Dell Medical School Pediatric Neuroscience Program
Promoting discovery and innovation in the pediatric neurosciences
Pediatric neurosurgeon and assistant professor of neurosurgery Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, was recently featured in a Dell Med article on his innovative research at UT and his mission to improve the lives of young patients with complex brain and spinal conditions through novel, interdisciplinary solutions. Read the exclusive Q&A with one of our newest faculty members: “Kevin Kumar: Beyond Surgery, Innovating Care for Pediatric Neurological Disorders.”
The third annual Timothy M. George, MD, Memorial Lecture, held at Dell Children’s on November 8, was presented by Susan Durham, MD, MS, chief of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Durham, who is also the J. Gordon McComb Family Chair in Neurosurgery, co-director of the Neurological Institute, and director of the neurosurgery fellowship program at CHLA as well as professor of clinical neurological surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC, spoke on building a multidisciplinary pediatric brachial plexus program, including the contributions of each specialty to the brachial plexus team.
Durham’s keynote lecture was followed by the Timothy M. George, MD, Memorial Lecture Research Symposium: Access to Care in Pediatric Neuroscience, a mini symposium featuring presentations by pediatric neuroscience and pediatrics faculty members. Dell Med assistant professor of neurosurgery Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, discussed microglia replacement therapy for pediatric brain tumors, one of his specialty areas of clinical research. Other Dell Med faculty speakers included assistant professor of pediatrics Ryan Lowery, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics Michelle Gallas, DO, and associate professor of pediatrics Maria Monge, MD.
Timothy George, MD, was a professor of neurosurgery at Dell Med and a pediatric neurosurgeon at Dell Children’s when he died unexpectedly in 2019. Dr. George graduated from New York University Grossman School of Medicine before completing his neurosurgery residency at Yale University and his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Northwestern University. He joined the faculty of Duke University in 1996 and in 2006 moved to Dell Children’s. His research interests included Chiari malformation and the genetic mechanisms of neural tube defects.
Previous memorial lecture guest speakers have included John (Jay) Wellons III, MD, MSPH, professor of neurological surgery and pediatrics and chief of pediatric neurological surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Bermans J. Iskandar, MD, professor of pediatric neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
More than 60 patients and family members gathered at Dell Children’s for the third annual Neurofibromatosis Family Day Meeting on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Co-sponsored by the Dell Children’s Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence, the pediatric neurosciences program, and the Children’s Tumor Foundation, this free meeting allowed patient families affected by NF to learn the latest developments in clinical care and research through presentations and Q&A sessions in both Spanish and English. Attendees also received guidance on school resources and heard firsthand accounts of experiences from other NF families. Young children enjoyed activities throughout the day, such as a magician show and hands-on crafts.
Pediatric neuroscience presentations included “A Clinical Overview of NF1 in Children” by Manikum Moodley, MD, professor of neurology and co-director of the Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence; “Neurosurgical Problems in Patients with NF” by neurosurgery assistant professor M. Omar Iqbal, MD; “Genetics of NF1” by genetic counselor Natalie Lillie, MS, CGC; “Unlocking School Resources for Students with NF” by social workers Kayla Richards, LCSW, and Keshayka Williams, LCSW; and “Gene Therapies Overview: What Is It?” by neurofibromatosis center coordinator Karla Robles-Lopez, MD, PhD.
The Dell Children’s Neurofibromatosis Clinic is the only Central Texas member of the NF Clinic Network of the Children’s Tumor Foundation. It provides accelerated access for patients with neurofibromatosis as well as comprehensive, multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art care in a family-centered environment. With subspecialty expertise, the clinic is committed to providing the best care to patients and families at each stage of the disease, as well as offering transitional care into the adult NF program.
The late Arnold Gold, MD, was a New York City child neurologist and a long-term member of the Child Neurology Society, but many people will be surprised to learn that he was by birth a Texan. Gold’s foundation continues to promote his passion for humanism in medical care, supporting Gold Humanism Honor Society chapters at many medical schools, the annual white coat ceremony for new medical students, and the Gold Humanism Award at the CNS’s annual meeting. The Gold Foundation’s website describes humanism in healthcare as a respectful and compassionate approach that is sensitive to the values and the cultural backgrounds of all people. Few people exemplify these qualities as well as the 2024 Gold Humanism Award winner, Dave F. Clarke, MD.
Clarke is professor of neurology and chief of the epilepsy program at Dell Children’s Medical Center. He has published dozens of articles and held important leadership positions. His extraordinary dedication to advancing care for epilepsy around the world was recognized by the American Epilepsy Society with its 2023 J. Kiffin Penry Award.
Fewer people know about Clarke’s parallel career as a humanitarian. Although he trained in Michigan and Toronto and has spent his academic career in the United States, he has never abandoned his native Caribbean islands. The stunningly beautiful region has few medical specialists, so general physicians and nurses usually care for children with neurological disease. Tests such as EEG and MRI are not always available, and many routine medications are not on the islands’ formulary.
