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Dr. Eric Lowe appointed Chair of Pediatrics

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Eric Lowe, MD, has been appointed to serve as Chair of Pediatrics at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University, effective Sept. 1, 2024. Dr. Lowe will also serve as Chief Clinical Academic Officer at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, overseeing all clinical academic and research endeavors throughout the CHKD Health System.

Dr. Lowe follows C.W. Gowen, MD, who retired June 30 following a 33-year medical career and 10 years as Chair of Pediatrics and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs at CHKD.
 
“We are fortunate to have someone of Dr. Lowe’s caliber and capabilities to lead the Department of Pediatrics during such a crucial time in our history,” said Alfred Abuhamad, MD, Executive Vice President of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and Dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Amy Sampson, President and CEO, CHKD Health System, in a joint statement.

“He is an exceptional physician/scientist who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role,” they said. “As a 20-year EVMS/CHKD veteran, he understands and values the vital interactions among the department, the school, and CHKD, and he will be instrumental as we transition to our new relationship with Old Dominion University.”

Dr. Lowe, who will continue to care for patients in addition to his new responsibilities, has devoted his career to treating children with cancer and advancing research in the field. He has served as Medical Director of Pediatric Oncology and Division Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at CHKD, where he provides the latest cancer treatments for children in the region. He has also served as Vice President of Children’s Specialty Group and on a range of hospital committees.

Dr. Lowe is the principal investigator for CHKD in the Children’s Oncology Group, a global organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. He is also the lead researcher of an international clinical trial for children with anaplastic large cell lymphoma and is researching ways to battle other childhood cancers.

He joined EVMS and CHKD in 2004 after attending medical school at Emory University School of Medicine, completing a pediatrics residency at the University of Texas, and completing a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He also holds a B.S. in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in epidemiology from the University of Tennessee.

Throughout his time at EVMS/CHKD, Dr. Lowe has been an active academician. In addition to lectures, he is an attending physician for pediatrics residents during hematology/oncology rotations, he supervises fourth-year medical students during the hematology/oncology elective, and precepts students and residents. He has mentored residents since 2007 and many have gone on to careers in pediatric hematology/oncology.

Dr. Lowe is widely published and has given invited presentations globally. He is Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Pediatric Oncology and is a veteran reviewer for multiple other journals. He is a question writer for the pediatric hematology/oncology boards.