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Christopher Newton

MD, FACS, FAAP

  • Professor, Surgery
  • Pediatric Surgeon

Biography

Dr. Christopher Newton is a pediatric surgeon at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, where he serves as medical director for the trauma and surgery services. As a member of the hospital's surgical team, he cares for newborns and children with all types of problems that may require surgery, including traumatic injuries, cancer, digestive disorders, and various conditions of the chest and abdomen. He is also the surgical director for perioperative services at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.

Newton is active in efforts to improve pediatric trauma care systems throughout California. He leads the Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management, a federally supported collaborative to expand and integrate pediatric-specific disaster preparedness and response capabilities. This work connects to other regional and national efforts to drive improvements for children affected by disasters throughout the U.S.

A California native from the Central Valley, Newton earned his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences before returning to the West Coast to complete a residency in general surgery at UCSF. He completed a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric surgery at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

Prior to joining UCSF, Newton served as an active duty pediatric and trauma surgeon with the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis in Washington. He has received numerous awards for his army service and patient care. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is an active member of the American association for the Surgery of Trauma, Pacific Coast Surgical Association, Pediatric Trauma Society and American Pediatric Surgical Association. Within these societies he serves on numerous committees elated to pediatric trauma, pediatrics in disasters and surgical critical care. He is a passionate educator, and a prolific lecturer on pediatric trauma and pediatric disaster response.

Education & Training

  • University of California, San Francisco, CA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training

