Explore UAB

profilplaceholderSQUAREAssistant Professor





Division of Neonatology

Education

Medical School
MGM Medical College (Maharashtra University of Health Science)
Internship and Residency 
Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) program
Fellowship (Neonatology)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Fellowship (Research) 
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center under Dr. Louis Muglia

Interests

Dr. Viral Jain (Pronounce: vee – ruhl jein) has experience in both basic sciences as well as clinical research and has published extensively in well-respected journals. His primary area of interest is in Developmental Origins of Health & Disorders (DOHaD) or how changes during the early period of in utero development influence life-long outcomes. He has identified a critical period of development during early gestation in humans where endocrine-disrupting chemicals act leading to various urogenital developmental disorders. He then went on to study how intra-uterine inflammation or chorioamnionitis propagates leading to preterm birth. He identified a critical mediator, IRAK1, which can serve as a potential therapeutic option to prevent inflammation associated preterm birth. His current work focuses on understanding long-term adverse effects of chorioamnionitis and stressful intra-uterine environment. For his work, he has won multiple national and international research awards including the prestigious David G Nathan Research Award from the Society of Pediatric Research, Japan Pediatric Society Fellow award, and the Marshall Klaus Research Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

He is also interested in exploring the family’s contribution to young child’s learning and is the founder of TinyVoices - a patient advocacy program through which is founded nationally renowned NICU Bookworms, a NICU Infant Reading program. He has also worked on developing a novel nanoparticle for the treatment of retinoblastoma. Dr. Jain has a strong interest in Bioinformatics and was the founding team member of a well-funded startup to connect sub-specialty services to underserved cities in India - which won numerous international awards for Healthcare Innovations.

Dr. Jain is the founder and co-editor of the AAP Neonatology Journal Club. He is an active member of the AAP-SoNPM Website Committee and heads the Reach Out & Read - NICU initiative.

He is also a children’s storybook writer, a musician, and has written storybooks for NICU infants as well as written songs with Grammy award winners for NICU families.