Our Leadership Lara Shekerdemian, MB ChB, MD, FRCPCH, FCICM, MHA, FAAP

Ralph D. Feign Endowed Chair and Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Pediatrician in-Chief at Texas Children’s Hospital

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Dr. Lara Shekerdemian is a globally recognized leader in pediatric healthcare with more than 25 years of experience spanning three continents. She serves as Pediatrician-in-Chief at Texas Children’s Hospital and Chair of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, leading the nation’s largest academic pediatrics department—approximately 1,300 faculty and medical staff united in advancing excellence in patient care, research, and education.

Since joining Baylor and Texas Children’s in 2010, she has held several senior leadership roles, including more than a decade as Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. During that time, she expanded subspecialty intensive care services across multiple campuses, led the design and opening of the nationally recognized Smith Legacy Tower, and grew the division to more than 150 faculty and advanced practice providers. Under her leadership, the program emerged as a national model for subspecialty critical care, particularly in the treatment of children with complex cardiovascular disease and those requiring mechanical cardiopulmonary support.

An accomplished physician-scientist, Dr. Shekerdemian has co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to 15 textbooks as an author and editor. Her research centers on cardiovascular physiology, mechanical circulatory support, and long-term outcomes for children recovering from critical illness, especially following surgery for congenital heart disease. She has led and collaborated on numerous NIH- and foundation-funded studies, including serving as a site principal investigator and Chair of the Scholars’ Committee of the NIH Pediatric Heart Network.

Dr. Shekerdemian earned her medical degree (MB ChB) in 1990 from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. She completed pediatric training and subspecialty fellowships in pediatric cardiology and intensive care in the UK and Toronto, obtained her research doctorate (MD) in pediatric cardiac intensive care in 1997, and later earned a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from La Trobe University in Melbourne in 2009. Prior to relocating to Houston, she served as Chief of Pediatric Intensive Care at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Now at the helm of a department that now spans four campuses and integrates clinical care, research, and education at unprecedented scale, Dr. Shekerdemian is driving forward major initiatives to expand access to care, elevate academic excellence, and build the next generation of pediatric leaders. 

Guided by the same principles that have shaped every stage of her professional journey, she remains committed to pairing compassionate care with academic rigor, grounded in the belief that developing exceptional pediatricians and scientists is essential to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families worldwide.