Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Announces New Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Oct. 20, 2026

Douglas Vanderbilt, Division Chief, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

PALO ALTO, Calif.—Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is pleased to announce that Douglas Vanderbilt, MD, MS, MBA, has been named Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Dr. Vanderbilt joins Stanford Medicine Children’s Health from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), where he started the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and served as its first Chief. He was a Professor of Pediatrics and Occupational Science at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and the inaugural Las Madrinas Chair in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at CHLA.

Dr. Vanderbilt will succeed Heidi Feldman, MD, PhD, and build on the exceptional foundation she established during her 19 years leading the program, including her tenure as the division’s founding chief.

Dr. Vanderbilt is an internationally recognized expert and has extensive experience in neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes of high-risk children. His research focuses on long-term outcomes for infants who require intensive care, mental health and traumatic stress among Neonatal Intensive Care Unit families, and early behavioral intervention for young children with autism and ADHD.

Beyond his research, he has made education and training a defining feature of his career. He established CHLA’s Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics fellowship in 2008 and continued to serve as its director until this year. He has collaborated on several NIH grants and led the California Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program, which provides specialized interdisciplinary training for medical professionals to support children at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities and special needs.

Dr. Vanderbilt has also held several leadership roles, including serving on the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Board of Directors, the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood Executive Committee, and the American Board of Pediatrics Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Subboard.

Dr. Vanderbilt earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He completed his pediatric residency at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, followed by fellowships at Boston University, the Shriver Center’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program, and Zero to Three’s Leaders for the 21st Century. Later in his career, he earned two additional graduate degrees, an MS and an MBA, from the University of Southern California.

Media Contact

Michelle Macaluso
Mmacaluso@StanfordChildrens.org
(650) 546-1363

About Stanford Medicine Children's Health

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford at its center, is the Bay Area’s largest healthcare system exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers. Our network of care includes more than 65 locations across Northern California and more than 85 locations in the U.S. Western region. Along with Stanford Health Care and the Stanford School of Medicine, we are part of Stanford Medicine, an ecosystem harnessing the potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education, and clinical care to improve health outcomes around the world. We are a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the community through meaningful outreach programs and services and providing necessary medical care to families, regardless of their ability to pay. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.