Dr. Emily Kieran, Division Head
Neonatology is the subspecialty of pediatrics responsible for providing care to the sickest babies born in the Province of British Columbia. The Division of Neonatology is part of an integrated perinatal program within Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Services and provides 24 hour urgent patient care, consultation, triage, transport, follow-up of high risk neonates, teaching, outreach and research for the benefit of infants and their families throughout the province of British Columbia.
The Division of Neonatology sits at the cross roads between Children’s and Women’s Hospitals where it belongs to an integrated perinatal program. The academic Division of Neonatology and the Newborn Program at BC Women’s Hospital are very closely linked and involved in running one of the largest and busiest nurseries in Canada. It is the only referral center in British Columbia providing the full complement of subspecialties. Beyond the birth process, the complexity of the aftercare of these babies and their need for complex pediatric care drives the outcomes of the patients. Therefore activities in Neonatology profoundly impact the Department of Pediatrics, the activities in BC Women’s and Children’s Hospitals, the Provincial Transport Network, the flow of patients in labor and delivery suites and neonatal units throughout the Province.
With the rise in the rate of prematurity and survival of sicker and more complex patients, the importance of neonatology continues to grow as these babies who are at risk of death or long term disability cause a huge burden to parents and society with high ongoing costs to the health care and education systems.
UPDATED Jan 22 2025
Recognizing that the quality of clinical services and teaching are best improved through research and evaluation, the Division is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is widely recognized for its national and international leadership.
Research within the Division over the years has been mainly directed towards to reduce morbidity and mortality among the sickest of the sickest newborns; to generate knowledge and new innovations; to improve understanding and interventions for neonatal intensive care; to inform clinical decisions and policies surrounding neonatal care maintaining a sustainable, ethical, and rigorous program of research and education.
In recent years, research in the Division of Neonatology has built upon a broad range of clinical, basic science and bench-to-bedside translational research projects related to neonatal follow-up, child neurodevelopment, neonatal immunology, acute stabilization of high-risk newborns, bio-banking, pediatric surgery, genetics, bioethics, intensive care monitoring/technology development, cardiovascular physiology and nutrition.
The Division is committed to a high-quality educational environment, encompassing all aspects of health care from medicine to nursing, as well as social work, respiratory therapy, physical and occupational therapy, infant transport, dietician services, and other allied health professionals.
Teaching is directed towards all levels of trainees from the undergraduate to the postgraduate, as well as provincial outreach and continuing medical education for health care providers in Vancouver, British Columbia and beyond.
Medical education is offered to undergraduates and post-graduates. The core of the educational activity is provided to pediatric residents and subspecialty residents (fellows) in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.
Faculty also supervise numerous Masters and PhD students in a variety of health and basic sciences disciplines.
One of the biggest successes of the Division over the years is outreach education. This partnership between the program and Perinatal Service British Columbia (PSBC) was seen as an important strategy to cope with a very centralized system. By teaching staff in peripheral hospitals to resuscitate (NRP program) and to stabilize babies (ACoRN) the Division was involved in a very active and successful outreach program.
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Training Program
The Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) Fellowship Training Program is a 2-year program within the Division of Neonatology and is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada*. This program is located at B.C. Children’s and Women’s Hospital and each new cohort begins on July 1st each year. There are further opportunities for a 3rd year of training within a focused area of Neonatology, considered on a competitive basis.
British Columbia has approximately 46,000 births a year with 7,000 delivers occurring in the Delivery Suite (30% being high-risk) at B.C. Women’s Hospital (BCWH). 650 infants are admitted to the Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) each year. Approximately 30% are less than 32 weeks gestation and approximately 200 are less than 1500 grams. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at is one of the largest and busiest in Canada with 70 single family rooms. It is the quaternary referral centre for BC.
Training in the NPM program provides Neonatology fellows exposure to caring for a diverse and complex tertiary care patient population, employing a variety of invasive (conventional, HFOV, JET) and non-invasive ventilatory modalities. There are medical and surgical patients and exposure to neonatal patients requiring ECLS in the PICU. Additionally, fellows learn from working alongside a full complement of pediatric subspecialties at BC Children’s Hospital, including all pediatric surgical specialties. We are unique in having a Neonatal Complex Care Team who care for infants with complex medical needs who will be discharged home on respiratory support, including tracheostomy and non-invasive ventilation. The Training Program includes Neonatal Follow-up Clinic and Maternal Fetal Medicine rotations, as well as a variety of electives including a rotation at a community level 3 NICU. There introductory training in Neonatal Hemodynamics including Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (TnECHO) and POCUS.
All applicants must be eligible for an educational training license in British Columbia through CPSBC before the start of fellowship.
For CaRMS applicants, please refer to the official CaRMS website for application requirements and deadlines - CaRMS - UBC - Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
For all other applicants (International Medical Graduates and/or Visa-sponsored Residents) please see the below details:
(for July 1, 2026 start)
Application Deadline: February 1st, 2025
Application Review and Interview Period: March 3 – 21, 2025
Offer Letters Release by the Program: March 26 – March 31, 2025
Program Contacts
Program Director: Tapas Kulkarni
Program Director: Neonatal Hemodynamics (focused 3rd year training) Dr. Michael Castaldo
Program Administrator: Nicole Wong
Neonatal-Neurology Fellowship Training Program
One- or two-year Neonatal Neurology Fellowships are offered through the Divisions of Neurology and Neonatology at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. This fellowship provides comprehensive training in neonatal neurology including clinical evaluation of critically ill infants, neuroimaging and bedside monitoring tools such as EEG. There are also opportunities to see fetal neurology consultations.
Research training can be combined with clinical training during this fellowship, which can be tailored to the career needs of the applicant and will determine the duration of the training.
