Jessica Germond Moreland, MD $$

Cardiac Intensivist

Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center

Languages Spoken:
English

Locations

UT Southwestern Pediatric Group

Biography

When the most critically ill children come to Children’s Health℠, they become the focus of a distinguished and expert care team. The nexus of that team is Dr. Jessica Moreland, director of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care. “One of the things that inspires me each day is being part of a medical team, all from different backgrounds, who bring their collective knowledge to bear for the good of each individual child we care for,” she says.

Another source of inspiration for Dr. Moreland is the children entrusted to her team’s care. “What drew me to critical care was the resilience of children and the spirit and energy they have to survive the most complex diseases or injuries,” she adds.

One of the things that inspires me each day is being part of a medical team, all from different backgrounds, who bring their collective knowledge to bear for the good of each individual child we care for.
Jessica Moreland, MD

Dr. Moreland leads a team of critical care providers who have international experience in treating life-threatening medical and surgical conditions in newborns through teens. The department includes the largest pediatric transplant services department in Texas, where specialists perform more transplants on patients under the age of 5 than any other hospital in the state.

A distinctive competency of the department is a focus on the child and the child’s family. “By providing family-centered care, we hope that we are responsive to each individual’s needs, as well as those of the child’s family. Family involvement is an important part of attaining the best outcomes for the pediatric patient,” she says.

Dr. Moreland is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University, where she also completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric critical care. She is a professor of pediatrics and microbiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she holds the Thomas Fariss Marsh, Jr. Chair in Pediatrics. Her research interest is in white blood cells and how they are involved in inflammation. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Critical Care Medicine and Society for Pediatric Research, among others.

Outside of her practice, she and her husband are thoroughly involved in the range of activities in which their four children participate. “On weekends when I am not at work, I am a soccer mom,” she adds.

Education and Training

Medical School
Vanderbilt University (1992)
Residency
Vanderbilt University Medical Center GME (1995), Pediatrics
Fellowship
Vanderbilt University Medical Center GME (1998), Pediatric Critical Care
Board Certification
American Board of Pediatrics/Critical Care

Conditions

  • Research Interests

    • Granule and vesicle exocytosis
    • Inflammation and the resolution of inflammation
    • NADPH oxidase and reactive oxygen species signaling
    • Neutrophil priming
    • Translational analysis of neutrophil activation state during cardiopulmonary bypass and during chronic inflammatory disease
  • Publications

    • NOX2 protects against progressive lung injury and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome., Whitmore LC, Goss KL, Newell EA, Hilkin BM, Hook JS, Moreland JG Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 2014 May
    • NOX2 Protects against Prolonged Inflammation, Lung Injury, and Mortality following Systemic Insults., Whitmore LC, Hilkin BM, Goss KL, Wahle EM, Colaizy TT, Boggiatto PM, Varga SM, Miller FJ, Moreland JG J Innate Immun 2013 Apr
    • Transepithelial migration of neutrophils into the lung requires TREM-1., Klesney-Tait J, Keck K, Li X, Gilfillan S, Otero K, Baruah S, Meyerholz DK, Varga SM, Knudson CJ, Moninger TO, Moreland J, Zabner J, Colonna M J. Clin. Invest. 2013 Jan 123 1 138-49
    • Endotoxin priming of neutrophils requires endocytosis and NADPH oxidase-dependent endosomal reactive oxygen species., Lamb FS, Hook JS, Hilkin BM, Huber JN, Volk AP, Moreland JG J. Biol. Chem. 2012 Apr 287 15 12395-404
    • Priming of neutrophils and differentiated PLB-985 cells by pathophysiological concentrations of TNF-a is partially oxygen dependent., Volk AP, Barber BM, Goss KL, Ruff JG, Heise CK, Hook JS, Moreland JG J Innate Immun 2011 3 3 298-314
  • Professional Activities

    • American Academy of Pediatrics
    • American Pediatric Society
    • American Thoracic Society
    • Society for Critical Care Medicine
    • Society for Leukocyte Biology
    • Society for Pediatric Research
  • Awards and Honors

    • D Magazine Best Pediatric Specialists (2015, 2018, 2020)
    • Election to American Pediatric Society (2013)
    • Best Doctors in America - Best Doctors, Inc. (2012-2013)
    • Above and Beyond Award - University of Iowa Health Care (2005-2006)
    • Election to Society for Pediatric Research (2001)
    • Elliot V. Newman Award - Vanderbilt University Medical Center Research Forum (1997)
    • Amos Christie Award in Pediatrics - Vanderbilt University Medical School (1995)
    • David Karzon Award - Vanderbilt University, Department of Pediatrics (1995)
    • House Officer Research Award - Society for Pediatric Research (1995)
    • 1992 Alpha Omega Alpha - Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (1992)

Where I Provide Care: