UAB’s Dr. David Kimberlin has been recognized with the 2016 Medical Award of Excellence from Ronald McDonald House Charities for his work in the treatment, control and eradication of infectious diseases affecting children.
The award comes with a $100,000 grant, which will be given to Camp McDowell, according to a press release from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Kimberlin, a professor in the department of pediatrics, was given the award during an annual event in Illinois.
“The impact of Kimberlin’s leadership in this field is truly significant and helps expand reliable and comprehensive care to critically ill children and their families,” said Sheila Musolino, RMHC president and chief executive officer.
Kimberlin holds the Sergio Stagno Endowed Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UAB and Children’s of Alabama, where he is vice chair for clinical and translational research and co-director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He is the principal investigator for the Collaborative Antiviral Study Group, a network of pediatric academic medical centers that evaluates antiviral therapeutics in rare diseases.
Kimberlin is editor of the 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics’ Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases (Red Book), of which he also was editor for the 2015 edition and associate editor for the 2009 and 2012 editions. He was a member of the committee from 2005 to 2011 and since 2006 has been the AAP Red Book liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” Kimberlin said in the press release. “The Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms help so many families across the globe during times of unimaginable stress, when their children are hospitalized with very serious conditions. To receive recognition from such a wonderful organization is very humbling.”
Camp McDowell, an affiliate of the Episcopal Church, is the beneficiary of the grant award. The camp, which is adjacent to the Bankhead National Forest in northwest Alabama, for almost seven decades has given children from across the Southeast a place where they can learn about nature, support one another and gain confidence in themselves.
RMHC supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and families around the world. It has a global network of more than 290 chapters in more than 63 countries and regions and supplies millions of dollars in grants to support children’s programs. Through its three core programs — the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile — RMHC provides care and resources to children and families being served by leading hospitals worldwide.
-Virginia Martin
