Shetal Shah

Dr. Shetal Shah is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at WMC/New York Medical College; and a practicing neonatologist and researcher.

Dr. Shah’s research focuses on understanding the role of the neonatal intensive care unit in providing public health measures, particularly vaccinations to parents of admitted infants. He also aims to conducts research, which through sustained advocacy, can be translated to policy. Dr. Shah’s work on providing parents influenza and Tdap immunization in the NICU has resulted in two New York State public health laws. Follow-up projects include determining the impact of these measures on rates of disease in infants <2 months of age in New York State. Current work focuses on the safety of administration of live rotavirus vaccine to preterm, NICU-hospitalized infants and bedside adult pneumococcal immunization and point-of-care smoking cessation referral. He also collaborates with the regional perinatal center associate director, Dr. Heather Brumberg MD MPH and her staff on database studies, including assessment of the timing of transfer on neonatal outcomes.

From a basic science perspective, Dr. Shah’s work on hyperoxia using a Sprague-Dawley rat model helped elucidate the role of hyperoxia on surfactant inactivation and respiratory function. His work has focused on hyperoxia’s impact on the lung’s innate immune system, particularly the impact of the Toll-Like Receptor 4 pathway and hyperoxic-preconditioning for subsequent sepsis.