Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Maria Karapelou Brown, MD, EdM, received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s Degree in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Medical Degree from George Washington University. She completed residency training in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins in 2004, worked in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Saint Agnes Hospital until 2006 and then as a Pediatric Hospitalist there until 2013.  Since then, she has transitioned from clinical practice as her interests have grown more focused on the connection between children’s health and the environment. She currently serves as a volunteer Instructor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where she teaches residents and medical students about a variety of environmental health topics. In the fall of 2017, she joined Loyola University as an Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Biology.  She is a co-creator of the “Docs in the Park Program”, an alliance of Baltimore City professionals across sectors of recreation, health, education and environmental advocacy whose mission is to promote outdoor physical activity and connection to nature. She is an active member of Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility and serves on the steering committee of the Greater Baltimore Children & Nature Collaborative. She enjoys distance running, hiking, and gardening.

Debbie Badawi, MD is a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician in Baltimore, MD.  After completing her pediatric residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, she completed a fellowship in Behavioral-Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Maryland.   Dr. Badawi served as the Medical Director of the Maryland School for the Blind before taking a position as the Medical Director of the Office for Genetics and People with Special Health Care Needs in the Maryland Department of Health.  She is currently an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  Her clinical work includes evaluation and management of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, children with complex medical conditions resulting in developmental disabilities, and follow up of premature infants.  Her nonclinical work focuses on improving the system of care for children with special health care needs,  their caregivers, and their health care providers. 

Monique Soileau-Burke, MD, FAAP, is a general pediatrician at  The Pediatric Center in Columbia, MD.   Dr. Burke serves as a Clinical Instructor at Johns Hopkins where she was recently inducted into the Distinguished Teaching Society.  She served as the Vice-President of the Maryland AAP Foundation and previously served as the Central Maryland Representative.  Dr. Burke completed her pediatric residency training at Johns Hopkins in 2002.  She received her medical degree in 1999 from the Tulane University School of Medicine where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha.  She received her Bachelor of Science from Newcomb College of Tulane University with a major in child psychology and early childhood education in 1995. At the Pediatric Center, Dr. Burke serves as a managing partner.  With over 25,000 patients and a staff of 50, the practice serves a culturally and economically diverse population of patients from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carol and Howard Counties and Baltimore City.  In 2012, she became certified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and introduced lactation medicine to her practice with designated lactation areas and counseling. A native of Louisiana, she moved to Baltimore for three years of residency training.  Twenty years later, she still resides in Baltimore City with her husband, Warren, and their eleven-year-old daughter, Evangeline.  She is an avid Ravens fan—unless they’re playing her beloved New Orleans Saints.

Community Pediatrician, Dundalk Pediatrics Associates, Part-time Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Member, Maryland Medicaid Advisory Committee, Central Region Representative, Maryland American Academy of Pediatrics

Dr. Rachel Dodge is a community pediatrician in Southeast Baltimore County at Dundalk Pediatrics Associates. Dr. Dodge and her husband are southeast Baltimore County natives.  They live in Edgemere and are very active in supporting the local community.  Dr. Dodge is the mother of 3 children.  She received her medical degree from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in 2002 and completed the pediatric residency program at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital/University Hospitals of Cleveland in 2005.  Dr. Dodge completed the General Pediatric Academic Development Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and earned a Master’s of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2008.

Dr. Dodge’s passion is advocating for the medical needs of low-income and high risk populations.  Before coming to Dundalk Pediatrics, she was the Medical Director for the MATCH (Making All The Children Healthy) Program that provides medical case management and health care coordination for all children in Baltimore City’s foster care system.  She also practiced pediatrics at the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins, teaching residents and medical students.  She holds a part-time appointment as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  She is a community preceptor to medical students for the Longitudinal Ambulatory Program.

Dr. Dodge currently serves as the Central Region representative for the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and was appointed to Maryland Medicaid Advisory Committee.   

Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN College at Georgetown University, then PhD in Chemistry from Brown University in 1970. Back to Georgetown for med school, graduated in 1976. Intern and resident in Pediatrics at Boston Floating Hospital. 5 years at NIH, Child Health and Pediatric Oncology Various institutions as Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist including the Johns Hopkins from 1985-89. Came to Easton, MD, in 1994 and for 18 years had a solo General Pediatric Practice. Retired from active work in October, 2018

Celestino “Chel” Menchavez, MD FAAP serves as the Western Maryland representative to the Maryland Chapter of the AAP. Dr. Chel graduated medical school at George Washington University in 1998 and then completed his pediatric training and chief resident year at Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital in Fairfax, VA.  Afterwards, he returned to his hometown of Cumberland, MD where he maintains a busy practice and carries on in the tradition of pediatric care from his late father, Elmaslias Menchavez, MD FAAP. Among the many benefits that Dr. Chel credits with his involvement with the Maryland AAP chapter include: bringing the Reach Out and Read program to his patients, fighting for better reimbursement, advocating for improved health for Maryland children, incorporating more mental health services through B-HIPP, and adding a “Parent Partner” to serve as an in-house resource for families of children with special needs.