Jacob V. Aranda

Dr. Jacob V. Aranda is a Professor of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, where he serves as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics and Director of Neonatology. His clinical and translational research focuses on pharmacology and drug therapy for newborns, particularly targeting oxidative injury diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity.

Dr. Aranda holds an MD from Manila Central University and a PhD in Pharmacology from McGill University. He completed internship rotations at US Naval Hospital Subic and National Children’s Hospital DC, followed by residency at SUNY Upstate and fellowships at Cleveland Metro Hospital/Case Western University and McGill University-Montreal Children's Hospital.

Research Interests: Dr. Aranda's work bridges clinical practice and laboratory research in neonatal pharmacology, with emphasis on:

• Optimizing drug therapies for oxidative injury conditions
• Mechanisms of caffeine, NSAIDs, and analgesic drugs in newborns
• Pharmacogenomics of renal drug handling in premature infants
• Clinical trials for pulmonary vasodilators and sedation protocols

Publication Trends: His recent articles demonstrate consistent focus on neonatal pharmacokinetics, with major contributions in three domains: 1) Meta-analyses of NSAID efficacy for cardiac conditions, 2) Pharmacogenomic approaches to personalized drug therapy, and 3) Novel treatments for respiratory and ocular complications in preterm infants. Over 35% of publications involve clinical trial data.

Awards & Honors:

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC)
• Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP)

Research Leadership: Dr. Aranda directs multiple NIH-funded projects including the $1.98M NICHD Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit Network. Current grants support:

• Multicenter trial on codeine absorption in ventilated newborns (NIH R03)
• Lead toxicity in pediatric diabetes pathogenesis (NIH RO1 $11.9M)
• Dendrimer-based drug delivery systems for asthma

He has led industry-sponsored trials for Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Pharmacia across 15+ studies.

As Neonatology Director, he oversees clinical research programs investigating mechanical ventilation protocols and manages collaborative teams for multicenter pharmacogenomics studies through the PPRU Network.