Catherine O'Neill Buck, MD, MHS

Catherine O'Neill Buck, MD, is a neonatologist who specializes in neonatal-perinatal medicine. She focuses on the care of newborns, particularly those born prematurely or with health complications. She is dedicated to understanding how factors such as maternal health during pregnancy influence infant growth, development, and metabolism.

“I also absolutely love helping to support families as they navigate this very emotional and delicate time with their infant being supported in the neonatal ICU,” she says. “These connections, helping families navigate these stressful times but also celebrating successes with them, is the best part of the job. It’s amazing to watch these babies grow.”

As an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Buck conducts research on how the perinatal environment affects growth and development in preterm infants. She is involved with the Yale NOURISH Team, which examines health outcomes related to pregnancy and infant nutrition. Her work particularly targets the impact of maternal obesity and diabetes on infants’ body composition and metabolism.

Pediatrics is a field Dr. Buck says she always knew she would pursue, having grown up in a large family. “I was really drawn to neonatology because of the very interesting physiology of these little babies that changes day by day as they develop,” she says. “It can be very complex, and there are so many unanswered questions of how we best support infants, I was very much drawn to including research in my career so that I can help figure out the answers to those questions.”

Dr. Buck received her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and pursued her residency and chief residency in pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She continued her specialization with a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Brown University/Women and Infants Hospital.