UF Health Shands Children's Hospital: Leadership
Desmond Schatz, M.D.
Interim Chair of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief of Children’s Hospital
Dr. Desmond Schatz has been involved in Type 1 diabetes research since the mid 80s and has published over 260 manuscripts, the majority related to the prediction, natural history, genetics, immunopathogenesis and prevention of the disease, as well as the management of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. He is the Principal Investigator (PI) on several JDRF and NIH awards. He is PI on JDRF funded studies aimed at reversing Type 1 diabetes using autologous stem cells (cord blood) and is currently Principal Investigator of the University of Florida Clinical Center participating in the NIH-funded TrialNet. He serves as co-PI on a Program Project Grant looking at the immunopathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes, and also serves as co-PI for the NIH-funded international newborn genetic screening (TEDDY) program in North Central Florida. He has served in numerous capacities for the American Diabetes Association including his 2016 appointment as President of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) .
Shelley W. Collins, MD
Associate Chief Medical Officer
UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor
UF Department of Pediatrics
Shelley W. Collins, MD, attended the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for medical school and stayed at Jackson Memorial Hospital to complete her pediatric residency and chief residency.
After working in private practice in Maryland and as a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s National Medical Center at George Washington University, Dr. Collins returned to Florida and joined the University of Florida faculty in 2006. She worked in the critical care division, as well as the congenital heart center, before being appointed chief of pediatric hospital medicine in 2009. She served in that role until 2013 when she was appointed as the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital inpatient medical director. In 2016, Dr. Collins was appointed to her current role of Associate Chief Medical Officer of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. She also serves on the UF Health Patient Safety and Quality committee and oversees the physician directors of quality for the children’s hospital.
Helping to support the university’s mission to train and teach residents and medical students, Dr. Collins is very involved in the education of students at every level. She has an active role in several courses, clerkships and committees revolving around medical education. She also serves as a faculty adviser to residents and is active in residency education at the patient bedside. Dr. Collins is the Assistant Dean for Medical Education and is an Associate Pediatric Program Director.
