Eliminating Pediatric Malnutrition: A Call for Universal Screening

Robert Murray, MD, FAAP

Professor of Pediatrics, College of Medicine 
Associate Member, Primary Food Innovation Center
The Ohio State University 
Columbus, OH, USA

Robert Murray, MD, is an academic professor of pediatrics in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio in 1985. Since then, he has spent more than 25 years in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. 

Prof Murray’s primary areas of focus include biomedical nutrition and pediatric manifestations of malnutrition. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, including most recently “A First Step Toward Eliminating Malnutrition: A Proposal for Universal Screening”, which was published in Pediatric Practice in Nutrition and Dietary Supplements. He has contributed to numerous books and public education projects, as well as to projects involving pediatric wasting, stunting, and obesity. Dr Murray has served in many organizations; including but not limited to a member of the National Dairy Council Nutrition Advisory Committee, a member of the Children’s Hunger Alliance Governing Board, the vice-chair of the board of Action for Healthy Kids, and a collaborator with Abbott Nutrition International on nutrition education for pediatric practitioners. 

Prof Murray has received several awards. Most recently, he was a 2016 finalist for the Pathway to Populations Health Award for Columbus CEO Magazine. He was a recipient of the 2015 Child Advocate of the Year Award for Ohio Voices for Children. In 2008, he received a Special Achievement Award for obesity initiatives and Chairperson of the Year Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Within the AAP, Dr Murray is currently their representative to the National Dairy Council Health Advisory Committee. He is the former chair of the AAP Council on School Health and is a past president of the Ohio Chapter of the AAP.

Kirk W Kerr, PhD

Senior Manager, Health Economics
Abbott Nutrition
Columbus, OH, USA

Kirk W Kerr, PhD, joined Abbott Nutrition’s Health Economics and Outcomes Research team in June 2019. While at Abbott, Kirk has researched the impact of nutrition-focused Quality Improvement programs in inpatient, outpatient, and surgical care settings. Before joining Abbott, Kirk worked in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research researching the impact of FDA policies on drug development, drug prices, and patient access to medicines. While at the FDA, he also provided economic support for the FDA’s Generic Drug User Fee (GDUFA) and Biosimilar User Fee (BsUFA) negotiating teams. He also worked as an economic consultant on antitrust and intellectual property matters. Kirk has a PhD and MA in Economics from Ohio State University, and BS and MA in Economics from the University of Missouri.

Cory Brunton, MS, BSN, RN

Senior Analyst, Global Health Economics & Outcomes Research
Abbott Nutrition Division of Abbott
Columbus, Ohio, USA

Jennifer A. Williams

Abbott Nutrition, R&D
Columbus, OH, USA

Karyn Wulf, MD, MPH

Medical Director of Pediatrics
Abbott
Columbus, Ohio, United States

TIFFANY DEWITT, MS, MBA, RD, LD

Senior Research Scientist
Abbott Nutrition
Columbus, OH, USA