Publications

  • Stephens CQ, Newton C, Kappy B, Melhado CG, Fallat ME. Extreme Weather Injuries and Fatalities, 2006 to 2021. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Aug 01; 7(8):e2429826. PubMed
  • Maciulewicz TS, Kazzi Z, Navis IL, Nelsen GJ, Cieslak TJ, Newton C, Lin A, West DJ, Walter FG. Pediatric Medical Countermeasures: Antidotes and Cytokines for Radiological and Nuclear Incidents and Terrorism. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2024 Apr 23; 18:e76. PubMed
  • Stephens CQ, Melhado CG, Shui AM, Yap A, Moses W, Jensen AR, Newton C. Factors associated with trauma recidivism in young children. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2024 Sep 01; 97(3):421-428. PubMed
  • Kelley KM, Toscano N, Gestring ML, Capella J, Newton C, Bukur M, Shatz DV, Winfield RD, Fox A, Fallat ME, Kuhls DA, Glinik G, Doucet J, Gates J, Remick KN. Disaster planning for a surgical surge: when mass trauma threatens to overwhelm your operating rooms. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2023; 8(1):e001224. PubMed
  • Beni CE, Rice-Townsend SE, Esangbedo ID, Jancelewicz T, Vogel AM, Newton C, Boomer L, Rothstein DH. Outcome of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Pediatric Patients Without Congenital Cardiac Disease: Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry Study. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2023 11 01; 24(11):927-936. PubMed
  • Doucet J, Shatz DV, Kaplan LJ, Bulger EM, Capella J, Kuhls DA, Fallat M, Remick KN, Newton C, Fox A, Jawa R, Harvin JA, Blake DP, Bukur M, Gates J, Ficke J, Gestring ML, American Association for Surgery of Trauma Disaster Committee . Are trauma surgeons prepared? A survey of trauma surgeons' disaster preparedness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2023; 8(1):e001073. PubMed
  • Navis I, Shaikh A, McCarthy D, Perez E, Chanice M, Newton C, Burke RV. Addressing Health-Care Disparities in Pediatric Disaster Planning: A Qualitative Study. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2023 02 20; 17:e369. PubMed
  • Marcus BS, Newton C, Rafton SA, Belcher N, Shepard J, Chanice M, Williams T, Quinn H, King MA. Regional pediatric disaster network guides statewide telehealth initiation during COVID-19 pandemic. Am J Disaster Med. 2022 Spring; 17(2):163-169. PubMed
  • Lin A, King MA, McCarthy DC, Eriksson CO, Newton CR, Cohen RS. Universal Level Designations for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients in Evacuation. Hosp Pediatr. 2022 03 01; 12(3):333-336. PubMed
  • Gupta S, Schreiber M, McGuire T, Newton C. Addressing Pediatric Mental Health During COVID-19 and Other Disasters: A National Tabletop Exercise. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2021 Apr 19; 1-4. PubMed
  • Ewbank C, Stewart B, Bruns B, Deckelbaum D, Gologorsky R, Groen R, Gupta S, Hadley M, Harris MJ, Godfrey R, Jackson J, Leppäniemi A, Malone DL, Newton C, Traynor MD, Wong EG, Kushner AL. Introduction of the Surgical Providers Assessment and Response to Climate Change (SPARC2) Tool: One Small Step Toward Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Surgical Care. Ann Surg. 2021 04 01; 273(4):e135-e137. PubMed
  • Jackson JE, Do-Nguyen A, Ewbank C, Anderson C, Newton C, Schreiber M. Feasibility of PTSD risk identification in pediatric trauma patients using PsySTART: A pilot study. J Pediatr Surg. 2021 Dec; 56(12):2348-2353. PubMed
  • Ewbank C, Stewart B, Bruns B, Deckelbaum D, Gologorsky R, Groen R, Gupta S, Harris MJ, Godfrey R, Leppäniemi A, Malone DL, Newton C, Traynor MD, Wong EG, Kushner AL. The Development of a Surgical Care and Climate Change Matrix: A Tool to Assist With Prioritization and Implementation Strategies. Ann Surg. 2021 02 01; 273(2):e50-e51. PubMed
  • Ingram ME, Mehl S, Rentea RM, Lopez ME, Raval MV, Newton C, Berman L. Sharing strategies for safe delivery of surgical care for children in the COVID-19 Era. J Pediatr Surg. 2021 01; 56(1):196-198. PubMed
  • Ingram ME, Raval MV, Newton C, Lopez ME, Berman L. Characterization of initial North American pediatric surgical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. J Pediatr Surg. 2020 Aug; 55(8):1431-1435. PubMed
  • Kornblith AE, Graf J, Addo N, Newton C, Callcut R, Grupp-Phelan J, Jaffe DM. The Utility of Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Enhanced Physical Examination in Children With Blunt Torso Trauma. Acad Emerg Med. 2020 09; 27(9):866-875. PubMed
  • Wang NE, Ewbank C, Newton CR, Spain DA, Pirrotta E, Thomas-Uribe M. Regionalization Patterns for Children with Serious Trauma in California (2005-2015): A Retrospective Cohort Study. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2021 Jan-Feb; 25(1):103-116. PubMed
  • Wang NE, Newton CR, Spain DA, Pirrotta E, Thomas-Uribe M. Patient, hospital and regional characteristics associated with undertriage of injured children in California (2005-2015): a retrospective cohort study. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2019; 4(1):e000317. PubMed
