Dr. Christie Buonpane is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Louisville and a pediatric surgeon at Norton Children’s Hospital. Her research program focuses on the biology of the premature intestine and the pathogenesis of neonatal intestinal diseases, with an emphasis on necrotizing enterocolitis. Using novel human neonatal intestinal organoid models and complementary translational approaches, her laboratory investigates epithelial development, barrier function, and therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for premature infants.