Our Team

Shannon Ross, MD, MSPH

Dr. Shannon Ross is a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Ross earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She completed her Pediatric residency and Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her fellowship training Dr. Ross also earned an MSPH in Clinical Research at the University Of Alabama School Of Public Health. She has been a faculty member in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics since 2006. Dr. Ross is an active clinician and researcher with her lab work focusing on congenital infections. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and is an elected member of the Society for Pediatric Research. Dr. Ross has been the co-director for the ASP program at Children’s of Alabama since 2015.

Suresh Boppana, MD

Suresh Boppana is a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Hugh Dillon MD Endowed Professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has been studying the natural history and pathogenesis of maternal and congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection for the past 25 years. Suresh’s work challenged the dogma by documenting the importance of non-primary maternal infections in the overall disease burden from congenital CMV infection. His research has also documented the impact of congenital CMV in highly seropositive settings including developing countries. As the co-PI of large multicenter study newborn CMV screening study, he reported on low sensitivity of dried blood spot PCR assay and the utility of a highly sensitive and specific saliva real-time PCR assay for newborn CMV screening. His current work also focuses on understanding the immune correlates protection from acquisition of CMV infection using the human breast milk transmission setting. He is also the co-medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at the Children’s of Alabama since 2015 and is committed to improve patient outcomes by encouraging optimal antimicrobial therapy and reduce the emergence of resistant organisms.

April Yarbrough, PharmD, BCPS

Dr. April Yarbrough is the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist and Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinical Pharmacist at Children’s of Alabama. Dr. Yarbrough received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Auburn University in 2006 and subsequently completed a pharmacy practice residency at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. Prior to her current position with infectious diseases, Dr. Yarbrough was a clinical pharmacist for the pediatric hematology/oncology service at Children’s. Dr. Yarbrough also serves as Affiliate Faculty for Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy, providing student rotations in pediatric infectious disease and antimicrobial stewardship. She is active in her profession including serving as member and on the board of directors for Alabama Society of Health System Pharmacists, and national involvement with Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists (SIDP), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). Dr. Yarbrough has been the pharmacy leader for the Children’s ASP program since its inception in 2011.