For almost two decades, Clarke has returned to the islands two or three times per year for weeklong free clinics, during which he sees dozens of children with epilepsy and other conditions with local practitioners. He often convinces colleagues in neuropsychology, neurology, and nursing to volunteer as well. Between patients, he finds time for lectures and bedside teaching. After returning home, he is readily available to the island physicians who call for patient care advice or for help with a difficult EEG.
Clarke’s advocacy in the region resulted in five new epilepsy drugs being added to the government’s approved drug formulary. He arranged for the donation of several EEG machines to island clinics, provided instruction about basic EEG interpretation, and arranged for technician training. His efforts represent humanism on a large scale.
In honor of National Epilepsy Awareness Month, UT Health Austin featured a story on a Texas teen who credits pediatric epilepsy program chief Dave Clarke, MD, with her freedom from epilepsy. “Dr. Clarke has hope and faith that everyone can live a normal life, and that has inspired me to believe in my own possibilities,” said 19-year-old McKell Koncsol, who has been seizure-free since 2020. Read the incredible story and watch the accompanying video.
Our understanding of many of the neurocutaneous syndromes has increased substantially in the last few years as we honed our knowledge of the clinical manifestations and delved deeply into the genetics and molecular mechanisms of many of the disorders. Anyone seeking the latest information on these conditions need look no further than recent back-to-back issues of Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, guest edited by Dell Med child neurologists Leah Ferrante, MD, and Chelsey Ortman, MD.
The two issues of Seminars include reviews of well-known disorders such as tuberous sclerosis complex, neurofibromatosis, and Sturge-Weber syndrome as well as lesser-known conditions such as PHACE syndrome, incontinentia pigmenti, and encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis. Most covered disorders are reviewed separately, providing up-to-date information about the clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment options.
Article example: Leah Ferrante and Chelsey Ortman. Genetic principles related to neurocutaneous disorders. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, volume 51, October 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2024.101150
We’re proud to announce that our child neurology residency program at Dell Med has ranked #25 of 79 child neurology residencies nationwide according to the 2024-25 Doximity Residency Navigator. Rankings are based on resident satisfaction, reputation, and objective data.
Doximity’s Residency Navigator is an online directory that helps medical students make informed residency decisions by providing transparency in the residency match process.
Pediatric epileptologists Kristina Julich, MD, and Daniel Freedman, DO, were selected by Dell Med and UT Austin’s IC2 Institute to receive $150,000 for research that will advance the responsible development of AI to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Their proposal was one of four funded projects selected from 39 proposals submitted by UT interdisciplinary research teams.
Julich and Freedman’s project, “Developing an AI-Based Diagnostic Tool for Epilepsy in Low-Resource Areas,” involves creating a seizure diagnostic tool that approximates the diagnostic algorithm of a trained epilepsy expert clinician. They plan to use this tool as part of the screening process for their existing epilepsy outreach project to improve access to epilepsy care in rural areas of Texas.
Read more about their “intelligent” seizure diagnostic questionnaire.
UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s is proud to announce that we have been ranked one of the best Neurology & Neurosurgery programs by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-25. This ranking reflects our ability to provide top-quality care for the children entrusted to us.
As our program continues expanding its impact in Central Texas and beyond, we remain dedicated to offering outstanding educational opportunities, promoting research and scholarly activity, and delivering exceptional multidisciplinary clinical care for all children with neurological disorders.
Join us in giving a warm Texas welcome to Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, pediatric neurosurgeon and assistant professor of neurosurgery at Dell Med. Dr. Kumar specializes in the treatment of pediatric brain and spine tumors, vascular malformations, developmental anomalies, and epilepsy.
Dr. Kumar graduated cum laude with distinction in research from Cornell University and received his MD and PhD from Vanderbilt University’s National Institutes of Health–funded Medical Scientist Training Program. His dissertation focused on investigating neuronal manganese regulation in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease using high-throughput screening, induced pluripotent stem cells, and chemical biology approaches. He was a member of Aaron Bowman’s laboratory in the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.
Dr. Kumar completed his neurosurgery residency at Stanford University, where he served as chief resident. He completed an NIH NINDS R25-funded research fellowship in the laboratory of Marius Wernig in the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, where he developed a platform to replace microglia in the brain as a novel therapy for neurodevelopmental disorders. He completed his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.
At Dell Med, Dr. Kumar launched his research laboratory to develop novel cellular-based therapeutics for pediatric neurological disorders. He has published over 35 peer-reviewed scientific articles and given over 30 presentations at national and international meetings. He has received multiple awards, including the Donald O. Quest Medical Student Basic Science Award by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Elaine Sanders-Bush Neuroscience Research Prize from the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, the John G. Coniglio Prize in Biochemistry from Vanderbilt University, the Edwin Boldrey Young Investigator Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society, the Philip L. Gildenberg Resident Award from the AANS, and the Resident Basic Science Research Award from Stanford University.
He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, the North American Neuromodulation Society, and the Society for Neuroscience.
Welcome to Austin, Dr. Kumar!