  • Ewbank C, Sheckter CC, Warstadt NM, Pirrotta EA, Curtin C, Newton C, Wang NE. Variations in access to specialty care for children with severe burns. Am J Emerg Med. 2020 06; 38(6):1146-1152. PubMed
  • Drucker NA, Wang SK, Newton C. Pediatric trauma-related coagulopathy: Balanced resuscitation, goal-directed therapy and viscoelastic assays. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2019 Feb; 28(1):61-66. PubMed
  • Cairo SB, Arbuthnot M, Boomer L, Dingeldein MW, Feliz A, Gadepalli S, Newton CR, Puligandla P, Ricca R, Rycus P, Vogel AM, Yu G, Chen Z, Rothstein DH, American Pediatric Surgical Association Critical Care Committee. Comparing Percutaneous to Open Access for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Pediatric Respiratory Failure. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2018 10; 19(10):981-991. PubMed
  • Cairo SB, Arbuthnot M, Boomer LA, Dingeldein MW, Feliz A, Gadepalli S, Newton CR, Ricca R, Vogel AM, Rothstein DH, American Pediatric Surgical Association, Surgical Critical Care Committee. Controversies in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) utilization and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair using a Delphi approach: from the American Pediatric Surgical Association Critical Care Committee (APSA-CCC). Pediatr Surg Int. 2018 Nov; 34(11):1163-1169. PubMed
  • Hakim IS, Newton C, Schoen MK, Pirrotta EA, Wang NE. Nationwide Assessment of Factors Associated with Nonoperative Management of Pediatric Splenic Injury. Am Surg. 2018 May 01; 84(5):695-702. PubMed
  • Della Valle JM, Newton C, Kline RA, Spain DA, Pirrotta E, Wang NE. Rapid Retriage of Critically Injured Trauma Patients. JAMA Surg. 2017 10 01; 152(10):981-983. PubMed
  • Graves C, Ely S, Idowu O, Newton C, Kim S. Direct Gallbladder Indocyanine Green Injection Fluorescence Cholangiography During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2017 Oct; 27(10):1069-1073. PubMed
  • Nguyen HT, Newton C, Pirrotta EA, Aguilar C, Wang NE. Variations in Utilization of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services among Pediatric Trauma Patients. J Pediatr. 2017 03; 182:342-348.e1. PubMed
  • Zwintscher NP, Shah PM, Salgar SK, Newton CR, Maykel JA, Samy A, Jabir M, Steele SR. Hepatocyte growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor activator and arginine in a rat fulminant colitis model. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2016 May; 7:97-103. PubMed
  • McCagg J, Markham S, Idowu O, Newton C, Palmer B, Kim S. Modification of U-Stitch Laparoscopic Gastrostomy Technique to Minimize Suture Knot Abscess Formation. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Jun; 26(3):252-4. PubMed
  • Zwintscher NP, Shah PM, Argawal A, Chesley PM, Johnson EK, Newton CR, Maykel JA, Steele SR. The impact of perianal disease in young patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2015 Sep; 30(9):1275-9. PubMed
  • Vogel LD, Vongsachang H, Pirrotta E, Holmes JF, Holmes JM, Sherck J, Newton C, D'Souza P, Spain DA, Wang NE. Variations in pediatric trauma transfer patterns in Northern California pediatric trauma centers (2001-2009). Acad Emerg Med. 2014 Sep; 21(9):1023-30. PubMed
  • Zwintscher NP, Steele SR, Martin MJ, Newton CR. The effect of race on outcomes for appendicitis in children: a nationwide analysis. Am J Surg. 2014 May; 207(5):748-53; discussion 753. PubMed
  • Zwintscher NP, Azarow KS, Horton JD, Newton CR, Martin MJ. The increasing incidence of adolescent bariatric surgery. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Dec; 48(12):2401-7. PubMed
  • Zwintscher NP, Johnson EK, Martin MJ, Newton CR. Laparoscopy utilization and outcomes for appendicitis in small children. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Sep; 48(9):1941-5. PubMed
  • Smiley D, Umpierrez GE, Hermayer K, Newton C, Jacobs S, Olson DE, Khan A, Rizzo M, Peng L, Reyes D, Cardona S, Fonseca V. Differences in inpatient glycemic control and response to subcutaneous insulin therapy between medicine and surgery patients with type 2 diabetes. J Diabetes Complications. 2013 Nov-Dec; 27(6):637-41. PubMed
  • Bell R, Betts J, Idowu O, Su W, Hui T, Kim S, Newton C, Stehr W. Minimizing unnecessary parenteral nutrition after appendectomy in children. J Surg Res. 2013 Sep; 184(1):164-8. PubMed
  • Newton C, Feyles V, Asgary-Eden V. Effect of mood states and infertility stress on patients' attitudes toward embryo transfer and multiple pregnancy. Fertil Steril. 2013 Aug; 100(2):530-7. PubMed
  • Farrokhi F, Klindukhova O, Chandra P, Peng L, Smiley D, Newton C, Pasquel F, Fereira ME, Umpierrez G. Risk factors for inpatient hypoglycemia during subcutaneous insulin therapy in non-critically ill patients with type 2 diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2012 Sep 01; 6(5):1022-9. PubMed
  • Hakim LZ, Newton CR, MacLean-Brine D, Feyles V. Evaluation of preparatory psychosocial counselling for medically assisted reproduction. Hum Reprod. 2012 Jul; 27(7):2058-66. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Simone MI, Fleet GW, BlĂ©riot Y, Watkin DJ. Erratum: 2-C-Hydro-xymethyl-2,3-O-iso-propyl-idene-d-ribono-1,5-lactam. Corrigendum. Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online. 2010 Nov 23; 66(Pt 12):e30. PubMed
