Larry Yin, MD, MSPH
Larry Yin, MD, MSPH, serves as Division Chief of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He oversees the Division’s strategic planning, recruitment and program development; ensures the integration of training and research programs within clinical services throughout the hospital; and supports academic goals in research, education and child advocacy.
Dr. Yin obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Riverside, a medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a master’s degree from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Board-certified in general pediatrics and developmental-behavioral pediatrics, Dr. Yin joined Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 1993 for his internship and residency in pediatrics, served as Chief Resident and ultimately became an attending physician. From 2014 to 2020, he was Deputy Division Chief of General Pediatrics.
Dr. Yin is also Director of the University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at CHLA and serves as a California Governor appointee to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. He participates on several state task forces focused on decreasing disparities in services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Among his leadership roles, Dr. Yin was a past region IX co-chair of the Academic Pediatric Association; a California Act Early Ambassador; an executive council member on the Council on Children with Disabilities in the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has also served as a volunteer physician for the Special Olympics.
Dr. Yin’s research and academic interests have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administration for Community Living, and the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration.
Dr. Yin has devoted a large portion of his career to caring and improving outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and special health care needs. He has authored, co-authored and contributed to hundreds of publications, abstracts and presentations on developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, pediatric obesity and health disparities in underserved populations. Dr. Yin is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, member of the Society for Pediatric Research, and a member of the Academic Pediatric Association. Dr. Yin was awarded the Robert M. McAllister Faculty Mentoring Award in 2017 and has been consistently recognized by trainees for outstanding teaching.
Childhood Obesity; Autism Spectrum Disorders
Education
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Pediatrics
Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Pediatrics
Accomplishments
General Pediatrics; Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics; Academic Pediatric Association; American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine
Barbara Korsch Award for Medical Education-Medical Cases on CD-ROM, 1996; Clinical Faculty Award of Excellence, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 1998; John Mace Award-Pediatric Faculty Award of Excellence, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 2000; 2010 Top Doctors, Pasadena Magazine, 2010-2013
Publications
Deavenport-Saman A, Lu Y, Smith K, Yin L. Do Children with Autism Overutilize the Emergency Department? Examining Visit Urgency and Subsequent Hospital Admissions. Matern Child Health J. 2016 Feb;20(2):306-14. doi: 10.1007/s10995-015-1830-y.
Solomon O, Angell AM, Yin L, Lawlor MC. "You Can Turn off the Light If You'd Like": Pediatric Health Care Visits for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as an Interactional Achievement. Med Anthropol Q. 2015 Dec;29(4):531-55. doi: 10.1111/maq.12237.
Hu HH, Wu TW, Yin L, Kim MS, Chia JM, Perkins TG, Gilsanz V. MRI detection of brown adipose tissue with low fat content in newborns with hypothermia. Magn Reson Imaging. 2014 Feb;32(2):107-17. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2013.10.003.
Houchun HH, Yin L, Perkins TG, Chia JM, Gilsanz V. Comparison of brown and white adipose tissues in infants and children with chemical-shift-encoded water-fat MRI. JMRI. 2013; doi: 10.1002/jmri.24053. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID:23440739.
Yin L, Wills H, Clarke N, Shacks J, Bottrell CL*, Poulsen MK. Cardiovascular Risk in Preschool Children. Infant, Child, Adolescent Nutrition. 1:197-204, 2009.
Yin L, Bottrell CL, Clarke N, Shacks J, Ward C, Poulsen MK. Otoacoustic Emissions: A Valid, Efficient First Line Hearing Screen for Preschool Children. Journal of School Health. 79(4): 147-152, 2009.
Clarke N, Shacks J, Kerr AR, Bottrell CL, Poulsen MK, Yin L. Use of a Non-cycloplegic Autorefractor to Perform Vision Screening in Preschools. The Journal of School Nursing. 24: 158-163. 2008.
