February 26, 2024, Filed Under: carousel, NewsSave the Date: 5th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s invites you to the 5th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Designed for general pediatric practitioners, this event will feature interactive presentations by several of our faculty members, with topics ranging from concussion to emerging gene therapies for neuromuscular disease. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management of neurological conditions commonly encountered by the general pediatrician. Registration for this hybrid event (in-person or virtual attendance) is free. Preregister now to be notified when registration is open. LocationDell Children’s Medical CenterSigne Auditorium4900 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX 78723 Agenda Topics Access to epilepsy careAdaptive sportsConsulting a neurosurgeonEmerging gene therapies for neuromuscular diseaseIdentifying psychologists for patients with neurological disordersInfantile spasmsNeurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infantsNew-onset learning and attention problemsNew treatments for headache disordersPediatric concussionVitamin-responsive neurological disorders
February 13, 2024, Filed Under: carouselClinical Neurophysiology Fellow Publishes Vitamin-Dependent Genetic Disorders Review Emily Ramirez, DO Kristina Julich, MD Clinical neurophysiology fellow Emily L. Ramirez, DO, mentored by geneticist James Gibson and neurogenetics program chief Kristina Julich, MD, recently published a thorough review of the vitamin-responsive genetic disorders of childhood. Most neurologists are familiar with well-known disorders such as pyridoxine dependency and biotinidase deficiency, but Ramirez and colleagues also discuss many less well-known conditions, providing detailed information about each disorder’s clinical presentation, diagnosis, and optimal treatment. Not to be confused with simple vitamin deficiencies, vitamin-dependent disorders are genetic conditions that can be effectively treated with pharmacological doses of a vitamin. Vitamins play a critical role in neurologic, endocrinologic, psychiatric, developmental, and hematologic processes. Vitamins serve as cofactors for one or more enzymes, and for selected genetic disorders, supplementation with a key vitamin cofactor can dramatically alleviate the clinical manifestations of these conditions. Several vitamin-responsive conditions exist, and lifelong vitamin supplementation is generally the only effective therapy. This practical guide to a challenging but highly treatable group of genetic disorders is conveniently synthesized in a single article. Read “Vitamin-Dependent Genetic Disorders of Childhood” in Pediatrics in Review.
February 3, 2024, Filed Under: carousel, NewsRoach Inducted into Shine Academy of Health Science Education E. Steve Roach, MD E. Steve Roach, MD, has been elected to membership in The University of Texas System Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education. Roach was nominated for Shine Academy membership by Dell Medical School Dean Claudia Lucchinetti, MD, who cited his innovative biomedical writing skills workshop, numerous medical textbooks, clinical teaching awards, resident curriculum development projects, and years of service as a medical journal editor. “Dr. Roach has inspired generations of students, trainees, and faculty through his rigorous teaching and mentorship,” said David Paydarfar, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. “He is a role model in medical education, teaching others as a master clinician and medical scholar, skillfully translating knowledge to clinical practice.” Named for former Institute of Medicine President Kenneth I. Shine, MD, the academy promotes excellence in health science education by recognizing outstanding educators and advancing knowledge and innovation in medical education through project grants. Each year the academy inducts a limited number of outstanding health science educators and leaders from the eight UT System health care institutions. Nominations for membership may come from a university president, dean, or faculty senate at any of the system’s health care facilities.
January 17, 2024, Filed Under: carousel, NewsFour Faculty Members Named Castle Connolly 2024 Top Doctors Jane Edmond, MD Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD Louisa Keith, MD E. Steve Roach, MD We are proud to announce that four of our pediatric neuroscience providers were named Castle Connolly Top Doctors: Jane Edmond, MD; Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD; Louisa Keith, MD; and E. Steve Roach, MD. Keith was also named a Castle Connolly Rising Star. Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians and are peer nominated through surveys sent out to tens of thousands of doctors. Those results are rigorously vetted by a research team of Castle Connolly physicians based on several factors.
January 9, 2024, Filed Under: carouselEdmond Begins Term as President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Jane Edmond, MD Pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist Jane Edmond, MD, has begun her term as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Edmond is leveraging her role to address the increasing staffing and physician shortages and to advocate for expanding access to ophthalmologic care, in part by recruiting equity-driven residents to the field. “There’s so much passion and drive in the ophthalmology community, and we have lobbied hard for the safety of our patients these past several years,” says Edmond. “Together, I believe we can build upon this momentum and make an even greater push for serving our patients, educating our members, and inspiring future generations of ophthalmologists.” Edmond has practiced pediatric ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology for 33 years. She is the director of the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at Dell Medical School, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and a past president of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. She has served in many leadership roles within the AAO, including Trustee-at-Large from 2012 to 2017. Edmond will be advocating this April at the AAO’s Mid-Year Forum in Washington, DC for health care policy changes and the ophthalmology profession. Thank you for your service, Dr. Edmond!
