Get to Know Me
Dr. Amy O’Connell is a neonatologist, immunologist, physician-scientist, and chief of the Division of Neonatology at 91porn Children’s Health in the Delaware Valley. She specializes in caring for premature and critically ill newborns, with expertise in necrotizing enterocolitis, neonatal infections, and intestinal health. Her research investigates how the developing intestine maintains and repairs its protective barrier, advancing understanding of neonatal intestinal disease. Previously a faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, she brings experience in clinical care, research, medical education, and academic leadership.
Why I Treat Children
I was born to be a neonatologist! Everything about this specialty suits my personality and skillset. Neonatology is a highly collaborative specialty, requiring strong team dynamics. It requires an expert understanding of physiology to anticipate all of the ways that babies’ bodies function differently than adults and older children. And neonatologists have a unique role in medicine in that we are providing care for the entire family unit, not just the sick individual baby under our care.
What I'm Passionate About
I’m passionate about providing consistent and excellent care for all families, regardless of their family background or circumstances. I’m also passionate about mechanistic science research, and I run a research lab studying early development of the intestine and immunologic systems (). We have helped to identify several new ultra-rare diseases and have determined how certain proteins are important for neonatal health.
How I Try to Make A Difference
In my role as a physician, I have the opportunity to make one of the most stressful, most difficult times in a family’s life a little bit better — through my knowledge, my compassion, and my approach to care. That is what drives my practice. As the division chief of neonatology, I help to shape the long-term vision for the provider group and the NICU, and I cherish and respect the gravity of that role, and the importance of doing my very best for the entire NICU team and the families we serve.
