Christian Pulcini
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics
PRONOUNS he/him
- M.D., Alpha Omega Alpha, Research Honors, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 2014
- M.P.H, Maternal and Child Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 2007-2009
- M.Ed., Secondary Education, Alpha Sigma Nu, Loyola Marymount University School of Education, Los Angeles, CA, 2005-2007
- B.A., English Literature, Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 2005
- Fellowship, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, 2017-2020
- Residency, Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2014-2017
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Areas of expertise
Pediatric emergency medicine, children with medical complexity, children and youth with special healthcare needs, pediatric firearm injury, implementation science, human-centered design, health services research.
BIO
Christian D. Pulcini, MD, MEd, MPH is a pediatric emergency physician at University of Vermont Health and UVM Golisano Children’s Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine, where he graduated with Research Honors and was inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and Honos Civicus Society (recognizing high academic achievement, leadership, and civic engagement). This was followed by pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. He then completed pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He also holds an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University (former Teach for American corps member) and an M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health from Boston University School of Public Health. His current areas of research foci are emergency care of children with medical complexity and firearm injury. Additionally, he has a long history of engagement in multiple national medical organizations, including committee appointments and leadership positions in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society for Pediatric Research. He is passionate about the intersection of implementation science, human-centered design, and improving the quality of health care for at-risk populations.
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- 2025 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), Pediatric Emergency Medicine Rising Star Award
- 2024 Annals of Emergency Medicine, Top 50 Peer Reviewer (national)
- 2024 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Early Investigator Award (national)
- 2023 Dean’s Excellence in Research Award (New Investigator), University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine (local)
- 2022 Vermont American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Special Recognition Award for Advocacy (local)
- 2022 Dr. Ken Graff Emerging Investigator Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Emergency Medicine (SOEM) (national)
- 2022 Jerold and Ingela Lucey Early Career Investigator Prize for Innovations in Infant or Child Health, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine (local)
- 2020 Council on Children with Disabilities Scholarship Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (national)
- 2017 Anne E. Dyson Advocacy Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (national)
- 2014 Honos Civicus Honor Society (local)
- 2014 Sydney S. Gellis Award in Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2014 William Dameshek Research Award, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2013 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2012 Medical Student Research Award, Academic Pediatric Association (APA) (national)
Bio
Christian D. Pulcini, MD, MEd, MPH is a pediatric emergency physician at University of Vermont Health and UVM Golisano Children’s Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine, where he graduated with Research Honors and was inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and Honos Civicus Society (recognizing high academic achievement, leadership, and civic engagement). This was followed by pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. He then completed pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He also holds an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University (former Teach for American corps member) and an M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health from Boston University School of Public Health. His current areas of research foci are emergency care of children with medical complexity and firearm injury. Additionally, he has a long history of engagement in multiple national medical organizations, including committee appointments and leadership positions in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society for Pediatric Research. He is passionate about the intersection of implementation science, human-centered design, and improving the quality of health care for at-risk populations.
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- 2025 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), Pediatric Emergency Medicine Rising Star Award
- 2024 Annals of Emergency Medicine, Top 50 Peer Reviewer (national)
- 2024 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Early Investigator Award (national)
- 2023 Dean’s Excellence in Research Award (New Investigator), University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine (local)
- 2022 Vermont American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Special Recognition Award for Advocacy (local)
- 2022 Dr. Ken Graff Emerging Investigator Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Emergency Medicine (SOEM) (national)
- 2022 Jerold and Ingela Lucey Early Career Investigator Prize for Innovations in Infant or Child Health, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine (local)
- 2020 Council on Children with Disabilities Scholarship Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (national)
- 2017 Anne E. Dyson Advocacy Award, American Academy of Pediatrics (national)
- 2014 Honos Civicus Honor Society (local)
- 2014 Sydney S. Gellis Award in Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2014 William Dameshek Research Award, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2013 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society, Tufts University School of Medicine (local)
- 2012 Medical Student Research Award, Academic Pediatric Association (APA) (national)
Select Publications
- Pulcini CD, Broder - Fingert S, Callas P, Dayan PS, Drath B, Gravel - Pucillo C, Kuo DZ, Lamberson M, Mistry RD, Palaza A, Stevens M, Yeager J, Stapleton RD. Human - Centered Design to Create an Emergency Care Action Plan for Children With Medical Complexity. Pediatrics. 2025 Feb 12:e2024069125. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024 - 069125. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39933576.
- Pulcini CD, Goyal MK, Hall M, Gruhler De Souza H, Chaudhary S, Alpern ER, Fein JA, Fleegler EW. Nonfatal firearm injuries: Utilization and expenditures for children pre- and postinjury. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Aug;28(8):840-847. doi: 10.1111/acem.14318. PMID: 34435413.
- Pulcini CD, Coller RJ, Houtrow AJ, Belardo Z, Zorc JJ. Preventing Emergency Department Visits for Children With Medical Complexity Through Ambulatory Care: A Systematic Review. Acad Pediatr. 2021 May-Jun;21(4):605-616. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.01.006. Epub 2021 Jan 21. PMID: 33486099.
- Pulcini CD, Belardo Z, Ketterer T, Zorc JJ, Mollen CJ. Improving Emergency Care for Children With Medical Complexity: Parent and Physicians' Perspectives. Acad Pediatr. 2021 Apr;21(3):513-520. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2020.09.006. Epub 2020 Sep 15. PMID: 32947009.
- McDougall K, McDougall B, Pulcini CD. The Impact of Emergency Care Planning for Children with Medical Complexity: Nora's Story. Pediatrics. 2025 Oct 2:e2024070491. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-070491. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41033681.