Berlin honored by Penn State College of Medicine leadership for years of service

Karen Kim, MD, Penn State College of Medicine dean (left), stands with Cheston Berlin, MD, and Yatin M. Vyas, MD, Four Diamonds Endowed Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, at the Berlin Lecture during Pediatric Research Day at the College of Medicine.

Cheston Berlin, MD, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine who has an impressive legacy of transformative education and life-changing research, was recently recognized at the 11th Annual Berlin Lecture during Pediatric Research Day for his years of service.

Berlin has been a faculty member for over 50 years and was the second hired member of the Department of Pediatrics upon its founding. He was honored by Karen Kim, MD, College dean, and Yatin M. Vyas, MD, Four Diamonds Endowed Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, for his time serving as University Professor in Pediatrics (Primary Care).

“The Berlin Lecture itself is an important event, but it is just one aspect of Dr. Berlin’s legacy,” said Carrie Daymont, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and public health sciences. “One of his early students came to this year’s lecture, and I realized that across the country there are pediatricians who provide better care to children and better teaching to trainees because of the training they received from Dr. Berlin.”

Berlin was awarded University professorship in 1986 and was jointly appointed to the Department of Pharmacology in 1975 in light of his scientific contributions related to pharmacology and breast milk. He established the Division of General Pediatrics in 1984 and served as its chief until 2000, helping to broaden the scope of clinical pediatric practice institutionally. Berlin is also well known for his expertise in Tourette’s syndrome and phenylketonuria (PKU).

“Every day, people rely on research about medications in breast milk that builds on early work by Dr. Berlin,” Daymont said. “There are also children of mothers with PKU who were born healthy because of Dr. Berlin’s expert care who have now gone on to have their own families.”

Berlin has been a steadfast supporter of resident and student education throughout his career. He has mentored thousands of student learners, residents and faculty, many of whom he continues to keep in contact with today.

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