Jennifer C. Munoz Pareja, M.D.
Associate Professor Pediatric Critical Care & Associate Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care, University of Miami
Dr. Munoz Pareja is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. She obtained her medical degree from Universidad del Norte in Colombia and completed her pediatric residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, FL. Following that, she pursued a pediatric critical care fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Munoz’s research primarily centers around the utilization of brain biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of brain injury response and recovery following trauma and various neurological conditions in the intensive care unit. Additionally, she holds the role of Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Critical Care fellowship program at Holtz Children’s Hospital.
Moreover, Dr. Munoz demonstrates a strong commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare to underserved populations. She actively participates in multiple international organizations dedicated to providing optimal critical care to children worldwide.
Biomarkers in Acute Brain Injury
The overarching goal of my laboratory is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse pathomechanisms contributing to adverse outcomes in pediatric acute brain injury. We strive to identify specific biomarkers that can be employed as objective measures for assessing the severity of pediatric acute brain injury, as well as predicting patient outcomes. Moreover, recognizing neuroinflammation as a central pathophysiological aspect of acute brain injury and acknowledging that a limited understanding of the intricate cellular and molecular sequelae has hindered previous translational efforts, my current focus centers around studying the role of the inflammasome in the innate immune response following injury. By accomplishing this, we aim to enhance our ability to evaluate injury severity and provide valuable prognostic and therapeutic information to this vulnerable population.
Professional Affiliations / Memberships
| 2008 – Present | American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) |
| 2011 – Present | Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) |
| 2015 – Present | Neurocritical Care Society (NCS) |
| 2019 – Present- | Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group (PNCRG) |