Dr. Anderson Berry to lead CHRI

Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD, has been named executive director of the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI), a collaboration UNMC and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. She also steps into the role of vice president of research at Children’s.

Dr. Anderson Berry has served as CHRI’s interim executive director since September 2019 and also is the Division Chief of Neonatology at Children’s and a professor of neonatology in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics.

CHRI is an innovative partnership between UNMC and Children’s, launched to change and save young lives. Established on June 1, 2017, by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and endorsed by the Children’s Board of Directors, CHRI is comprised of a team of dedicated clinicians, investigators and educators, coming together to improve the lives of children through research. CHRI currently includes nearly 300 members and is involved with 260 active studies, including participation in a well-publicized, national study testing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children as young as 6 months old.

"It is an honor and a privilege to lead the Child Health Research Institute. The culmination of a decade of visionary work by numerous leaders, CHRI is uniquely positioned with the support of both UNMC and Children’s and their unique and complementary resources to serve children and their families through impactful research," Dr. Anderson Berry said. "The talent and ingenuity of the faculty and staff of CHRI will provide countless innovations in child health research in the years to come, and I am thrilled to play a role in facilitating that work."

"Pediatric research is a powerful part of Children’s mission to improve the lives of children; it helps us discover breakthroughs, unlock cures and restore childhoods," says Chanda Chacón, Children’s President & CEO. "I am inspired by Dr. Anderson Berry’s commitment to this innovative work, and excited to see how the CHRI team’s work will continue to advance the field and enhance outcomes."

"Dr. Anderson Berry’s leadership will greatly benefit CHRI as it moves forward in its crucial mission to support innovative and collaborative research to improve the health of all children," says UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD. "She is not only a talented researcher and caring physician in her own right; she also is a committed and passionate leader. We are excited to see how this important partnership between UNMC and Children’s will grow and flourish under her guidance."

Dr. Anderson Berry earned her medical degree at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the UNMC/Creighton Residency Program and her neonatology fellowship at University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Anderson Berry received her PhD in medical nutrition through the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area program at UNMC. She leads an active research group with Corrine Hanson, PhD, associate professor, Medical Nutrition Education Division in the College of Allied Health Professions at UNMC.

CHRI’s mission is to improve the health of children through innovative research, collaborative discovery, community engagement and advocacy. Click here to learn more.