Dimitri Alexander Christakis

Christakis received a BA (English Literature) from Yale University, and MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MPH from the University of Washington.{{Cite web|url=https://depts.washington.edu/uwgenped/directory/dimitrichristakis|title=Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH {{!}} Directory {{!}} Division of General Pediatrics {{!}} Department of Pediatrics {{!}} University of Washington|website=depts.washington.edu|access-date=2020-03-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattlechildrens.org/research/centers-programs/child-health-behavior-and-development/labs/christakis-lab/|title=Christakis Lab|website=Seattle Children's Hospital|access-date=2020-03-03}}

Christakis is the George Adkins Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA in the Department of Pediatrics.{{Cite web|url=https://depts.washington.edu/uwgenped/directory/dimitrichristakis|title=Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH {{!}} Directory {{!}} Division of General Pediatrics {{!}} Department of Pediatrics {{!}} University of Washington|website=depts.washington.edu|access-date=2020-03-03}} He was appointed Director of Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute in 2005, and he is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattlechildrens.org/directory/dimitri-a-christakis/|title=Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH|website=Seattle Children's Hospital|access-date=2020-03-03}}{{cite journal |title=Fellows in the News - April 2010 |journal=AAP News |date=April 2010 |volume=31 |issue=4 |page=32 |url=https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/article-abstract/31/4/32/23688/Fellows-in-the-News-April-2010 }} In addition, he is an adjunct professor in the Departments of Health Services and Psychiatry at the University of Washington.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattlechildrens.org/research/centers-programs/child-health-behavior-and-development/about/leadership/|title=CCHBD Leadership|website=Seattle Children's Hospital|access-date=2020-03-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattlechildrens.org/directory/dimitri-a-christakis/|title=Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH|website=Seattle Children's Hospital|access-date=2020-03-03}}

Christakis and his colleagues have conducted research on the risk factors of early television exposure, detailing an increased risk for the onset of attention, health, and behavioral issues in adolescents.{{cite journal |last1=Radesky |first1=Jenny S. |last2=Christakis |first2=Dimitri A. |title=Increased Screen Time |journal=Pediatric Clinics of North America |date=October 2016 |volume=63 |issue=5 |pages=827–839 |doi=10.1016/j.pcl.2016.06.006 |pmid=27565361 }}{{psc|date=October 2024}} He is the co-author of The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids ( 2006).{{Cite web |title=The Elephant In The Living Room by Dimitri A. Christakis, Federick J. Zimmerman: 9781623361952 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/593399/the-elephant-in-the-living-room-by-dimitri-a-christakis-md-mph-and-frederick-j-zimmerman-phd/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}} His research also focused on how the language acquisition for children can be improved by playing blocks and how children are aggressive while watching violent cartoons at 7–10 years of age. As part of a popular TEDx talk, Christakis spoke regarding the newborn brain and media exposure on children.{{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A. |last2=Lowry |first2=Sarah J. |last3=Goldberg |first3=Georgia |last4=Violette |first4=Heather |last5=Garrison |first5=Michelle M. |title=Assessment of a Parent-Child Interaction Intervention for Language Development in Children |journal=JAMA Network Open |date=14 June 2019 |volume=2 |issue=6 |pages=e195738 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.5738 |pmid=31199447 |pmc=6575141 }}{{psc|date=October 2024}}{{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A. |title=The Effects of Fast-Paced Cartoons |journal=Pediatrics |date=October 2011 |volume=128 |issue=4 |pages=772–774 |doi=10.1542/peds.2011-2071 |pmid=21911351 |doi-access=free }}{{psc|date=October 2024}}{{Citation|title=TEDxRainier - Dimitri Christakis - Media and Children| date=December 28, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoT7qH_uVNo|access-date=2020-03-03}} He has appeared frequently in public media to talk about screen exposure and the benefits of manual play (and other topics) in children.[https://www.npr.org/search/?query=Dimitri%20Christakis&page=1]

Christakis has been instrumental in the revision of national guidelines on pediatric screen exposure.{{Cite web |title=How Much Screen Time Is Too Much? Ask Seattle's Dimitri Christakis. |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/health-and-wellness/2017/03/how-much-screen-time-is-too-much-ask-dimitri-christakis |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=Seattle Met |language=en-US}} And his research was also instrumental in calling into question the efficacy of "Baby Einstein" (and similar) videos; his group's research, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that "for every hour a child 8 to 16 months old watched educational videos, they understood six to eight fewer words than their peers."{{Cite web |date=2011-06-30 |title=UW battle over Baby Einstein settled, maybe |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uw-battle-over-baby-einstein-settled-maybe/ |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{cite journal |title=Baby Einstein Goes to Court |journal=Science |date=29 January 2010 |volume=327 |issue=5965 |pages=507 |doi=10.1126/science.327.5965.507-c }}

