Robert I. Liem, MD

Robert I. Liem is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. His clinical interests center on hemoglobin disorders, including pediatric and adult sickle cell disease and thalassemia. He is also a clinical investigator with active research programs in these areas. His major research interests focus on exercise responses, inflammation and vascular function as well as their impact on cardiopulmonary fitness, clinical outcomes and physical functioning in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia.

He is also the principal investigator of several other protocols at Lurie Children’s Hospital that are aligned with his interests in exercise physiology, free-living physical activity, habitual exercise patterns and aerobic training in this population. Other areas of clinical and research focus include transition to adult care, patient-centered medical homes, health disparities and parental decision making regarding research participation in sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Representative Publications:

Assessing cardiac and liver iron overload in chronically transfused patients with sickle cell disease

Health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell anemia: impact of blood transfusion therapy

Red blood cell transfusions during sickle cell anemia vaso-occlusive crises: a report from the magnesium in crisis (MAGiC) study

Association of Sickle Cell Trait With Hemoglobin A1c in African Americans

Determining the longitudinal validity and meaningful differences in HRQL of the PedsQL™ Sickle Cell Disease Module

Barriers to hydroxyurea adherence and health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease

Opioid prescription practices at discharge and 30-day returns in children with sickle cell disease and pain