Dana Suskind, MD is Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago. A Professor of Surgery, she is Founder and Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Founder and Director of Thirty Million Words.
Dr. Suskind's research focuses on foundational brain development, with an overarching aim to affect a population-shift in the knowledge and the behavior of parents and caregivers in order to reduce the achievement gap and prevent early cognitive disparities at onset. Given the absence of any such tools in the field, she developed a parent knowledge assessment tool, the Scale of Parent/Providers’ Expectations and Knowledge (SPEAK), which influences all three areas of her research: behavior change interventions, efficacy testing, and implementation scaling.
Her research includes over 35 peer-reviewed journals and 150 national and international speaking engagements. Author of the book, Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain, she has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Crain’s Chicago Business, National Public Radio, and other national media outlets.
Children’s Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Fellowship–Pediatric Otolaryngology
1998
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Residency–Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
1997
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Internship - General Surgery
1993
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
MD
1992
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
BS
1988
Early Parental Knowledge and Parent-Child Conversations Promote Preschool Language Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Early Parental Knowledge and Parent-Child Conversations Promote Preschool Language Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Acad Pediatr. 2024 Jun 27.
PMID: 38944150
Correction: The Role of Open Science Practices in Scaling Evidence-based Prevention Programs.
Correction: The Role of Open Science Practices in Scaling Evidence-based Prevention Programs. Prev Sci. 2022 Aug; 23(6):1065.
PMID: 35604480
The Path to Better Childhoods: Brain science provides a clear road map for policies that give children more learning abilities and brighter futures- yet the U.S. continues to wander off course.
The Path to Better Childhoods: Brain science provides a clear road map for policies that give children more learning abilities and brighter futures- yet the U.S. continues to wander off course. Sci Am. 2022 Jun 01; 326(6):48.
PMID: 39017015
Video-Based Anticipatory Guidance on Early Cognitive and Language Development in the First 6 Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Video-Based Anticipatory Guidance on Early Cognitive and Language Development in the First 6 Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pediatr. 2022 06; 245:227-229.e1.
PMID: 35301018
The Role of Open Science Practices in Scaling Evidence-Based Prevention Programs.
The Role of Open Science Practices in Scaling Evidence-Based Prevention Programs. Prev Sci. 2022 07; 23(5):799-808.
PMID: 34780008
Using Human-Centered Design in Personalized Anticipatory Guidance: Enriching Anticipatory Guidance on Early Cognitive and Language Development.
Using Human-Centered Design in Personalized Anticipatory Guidance: Enriching Anticipatory Guidance on Early Cognitive and Language Development. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2021 11; 60(13):528-542.
PMID: 34706580
Shifting parental beliefs about child development to foster parental investments and improve school readiness outcomes.
Shifting parental beliefs about child development to foster parental investments and improve school readiness outcomes. Nat Commun. 2021 10 01; 12(1):5765.
PMID: 34599167
Leveraging the universal newborn hearing screen to impact parental knowledge of childhood speech development in low socioeconomic populations: A randomized clinical trial.
Leveraging the universal newborn hearing screen to impact parental knowledge of childhood speech development in low socioeconomic populations: A randomized clinical trial. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Jul; 146:110763.
PMID: 34000494
What Parents Know Matters: Parental Knowledge at Birth Predicts Caregiving Behaviors at 9 Months.
What Parents Know Matters: Parental Knowledge at Birth Predicts Caregiving Behaviors at 9 Months. J Pediatr. 2020 06; 221:72-80.
PMID: 31987656
Parent-directed intervention in promoting knowledge of pediatric nutrition and healthy lifestyle among low-SES families with toddlers: A randomized controlled trial.
Parent-directed intervention in promoting knowledge of pediatric nutrition and healthy lifestyle among low-SES families with toddlers: A randomized controlled trial. Child Care Health Dev. 2019 07; 45(4):518-522.
PMID: 31050026
John D. Arnold, MD Mentor Award for Sustained Excellence, Pritzker School of Medicine
2018
AG Bell Chairman’s Award, AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
2018
LENA Research Foundation Making a Difference Award
2018
SENTAC Gray Humanitarian Award
2018
Weizmann Women for Science Vision and Impact Award
2018
Vision and Impact Award, Weizmann Women for Science
2017
Gem of the Month, Bridging the Word Gap Research Network, University of Kansas
2017
Gray Humanitarian Award, SENTAC
2016
Senior Faculty Scholar, Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence
2015
Making a Difference Award, LENA Research Foundation
2015
Books for a Better Life-Childcare/Parenting Finalist
2015
Chicago Tribune Remarkable Woman Profile
2013
Illinois CHOICES for Parents Honoree, Illinois Early Hearing Detection, Intervention Day
2012
Fellowship Award, Reach for Commercialization Workshop. Ohio State University
2012
University of Chicago Medical Center Faculty Award “Distinguished Leader in Program Innovation”
2012
Listed in Best Doctors in America Database
2007 - 2011
American Medical Women’s Association Scholarship Citation
1992
Junior Alpha Omega Alpha
1991
Flarsheim Merit Scholarship
1987 - 1990