Z, Shope T. Biomarkers that differentiate false positive urinalyses from true urinary tract infection. Pediatr Nephrol (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-019-04403-7.

Ramgopal S, Dezfulian C, Hickey RW, Au AK, Venkataraman S, Clark RSB, Horvat CM. Early Hyperoxemia and Outcome Among Critically Ill Children. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2019 Dec 10. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000002203. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31821205

Kapur J, Elm J, Chamberlain JM, Barsan W, Cloyd J, Lowenstein D, Shinnar S, Conwit R, Meinzer C, Cock H, Fountain N, Connor JT, Silbergleit R; NETT and PECARN Investigators. Randomized Trial of Three Anticonvulsant Medications for Status Epilepticus. N Engl J Med. 2019 Nov 28;381(22):2103-2113. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1905795. PMID: 31774955

Chamberlain JM, Kapur J, Shinnar S, Elm J, Holsti M, Babcock L, Rogers A, Barsan W, Cloyd J, Lowenstein D, Bleck TP, Conwit R, Meinzer C, Cock H, Fountain NB, Underwood E, Connor JT, Silbergleit R; Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials; Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network investigators Efficacy of levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, and valproate for established status epilepticus by age group (ESETT): a double-blind, responsive-adaptive, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2020 Mar 20. pii: S0140-6736(20)30611-5. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30611-5. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 32203691

Sriram Ramgopal, Kathleen A Noorbakhsh , Christopher M Pruitt, Paul L Aronson, Elizabeth R Alpern, Robert W Hickey. Outcomes of Young Infants With Hypothermia Evaluated in the Emergency Department. J Pediatr 2020 Jun;221:132-137.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.002. PMID: 32446472

Madsen JR, Boyle TP, Neuman MI, Park EH, Tamber MS, Hickey RW, Heuer GG, Zorc JJ, Leonard JR, Leonard JC, Keating R, Chamberlain JM, Frim DM, Zakrzewski P, Klinge P, Merck LH, Piatt J, Bennett JE, Sandberg DI, Boop FA, Hameed MQ.Madsen JR, et al. Diagnostic Accuracy of Non-Invasive Thermal Evaluation of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Flow in Shunt Malfunction: A Prospective, Multi-Site, Operator-Blinded Study. Neurosurgery. 2020 May 27:nyaa128. doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa128. Online ahead of print.Neurosurgery. 2020. PMID: 32459841

Chung JR, Flannery B, Gaglani M, Smith ME, Reis EC, Hickey RW, Jackson ML, Jackson LA, Belongia EA, McLean HQ, Martin ET, Segaloff HE, Kim SS, Patel MM. Patterns of Influenza Vaccination and Vaccine Effectiveness Among Young US Children Who Receive Outpatient Care for Acute Respiratory Tract Illness. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 May 4:e200372. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0372. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32364599 

Research Grants

Active Injury Management (AIM) after Pediatric Concussion PI: Thomas CO-I: Robert W. Hickey CDC 1U01CE002944 2018 - 2022 % Effort: 1.20 Calendar Months (10% Effort)

Evaluation of a Rapid Diagnostic Test for Categorization of Acute Respiratory Illness (RADICAL IIA) PI: Woods Site-PI: Robert W. Hickey NIAID UM1AI104681 2018-2019 Effort: 0.60 Calendar Months (5% Effort)

Development and Testing of a Pediatric Cervical Spine Injury Risk Assessment Tool PI: Leonard Site-PI: Robert W. Hickey NIH 1R01HD091347 2018-2019 Effort: 0.60 Calendar Months (5% Effort) 

Great Lakes Emergency Medical Services for Children Research Network (GLEMSCRN) PI: Stanley Site PI: Robert W. Hickey HRSA 2 U03MC288440500 2019 - 2023 % Effort: 1.2 Calendar Months (10% Effort) 

Core plus Option AC Influenza Surveillance and Vaccine Effectiveness PI: Zimmerman Co-Investigator: Robert W. Hickey CDC 5U01IP000467 2014-2021 Effort: 0.60 Calendar Months (5% Effort) 

New Vaccine Surveillance Network PI: Williams Co-Investigator: Robert W. Hickey CDC 1U01IP001051 2016-2017 Effort: 1.20 Calendar Months (10% Effort) 

“RNA Biosignatures: A Paradigm change for the Management of Young Febrile Infants” PI: Mahajan Site Co-Investigator: Robert W. Hickey NIH, NICHD 5R01HD085233 2016 - 2019 Effort: 0.12 Calendar Months (1% Effort) 

 

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