Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, has been selected as a . This recognition highlights her exceptional contributions to pediatric care and education.

Each year, the presents the George Armstrong Award to individuals who have significantly contributed to improved patient care, teaching, and research in pediatrics. George Armstrong, often called the father of modern pediatrics, founded the first institution dedicated to the isolated care of children. Born in Castleton, Scotland, in 1719, Armstrong established the first dispensary for children in London, England, in 1769. This award honors his devotion to the care of sick children and his contributions to pediatric education.

In 2007, Dr. McNeal-Trice joined the faculty at ������ as an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Medical Student Education in Pediatrics. By 2010, she was appointed Director of Medical Student Education Programs in Pediatrics, and in 2014, she became the Pediatric Residency Program Director. Under her leadership, the pediatric residency training programs at ������ Hospitals were ranked among the Top 25 programs in the country and became the largest within North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Erica Brenner, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, was awarded a .�� Dr. Brenner received one of three junior faculty awards for 2025 for her project “Safety and Effectiveness of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Women with Crohn’s Disease.”

The ACG Junior Faculty Development Award is a three-year award of $450,000, designed to support a junior faculty member of outstanding promise to establish an independent, productive career in gastroenterology or hepatology. This award of $150,000 per year for each of three years provides salary support for protected time to young investigators at critical points in their career development.

Dr. Brenner earned her medical degree from the SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2015. She came to ������ for her pediatric residency and her fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology. During her fellowship she earned her MSCR from the Gillings School of Public Health. Subsequently, she completed an Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship through the ������ Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center. She has been faculty in the Department of Pediatrics since 2022 and is as Associate Member of the ������ Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD).

Congratulations!