June 1, 2026
Hello Member Colleagues!
I’m Karen Wilson with the University of Rochester and I’m so honored to be the 66th president of the APA. For those of you who may not know me, I am a pediatric hospitalist and a researcher who studies the impact of smoke exposure on children. One of my core values is generativity, which has made the APA the perfect academic home for me since before I went to medical school. I am passionate about supporting the next generation and helping all children lead their healthiest lives.
I decided to run for the position of APA President in November of 2024. I had read the proposed changes to NIH that eliminated the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and slashed funding for research of all kinds, and recognized that the new administration would have more power to enact these changes. If I had the opportunity to advocate for child health research, and those who perform it, I had the responsibility to step up.
The recent challenges in funding, fellowship training and distrust in science among our patients’ families, are going to make it increasingly difficult for trainee and early-stage faculty to choose a career in research and academics, thus making it harder to advance the science of helping children lead healthier lives. Despite these challenges, I know that the APA community will work together to build a better future for children.
I have already started working with APA leadership, and leaders from the other pediatric academic organizations, to advocate for funding for child health research and training, and for supporting the career paths of academic pediatricians. As the APA president, I’d like to work with you to discuss:
- How can we better demonstrate and communicate the value of child health research?
- How do we teach our trainees and early-stage faculty to talk to people who may have differing views?
- How do we ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion continue to be touchpoints in academic medicine, while they are being assailed.
Together, we must create thoughtful strategies for ensuring that the advances in child health that research has given us over the past 50+ years continue. One of the ways the APA can help you do this is through a Young Investigator Award (YIA). I received my first YIA in 1999, before I went to medical school, and it lead directly to my first funded grant, an R21 from what was then the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, to study adolescents’ use of complementary and alternative medicine. I remember what a thrill it was to come to PAS for my first time and be recognized for the award, and then to return to present the results as a platform in 2000.
Attending PAS is always a bright spot in my year, and this was one especially heartening. Despite all of the barriers, our members are continuing to do outstanding scholarship that supports child health. Our outgoing President, Dr. Arvin Garg, highlighted this beautifully in his plenary session, which highlighted scholars from medical students to more experienced faculty, and across all of the pillars we support. His George Armstrong plenary paid homage to the trailblazers of academic pediatrics that demonstrated how vital diverse representation is to supporting our members, their patients, and families.
We will continue to face challenges this year- of this I have no doubt. The APA is committed to ensure that academic pediatrics continues to thrive through current programming that includes scholarship development in health policy and quality and safety; mentorship, leadership development programming for mid-career faculty, reaching funding, and practice-based research networks. Additionally, the Board will also consider adding programs to foster leadership in uncertain times, discuss how the APA can support fellows who want to extend their academic training, and to find ways to enhance the value of our membership for all.
I will continue to use the platform of APA President to advocate for child health research and support for academic child health professionals. I look forward to communicating and engaging with you throughout the next year. Together, we can and will move the various forms of science that will advance child health.
Best,
Karen
President
Academic Pediatric Association
