Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH, to Lead Child and Adolescent Health at Columbia, NewYork-Presbyterian

Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and internationally recognized leader in the use of digital technologies to improve children’s health, has been named chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of the child and adolescent health clinical service at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

Stockwell is the founding director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Digital Health. Her research focuses on the use of text messaging and other digital technologies to improve vaccination rates and health literacy in children and adolescents. 

“As an educator and research scientist, Dr. Stockwell has demonstrated strong leadership skills and an unwavering dedication to improving children’s health in the most innovative ways available,” says Jordan S. Orange, MD, PhD, the Reuben S. Carpentier Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. “Her unique combination of clinical and research skills will continue to help the department fulfill our mission of providing the best care for children and adolescents in our community while conducting important translational research to further improve pediatric care.”

“I am honored to be recognized by the department, which has been a longtime supporter of my clinical and research efforts,” says Stockwell. “This new role will allow me to continue to identify the most effective ways to provide high-quality clinical care, health education, and preventive care for children and adolescents in our community and beyond.”

Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH

Stockwell joined the faculty of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2006, where she is an associate professor of pediatrics. She is also an associate professor of population and family health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She received Columbia University tenure in 2017.

Stockwell earned a bachelor’s degree from Williams College, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and a master’s degree in public health from the Mailman School. She completed a residency in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in general academic pediatrics at Columbia. Stockwell holds board certifications in pediatrics and clinical informatics.

In addition to receiving numerous awards and honors, Stockwell is an elected member of the American Pediatric Society and the Emerging Leaders Forum of the National Academy of Medicine. She also is a member of the inaugural class of Columbia’s Academy of Community and Public Service. Stockwell has published more than 80 papers and has received numerous NIH grants totaling over $1 million annually.