University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Dr. Turley is professor of clinical pediatrics and vice-chair for research in the Department of Pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine.  She also serves as the Director of the Research Center for Transforming Health at the USC School of Medicine, developing systems of engaging investigators in clinical translational research across the lifespan, developing knowledge and skills across the research team. This work emphasizes reduction of health disparities and optimizing health outcomes.  In addition to this work, she currently leads a statewide Child Well-being Coalition, convened by the SC Department of Health, comprised of interdisciplinary leaders engaged with children and families, as well as serving on the statewide action team for Obesity and the SC Diabetes Advisory Council, again working across sectors in these collective impact coalitions.  She has had extensive experience with clinical trials as PI on projects with sponsors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, multiple NIH-sponsored Vaccine and Therapeutics Evaluation Unit trials, the CDC, foundations, and industry sponsors. 

Medical University of South Carolina

Dr. Atz is a professor and chair of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He has amassed an important and productive career in cardiology-based patient oriented research. Instrumental in reporting the initial early human use of inhaled nitric oxide in patients with reversible pulmonary hypertension, he has subsequently expanded his research experience into multicenter clinical drug and management studies. He was the director of the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) at MUSC for 15 years until assuming the role of chief of pediatric cardiology in 2013. He is also director of the pediatric clinical trials group. Dr. Atz has been extraordinarily involved in the first 15 years of the NIH-sponsored Pediatric Heart Network (PHN) and is the network chair for three of the ongoing studies.

University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Dr. Knight is an assistant professor within the Division of Endocrinology at the University of South Carolina.  She is also medical director for the USC Healthy Lifestyles Program, a multidisciplinary, comprehensive weight management program for children and adolescents.  In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Knight has served as director of resident quality improvement for the USC pediatric residency program since 2012, teaching first and second year residents quality improvement methods and mentoring them as they develop and implement clinical quality improvement projects during their first two years of training.  Beginning in 2013, she has also worked as site PI for the multi-site NIDDK-funded Trial Net Natural History study examining first and second degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes and as a co-Investigator for the national CDC-funded SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, characterizing the burden of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and youth in the U.S.