About
Meet the team and learn about our mission
Principal Investigator
Atu Agawu, MD, MPH, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Children’s Hospital Los Angeles USC Keck School of Medicine
Dr. Agawu is a pediatric gastroenterologist and clinical epidemiologist specializing in the care of children with intestinal failure. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering at Yale University, followed by his MD, MPH, and MSCE at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
He completed his pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including T32 training in clinical epidemiology. He subsequently completed an Advanced Pediatric Nutrition Fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is currently a KL2 Mentored Career Development Scholar through the Southern California Clinical Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI).
His research focuses on understanding and improving clinical outcomes for children with intestinal failure, with particular emphasis on measuring and addressing the burden experienced by caregivers. He employs epidemiological methods and data science approaches to analyze large-scale clinical data and develop evidence-based interventions.
Education
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | BS, Biomedical Engineering | Yale University, New Haven, CT |
| 2015 | MD | Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
| 2015 | MPH | Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
| 2022 | MSCE | Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
Post-Graduate Training
| Years | Training | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-2016 | Internship, Pediatrics | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 2016-2018 | Residency, Pediatrics | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 2019-2022 | Fellowship, Pediatric Gastroenterology | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 2020-2023 | T32 Trainee | Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania |
| 2023-2024 | Advanced Pediatric Nutrition Fellowship | Children’s Hospital Los Angeles |
| 2025-present | KL2 Mentored Career Development Scholar | SC CTSI |
Academic Appointments
| Years | Position | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | Clinical Instructor of Pediatrics (Fellow) | Keck School of Medicine of USC |
| 2024-present | Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics | Keck School of Medicine of USC |
Clinical Appointments
| Years | Position | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | Attending Physician – Hospitalist Physician Team | Division of General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 2018-2019 | Emergency Department Pediatrician | Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 2023-2024 | Moonlighting Physician | Division of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles |
| 2023-present | Attending Physician | Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles |
Administrative Appointments
| Years | Position | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-present | Saachi Physician-Scientist Scholar | Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA |
Research Interests
- Pediatric intestinal failure - Outcomes research, quality improvement, and clinical epidemiology
- Caregiver burden - Measurement, predictors, and interventions to support families
- Health equity - Disparities in access to specialized pediatric GI care
- Data science - Application of machine learning and advanced analytics to clinical questions
Current Mentors
- Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS - SC CTSI KL2 Program
- Mark R. Frey, PhD - SC CTSI KL2 Program
Contact
Office
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Intestinal Rehabilitation Center 4650 Sunset Blvd, Mail Stop #78 Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: 323-361-9893 Fax: 323-361-3718
Connect
For Prospective Trainees
We welcome inquiries from medical students, residents, and fellows interested in research opportunities in pediatric GI epidemiology and outcomes research.
If you are interested in joining the lab, please send an email with:
- Your CV
- A brief statement of research interests
- Your timeline and availability