On February 16, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Pediatrics welcomed a new faculty member who will serve as chief of the Division of Child Protection and member of the Division of Global Pediatrics.
Norell Rosado, MD, professor, is an international expert on child abuse pediatrics with 24 years of clinical, academic, and leadership experience. Rosado completed his medical degree at the Escuela Mexicana de Medicina, Universidad La Salle, and his pediatric residency at Sinai Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where he served as a chief resident.
Since 2002, he has worked in child abuse pediatrics, first at Sinai Children’s Hospital, then at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County for 10 years, and then Lurie Children’s Hospital. There, he served initially as medical director, then fellowship director, and then head of the Division of Child Abuse Pediatrics. From 2014 to the present, he has held academic positions in the Department of Pediatrics of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Rosado is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of child abuse specialists and to develop a pipeline of diverse trainees to take on this complex and essential work. He founded and directs the Colaboración Latinoamericana Contra La Violencia Infantil (COLAVI), providing education to help prevent and identify child maltreatment across Latin America and the Caribbean. His work partnering with medical professionals across the globe to improve child abuse diagnosis, treatment, and prevention will also inform his work within our Divisions of Child Protection and Global Pediatrics.
Get to know Dr. Norell Rosado: View his online profile, and read the Q&A below.
Your hometown?
I was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and have been living in Chicago for the past 30 years.
Your previous position?
Head, Division of Child Abuse Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Why did you choose the field of pediatrics?
I started med school thinking I was going to work with adults, likely as a surgeon. That’s what my brother did, and it’s what you see everywhere on TV. But pretty quickly, I realized working with adults just wasn’t for me. It didn’t spark anything. Then I did my pediatrics rotation. And it just clicked. It wasn’t any one big moment, but I found I could just talk to kids. I’ve always been fascinated by the science of childhood itself. How different a premature baby is from an adolescent, both in body and mind. And on a personal level, children have a way of letting you be yourself. You can’t put on a front with them as they respond to genuine connection.
What attracted you to UW–Madison?
The deciding factor was without a doubt the people. From the very first interview, everyone I met (from faculty to support staff) was not only brilliant but truly kind and collaborative. That combination of excellence and warmth just felt like the right place. Made it an undeniable fit. It felt like a community where I could both contribute and grow.
What are you most excited to start working on as chief of the Division of Child Protection?
My greatest excitement comes from the team itself. The passion and dedication I saw in the team during my interviews were incredible. I am so excited to lead and mentor such a talented group. When you have a team that is truly invested, you can accomplish amazing things for children and their families.
Do you have ongoing research? If so, how will you continue your efforts?
My primary scholarly efforts are focused on applied, community-driven work rather than traditional laboratory or clinical trials research. I am the founder of COLAVI (Colaboración Latinoamericana Contra la Violencia Infantil), an initiative to build personalized child protection educational programs across Latin America and the Caribbean through international collaboration. Closer to home, I co-founded the FAIR Clinic in Illinois, which provides pro bono forensic evaluations for young asylum seekers. My goal at UW–Madison is to grow COLAVI’s international network and explore establishing a similar clinic here, translating knowledge directly into practice and policy.
How do you think the role of division chief will influence your goals as a physician?
It allows me to pursue my goals on a different scale. As a physician, my goal is to care for and protect individual children. As division chief, I can support an entire team of providers doing that same work, mentor the next generation, and help build stronger systems of care. It’s about expanding the impact of that core mission.
What’s something interesting about your areas of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties?
A mentor once taught me that caregivers who abuse children are not monsters, they are often people in crisis who had a monstrous, fleeting moment. It is a moment of catastrophic loss of control, typically born out of being overwhelmed, unsupported, or repeating cycles of trauma they endured themselves. Understanding that distinction does not excuse the harm, but it is essential to preventing it from happening again.
What is the last book you read?
Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
What is your favorite food?
Anything with “mole,” a family of sauces in Mexican cuisine
Do you have a secret talent?
Baking, especially breads
What are some of your hobbies and other interests?
Scuba diving, working out, travel
Photo by Kate Feldt/Department of Pediatrics