Research
Research Topics
Developmental Disabilities
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Obesity
Underserved Populations
Health Screening
Systems of Care
Oral health
Research Overview
The focus of my research interests is varied but the common themes involve underserved populations, developmental disabilities, screening and intervention. I work within a team of clinicians and researchers to understand disparities in access to services among children with developmental disabilities, improving developmental screening rates in the community, improving health and clinical services for children with developmental disabilities.
Another area of interest has been in pediatric obesity prevention in children with developmental disabilities. We are actively engaged in partnering in the community to develop effective obesity interventions.
Visit the Yin Laboratory.
Research In Progress
My areas of research include a number of conditions that impact children with developmental disabilities with an overall goal of improving early identification through screening, improving health and improving access to clinical intervention and services with a focus on supporting families. Current research projects include:
- Autism in Urban Context: Linking heterogeity with health and service disparities.
- Autism Treatment Network, improving health in children with ASD.
- Genotype-phenotype of behaviors observed in children with Rett Syndrome.
- Oral health in children with special health care needs.
- Motivational interviewing in obesity management.
- Implementation of body works for obesity prevention in an at-risk community.
- Advanced directives and implementation policies in an educational setting.
- Correlation between carotid intima thickening, flow-mediated vasodilation and left ventricular diastolic function in preadolescent obese children.
- Characteristics of brown fat in overweight and normal weight children.
Key Findings
- Children with ASD and access to Emergency Department services.
We found that children with ASD use the Emergency Department for services during times when primary care provider offices are open for care (weekdays during daytime hours) and are diagnosed with the same conditions as typically developing children. - Cardiovascular risk factors in preschool-aged children.
Through medical screening of preschoolers living in underserved areas of Los Angeles, we found a high prevalence of overweight, obesity (>50%), hypertension and developed interventions for weight control and increased activity within the preschool setting. - Vision and hearing screening in at-risk preschoolers.
Vision and hearing screening relies heavily on understanding instructions for screening and behavior. Preschoolers tend to have difficulty participating in traditional screening methods and thus vision and/or hearing deficits may be missed. We developed a system of medical screening that could be easily adopted by school nurses to screen preschoolers for both vision and hearing to identify and intervene in those at risk.
Funding
My current funding reflects the diversity of interests in education, research and community-based interventions. The support improves and implements new models of care for children with developmental disabilities and special health care needs.
Grants
Teaching Grants
- Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND).
T-73MC00008-17 (Baer), DHHS/HRSA/MCHB, LEND Faculty Member
The purpose of this study is to recruit and train annually long-term and short-term disciplines representing culturally, racially and linguistically diverse communities, to meet the LEND competencies in the interdisciplinary, family-centered, culturally competent care of children, with or at-risk for neurodevelopmental and related disabilities with special emphasis on ASD.
Research Grants
- International Rett Syndrome Foundation
Medical Director, Co-Investigator.
Providing interdisciplinary specialty care for children with Rett Syndrome and exploring the genotype and phenotype of behaviors observed in children with Rett Syndrome; examining the correlation of phenotype severity and specific MecP2 mutations in children with Rett Syndrome. - Autism Speaks, Autism Treatment Network, Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health.
Co-Principal Investigator.
“Outreach to Community Physicians.”
Develop a didactic lecture series provided to community based physicians reviewing autism spectrum disorders, approach and implementation of screening in the office setting and available community based resources. - Autism Speaks, Autism Treatment Network (ATN)
Co-Principal Investigator.
The ATN is the nation's first network of hospitals and physicians dedicated to developing a model of comprehensive medical care for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The ATN is dedicated to developing better ways to identify, manage and treat the physical health conditions of children with autism. ATN sites are committed to developing standards and guidelines for evaluating and treating physical conditions associated with autism, and to sharing these standards with a wide variety of other clinical programs. The ATN is committed to developing standard treatment protocols for physical health conditions based on proven clinical experience and evidence from the registry and related clinical research projects.