December 6, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsPediatric Psychology Internship Program Awarded Highest Level of APA Reaccreditation Amanda Winter-Greenberg, PhD, ABPP The Dell Medical School/Dell Children’s Medical Center Psychology Internship program was awarded reaccreditation for 10 years by the American Psychological Association. The internship is housed in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and is co-directed by Sasha Jaquez, PhD, Ankita Krishnan, PhD, and pediatric neuropsychologist Amanda Winter-Greenberg, PhD, ABPP, an assistant professor of neurology who supervises the internship program’s neuropsychology rotation. The accreditation is the highest level awarded by the APA and signifies that the program adheres to the Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology.
November 7, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsAustin Appointed Chief of Pediatric Neuropsychology Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP, assistant professor of neurology and neuropsychologist in the Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic and the Dell Children’s Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Clinic, was appointed chief of the nine-member division of pediatric neuropsychology in October. Austin earned her master’s in program evaluation and her doctorate in school psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. She completed an internship in pediatric neuropsychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology from Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research interests include parent experience and satisfaction with the neuropsychological assessment process as well as predictors and outcomes of traumatic brain injury. Congratulations, Dr. Austin!
November 2, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsPediatric Neurosciences Co-Sponsors Second Annual NF Family Day NF Family Day presenters (L to R) Sasha Jaquez, PhD; Kendra Koch, PhD; Virginia Harrod, MD, PhD; Sage T. Green, DO; and Manikum Moodley, MD The second annual Neurofibromatosis Family Day Meeting was held October 28 at Dell Children’s. Co-sponsored by the Dell Children’s Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence, the pediatric neurosciences program, and the Children’s Tumor Foundation, this meeting allowed patient families affected by NF to learn the latest developments in clinical care and research through presentations and breakout sessions. Pediatric neuroscience presenters included Manikum Moodley, MD, professor of neurology and co-director of the Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence; clinical research administrator Kendra Koch, PhD; and neurofibromatosis center coordinator Karla Robles-Lopez, MD, PhD.
October 3, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsWelcome, Dr. Irwin! Join us in welcoming Samantha Irwin, MB BCh, MSc, a pediatric neurologist who specializes in headache disorders, including posttraumatic headaches. Irwin is as an associate professor of neurology and the director of the Pediatric Headache Fellowship program at Dell Medical School. Irwin earned her master’s in neuropsychology at Maastricht University and her medical degree at the School of Medicine Trinity College Dublin. She completed a pediatric neurology residency at the University of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, where she was chief resident, and a headache neurology fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. Before coming to Austin, Irwin was an assistant professor of neurology and the Pediatric Headache Fellowship director at UCSF. Irwin’s research focuses on clinical trials evaluating potential new treatments for headache disorders in children and adolescents. In addition, she is investigating the role of structured exercise as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to treating pediatric headache. Irwin is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society, American Headache Society, Canadian Headache Society, International Headache Academy, and International Child Neurology Association. She serves on the editorial board of Annals of the Child Neurology Society.
August 24, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsDrs. Gettig and Austin Create Official THSCA Concussion Competencies Training Presentation Kelly Gettig, APRN, DNP (middle) at the recent Texas High School Coaches Association press conference with Adam Bauman, vice president of Orthopedics, Sports & Rehabilitation Services of Ascension Texas, and THSCA executive director Joe Martin. On July 17, the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) announced at its annual conference that Dell Children’s Medical Center will be its Official Medical Wellness Provider. As part of the new partnership’s educational initiatives, assistant neurology professors Kelly Gettig, APRN, DNP, and Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP, of the Dell Children’s traumatic brain injury/concussion clinic collaborated with Ascension Sports Performance to create the THSCA’s official Concussion Competencies training presentation, designed to fulfill the state’s concussion education requirement for high school coaches, teachers, and athletic trainers. Dr. Gettig and Dr. Austin presented on active rehabilitation following concussion at the THSCA conference and were interviewed by Bally Sports on the topic. Dr. Gettig also participated in a press conference with Adam Bauman, vice president of Orthopedics, Sports & Rehabilitation Services of Ascension Texas, and Joe Martin, THSCA’s executive director. Kelly Gettig, DNP, APRN Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP Through the partnership, Dr. Gettig and Dr. Austin will advocate for return-to-play legislation that reflects best practice for concussion management. “We believe our role as a specialty clinic is to improve outcomes for every adolescent athlete with concussion by ensuring they have access to active rehabilitation as soon as possible following injury,” said Dr. Gettig. “Our partnership with THSCA is a direct pipeline to achieve that goal for athletes throughout Texas.” Read more about the Dell Children’s and THSCA partnership in the THSCA’s official announcement.
