Pitt Pediatrics is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Udai Pandey as Director of the Children’s Neuroscience Institute (CNI) at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. 
Dr. Pandey is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Neurology. He also holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Human Genetics and Neurology. Dr. Pandey completed his Ph.D. training at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He joined the faculty at UPMC Children’s Hospital in 2014.
Dr. Pandey’s research interests are focused on understanding the molecular basis of human neurological diseases, including motor neuron diseases, traumatic brain injury, and rare neurogenetic diseases. His research program incorporates genomic, proteomic, small-molecule, and genetic screens to identify new therapeutic targets for neurological conditions. He is a member of the training faculty in the Human Genetics, Integrated Systems Biology, and Neurobiology graduate programs and was previously CNI Associate Director.
In his role as CNI Director, Dr. Pandey will develop and foster initiatives to facilitate neuroscience research at UPMC Children’s Hospital and serve as a bridge between research and clinical faculty. He aims to bring together investigators with interdisciplinary expertise to advance mechanistic understanding of normal brain development, identifying pathogenic pathways responsible for neurological diseases and discovering personalized treatment strategies for children. Through the CNI, he will offer a collaborative environment, research resources, seed funding, visiting speakers, and training opportunities for postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty members, with an intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We take this opportunity to thank Dr. Hülya Bayir, the inaugural Director of the CNI, for her outstanding service to our hospital and institution and for leaving such a strong foundation on which Dr. Pandey can build.
Dr. Pandey will begin his new responsibilities on March 1, 2023.