Individuals completing pediatric neurology or neonatology training prior to fellowship start date are eligible to apply for this position. All applicants must be eligible for an educational training license in British Columbia through CPSBC before the start of fellowship.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Thiviya Selvanathan to further discuss fellowship opportunities.
Neonatal Hemodynamics & Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography Subspecialty Fellowship Training Program
The Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (NHTNE) Subspecialty Fellowship training program is designed for clinicians dedicated to advancing their expertise in neonatal cardiovascular medicine.
In collaboration with the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, this program has been designed in accordance with the training requirements set forth by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) Area of Focused Competence (AFC) in Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography.
The NHTNE fellowship is a comprehensive one-year program, fully funded at the clinical fellow level. Fellows will engage in clinical responsibilities at the BCWH Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) throughout the fellowship, while also benefiting from 3 months of protected elective time.
Fellows can expect to achieve the following objectives:
a) Acquire both basic and advanced skills in performing Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
b) Gain in-depth training in cardiopulmonary physiology and epidemiology
c) Integrate clinical information to manage common acute and chronic cardiopulmonary conditions in a tertiary neonatal setting
d) Develop experience running a hemodynamic consultation clinical service
e) Complete at least one primary research project focused on neonatal cardiovascular medicine
Interested applicants are encouraged to seek more information here.
The Division has seen an evolution in the delivery and nature of patient care, focusing in the concept of family centered care.
While inpatient care is the vast majority of overall service delivery, patient follow-up remains an important part of the spectrum of care offered to families. Generally, it is limited to the smallest and most at-risk infants as they are discharged from the NICU.
The Division is committed to quality improvement through ongoing audit activities, benchmarking and the development of clinical practice guidelines, care pathways, and care protocols established in various ongoing program committees.
For benchmarking of clinical activities and outcomes the Division is part of the Canadian Neonatal Network and the Canadian Neonatal Follow up Network.
Neonatologists
Dr. Emily Kieran, Clinical Assistant Professor, Division Head
Dr. Michael Castaldo, Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical Lead, Neonatal Transport and TnEcho Program
Dr. Anil Chacko, Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Julia Charlton, Clinical Associate Professor, Senior Medical Director Neonatal Program
Dr. Tapas Kulkarni, Clinical Instructor, Director of the Neonatal‐Perinatal Medicine (NPM) Fellowship Program
Dr. Pascal Lavoie, Professor, Clinician Scientist
Dr. Deepak Manhas, Clinical Associate Professor, Vice-Chair of the Subspecialty Department of Pediatrics, UBC & BCCH, Medical Lead of the Simulation for BC Children’s Hospital & BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre (C&W)
Dr. Souvik Mitra, Associate Professor
Dr. Nikoo Niknafs, Neonatologist (locum)
Dr. Horacio Osiovich, Clinical Professor
Dr. Julia Panczuk, Clinical Assistant Professor (on leave)
Dr. Sandesh Shivananda, Associate Professor
Dr. Jessie Van Dyk, Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical Director Neonatal Follow-up Clinic
Dr. Jonathan Wong, Clinical Assistant Professor
Other Faculty
Ruth Grunau, PhD., Professor, Scientist
Liisa Holsti, PhD, Associate Professor
Rajavel Elango, PhD, Associate Professor
Manon Ranger, PhD, Assistant Professor
Clinical Associates
Dr. Kevin Ansah, MD FRCP
Dr. Shelagh Anson, Shelagh, MD FRCP
Dr. Anne Antrim, MD FRCP
Dr. Rosemary Binnie, MD FRCP
Dr. Rodney Bucke, MD FRCP
Dr. Margaret Choi, MD FRCP
Dr. Marie Catherine Chua, Associate Physician
Dr. Keerat Dhaliwal, MD FRCP
Dr. Isaac Elias, MD FRCP
Dr. Carson Gill, MD FRCP
Dr. Deborah Gilmer, MD FRCP
Dr. Gurpreet Grewal, Associate Physician
Dr. Odion Kalaci, MD FRCP
Dr. Hannah Kraicer-Melamed, MD FRCP
Dr. Uthaya Kumaran, MD FRCP Associate Physician
Dr. Mei Mei Lam, Associate Physician
Dr. Ana Sofia (Sofie) Lopez, MD FRCP
Dr. Cheryl Mutch, MD FRCP
Dr. Nicole Radziminski, MD FRCP
Dr. Michelle Sherwood, MD FRCP
Dr. Jen Sibley, MD FRCP
Dr. Matthew Sibley, MD FRCP
Dr. Kelly Wilson, MD FRCP
Clinical Instructors
Dr. Ana (Sofie) Lopez, MD FRCP
Dr. Odion Kalaci, MD FRCP
Dr. Jennifer Sibley, MD FRCP
Subspecialty Residents/Clinical Fellows
Dr. Kia Anarna
Dr. Abdulelah Binaqail
Dr. Jackie Clayton
Dr. Julieta Mariel Conti
Dr. Taylor Davis
Dr. Khushboo Kanwal
Dr. Deborah Katurura
Dr. Judith Leyens
Dr. Nyirasafari Rosine
Dr. Michelle O’Brien
Dr. Avram Raphael Shack
Dr. Enikő Szakmár
Dr. Daniela Valenzuela
Research
Lindsay Richter, Research Manager
Administration
Carmel Der, Business Operations Manager
Admin Assistants
Lisa Gordon for Drs. Michael Castaldo, Emily Kieran, Nikoo Niknafs, and Clinical Associates.
Satwinder Deol for Drs. Anil Chacko, Deepak Manhas, Jonathan Wong, Medical Students and Pediatric Residents.
Nicole Wong for Drs. Horacio Osiovich, Tapas Kulkarni, Jessie Van Dyk, Subspecialty Residents and Clinical Fellows.