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christakis appeared frequently on public media to help advance the public understanding of science related to the situation faced by children, particularly with respect to the harms accruing to children from having to be masked or out of school.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-21 |title=What would make it safe to reopen Washington's schools with COVID-19 still a threat? In short: It's up to everybody. |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/what-would-make-it-safe-to-reopen-washingtons-schools-with-covid-19-still-a-threat-in-short-its-up-to-everybody/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Erdman |first=Shelby Lin |date=2020-07-15 |title=Give teachers 'medical grade PPE' to get schools reopened and students back in class, pediatrician urges |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/us/teachers-medical-ppe-pediatrician/index.html |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Altmann |first=Dr Tanya |date=2020-12-01 |title=To open schools safely, mask up and close bars and malls |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/health/how-to-open-schools-covid-19-wellness/index.html |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Physician: White House recommendations for school reopening are 'based on a political agenda' {{!}} "This isn't a plan," says Dr. Dimitri Christakis about the White House releasing new recommendations for schools as they prepare to reopen amid the... {{!}} By Don Lemon CNN {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/CNNReplay/videos/physician-white-house-recommendations-for-school-reopening-are-based-on-a-politi/2657596011166071/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}{{Citation |title=Phil in the Blanks: ft. Dimitri Christakis - Actionable Strategies To Rebuild and Help Our Children | date=December 30, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v45qEtahbDI |language=en |access-date=2022-10-07}}{{Citation |title=Mixed Messaging During the COVID-19 Pandemic | date=December 20, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yam05ADwtBc |language=en |access-date=2023-02-26}}

Christakis was appointed the editor-in-chief of the leading peer-reviewed journal JAMA Pediatrics in 2018.{{Cite web |title=For Authors {{!}} JAMA Pediatrics {{!}} JAMA Network |url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/pages/for-authors |access-date=2020-03-03 |website=jamanetwork.com}}

In 2023, he was appointed the Chief Health Officer of Special Olympics International.{{Cite web |title=Dimitri A Christakis, MD, MPH |url=https://www.specialolympics.org/about/leadership/dimitri-a-christakis |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=SpecialOlympics.org |language=en}}

His H-index is 100.{{Cite web |title=Dimitri Christakis |url=https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=j4iyHIEAAAAJ&hl=en}}

In 2010, Christakis received the Research Award for Lifetime Contribution by the Academic Pediatric Association, and, in 2018, he was elected as Member of Washington State Academy of Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.academicpeds.org/award/research-award/|title=Research Award|website=Academic Pediatric Association|access-date=2020-03-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/07/17/14-uw-professors-elected-to-the-washington-state-academy-of-sciences-in-2018/|title=14 UW professors elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2018|website=UW News|access-date=2020-03-03}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A. |last2=Zimmerman |first2=Frederick J. |last3=DiGiuseppe |first3=David L. |last4=McCarty |first4=Carolyn A. |title=Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children |journal=Pediatrics |date=1 April 2004 |volume=113 |issue=4 |pages=708–713 |doi=10.1542/peds.113.4.708 |pmid=15060216 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A. |last2=Mell |first2=Loren |last3=Koepsell |first3=Thomas D. |last4=Zimmerman |first4=Frederick J. |last5=Connell |first5=Frederick A. |title=Association of Lower Continuity of Care With Greater Risk of Emergency Department Use and Hospitalization in Children |journal=Pediatrics |date=1 March 2001 |volume=107 |issue=3 |pages=524–529 |doi=10.1542/peds.107.3.524 |pmid=11230593 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=D A |last2=Feudtner |first2=C |title=Ethics in a short white coat: the ethical dilemmas that medical students confront |journal=Academic Medicine |date=April 1993 |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=249–54 |doi=10.1097/00001888-199304000-00003 |pmid=8466599 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A |title=The effects of infant media usage: what do we know and what should we learn? |journal=Acta Paediatrica |date=January 2009 |volume=98 |issue=1 |pages=8–16 |doi=10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01027.x |pmid=18793294 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Christakis |first1=Dimitri A. |last2=Gilkerson |first2=Jill |last3=Richards |first3=Jeffrey A. |last4=Zimmerman |first4=Frederick J. |last5=Garrison |first5=Michelle M. |last6=Xu |first6=Dongxin |last7=Gray |first7=Sharmistha |last8=Yapanel |first8=Umit |title=Audible Television and Decreased Adult Words, Infant Vocalizations, and Conversational Turns: A Population-Based Study |journal=Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine |date=June 2009 |volume=163 |issue=6 |pages=554–558 |doi=10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.61 |pmid=19487612 }}

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• [https://www.seattlechildrens.org/directory/dimitri-a-christakis/ Seattle Children's Hospital]

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni

Category:University of Washington faculty

Category:Physicians from Washington (state)

Category:21st-century American physicians

Category:Yale College alumni

Category:University of Washington School of Public Health alumni

Category:American pediatricians

Category:Medical journal editors

Category:Writers from Seattle