  • Hubbard BL, Newton CR, Carter PM, Fowler JJ, Schaldenbrand J, Singal B, Cowen ME. The inability of B-type natriuretic protein to predict short-term risk of death or myocardial infarction in non-heart-failure patients with marginally increased troponin levels. Ann Emerg Med. 2010 Nov; 56(5):472-80. PubMed
  • Causey MW, Miller S, Fernelius CA, Burgess JR, Brown TA, Newton C. Gallbladder duplication: evaluation, treatment, and classification. J Pediatr Surg. 2010 Feb; 45(2):443-6. PubMed
  • Duke DS, Yoo EY, Newton C, Schwartz MZ. A rare cause of vaginal bleeding in a 7-month-old female infant. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Mar; 43(3):E1-4. PubMed
  • Finck C, Moront M, Newton C, Timmapuri S, Lyons J, Rozans M, de Chadarevian JP, Halligan G. Pediatric granular cell tumor of the tracheobronchial tree. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Mar; 43(3):568-70. PubMed
  • Toschlog EA, Newton C, Allen N, Newell MA, Goettler CE, Schenarts PJ, Bard MR, Sagraves SG, Rotondo MF. Morbidity reduction in critically ill trauma patients through use of a computerized insulin infusion protocol: a preliminary study. J Trauma. 2007 Jun; 62(6):1370-5; discussion 1375-6. PubMed
  • Peterson BD, Newton CR, Feingold T. Anxiety and sexual stress in men and women undergoing infertility treatment. Fertil Steril. 2007 Oct; 88(4):911-4. PubMed
  • Newton CR, McBride J, Feyles V, Tekpetey F, Power S. Factors affecting patients' attitudes toward single- and multiple-embryo transfer. Fertil Steril. 2007 Feb; 87(2):269-78. PubMed
  • Peterson BD, Newton CR, Rosen KH, Skaggs GE. The relationship between coping and depression in men and women referred for in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2006 Mar; 85(3):802-4. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Curran B, Victorino GP. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor activation increases microvascular permeability via a calcium dependent process. J Surg Res. 2005 Jan; 123(1):33-9. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Curran B, Victorino GP. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor activation increases microvascular hydraulic permeability. Surgery. 2004 Nov; 136(5):1054-60. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Curran B, Victorino GP. Angiotensin II type 2 receptor effect on microvascular hydraulic permeability. J Surg Res. 2004 Jul; 120(1):83-8. PubMed
  • Tummon I, Newton C, Lee C, Martin J. Lidocaine vaginal gel versus lidocaine paracervical block for analgesia during oocyte retrieval. Hum Reprod. 2004 May; 19(5):1116-20. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Endothelin-1 decreases microvessel permeability after endothelial activation. J Trauma. 2004 Apr; 56(4):832-6. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Modulation of microvascular hydraulic permeability by platelet-activating factor. J Trauma. 2004 Feb; 56(2):379-84. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Dose-dependent actions and temporal effects of angiotensin II on microvascular permeability. J Trauma. 2003 Sep; 55(3):527-30. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. The impact of albumin on hydraulic permeability: comparison of isotonic and hypertonic solutions. Shock. 2003 Aug; 20(2):171-5. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Effect of hypertonic saline on microvascular permeability in the activated endothelium. J Surg Res. 2003 Jun 01; 112(1):79-83. PubMed
  • Newton CR, McDermid A, Tekpetey F, Tummon IS. Embryo donation: attitudes toward donation procedures and factors predicting willingness to donate. Hum Reprod. 2003 Apr; 18(4):878-84. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Victorino GP. Image of the month. Thoracic neurilemoma. Arch Surg. 2003 Mar; 138(3):341-2. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Dextran modulates microvascular permeability: effect in isotonic and hypertonic solutions. Shock. 2003 Feb; 19(2):183-6. PubMed
  • Peterson BD, Newton CR, Rosen KH. Examining congruence between partners' perceived infertility-related stress and its relationship to marital adjustment and depression in infertile couples. Fam Process. 2003; 42(1):59-70. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. Effect of angiotensin II on microvascular permeability. J Surg Res. 2002 May 15; 104(2):77-81. PubMed
  • Victorino GP, Newton CR, Curran B. The effect of tonicity and hypertonic solutions on microvascular permeability. J Surg Res. 2002 May 15; 104(2):101-5. PubMed
  • Newton CR, Delgado JH, Gomez HF. Calcium and beta receptor antagonist overdose: a review and update of pharmacological principles and management. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Feb; 23(1):19-25. PubMed
View Christopher Newton, MD, FACS, FAAP's research profile on UCSF Profiles
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