Dr. Grace M. Aldrovandi, chief of the division of infectious diseases at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is the 2025 recipient of the Douglas K. Richardson Award for Perinatal and Pediatric Healthcare Research by the Society for Pediatric Research.
This prestigious award honors a lifetime of achievement in the field of child health research. Aldrovandi is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work in pediatric HIV, the role of the microbiome in infant development and the impact of breast milk on child health. Her research has significantly advanced the understanding of how microbial communities influence outcomes in HIV-exposed but uninfected infants, leading to new insights into early-life immunity.
A dedicated physician-scientist, Dr. Aldrovandi has maintained continuous NIH funding for over two decades, trained future physician-scientists and mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds.
