June 13, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsSitton Presents at National NICU Nurse Conference, Elected to Hope for HIE Medical Board Neonatal neurology nurse navigator Mandy Sitton, BSN, RN, was invited to speak at The ONE Conference, a national conference for NICU nurses, held in Las Vegas from May 4-6. She presented “It Takes One: Reimagining Continuity and Advocacy in Neonatal Neurologic Care—The NeuroNICU Navigator Role” as the opening speaker on May 5. Mandy was also recently elected to the Medical Advisory Board for Hope for HIE, a global organization dedicated to supporting children and families affected by hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Mandy is credited with developing one of the first NICU neurology nurse navigator roles in the US.
June 11, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsNeurosurgery Program Designated Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network Quality Center Pediatric neurosurgeon M. Omar Iqbal, MD Congratulations to our pediatric neurosurgery program for being officially recognized as a Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network Quality center. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network aims to dramatically improve the lives of children with this life-threatening condition through critical, multicenter clinical research. HCRNq is an expanded network of the HCRN that focuses specifically on quality improvement. Consisting of 32 participating centers with over 6,800 enrollees, it was established to minimize surgical complications and standardize perioperative practices, with a focus on shunt infection prevention. Our neurosurgery program is the only HCRNq-designated center in Central Texas.
June 2, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsFaculty Explores Medical Ethics Through Holocaust Immersive Program Daniel Freedman, DO, and Kristina Jülich, MD, in Germany This May, Dell Medical School pediatric neurologists Daniel Freedman, DO, and Kristina Jülich, MD, joined a group of Dell Medical School students and faculty to pilot an immersive learning experience in Germany and Poland exploring the role of medical ethics in the Nazi atrocities and the enduring responsibility of physicians to serve patients with integrity. Led by Dell Medical School pediatric psychiatrist Claire Selinger, MD, the trip was cosponsored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Center for Medicine after the Holocaust. Through visits to historical sites and thoughtful discussions, participants reflected on the ethical obligations of physicians, the consequences of abandoning those principles, and the importance of applying those lessons in patient care today. Main entrance to Auschwitz II–Birkenau
May 26, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsProgram Hosts Seventh Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium Lori Xu, MD, presenting on pediatric stroke updates Cindy Hernandez, MD, MS, discussing down syndrome regression disorder Each spring, our program hosts a practical pediatric neuroscience symposium aimed at enhancing general pediatric practitioners’ understanding of pediatric neurological conditions. The seventh annual symposium on May 2 featured presentations from 11 faculty members on topics ranging from pediatric migraine updates to CNS infections associated with vaccine-preventable diseases. Each interactive session offered practical techniques and evidence-based guidance for diagnosis and management, with an emphasis on the role of interprofessional teams in improving patient outcomes and quality of life. This full-day, CE annual event is free and open to anyone who registers. Recorded presentations and slides are posted in the weeks following the symposium.
May 18, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsKumar Recognized as Austin Under 40’s Medicine & Healthcare Winner Join us in congratulating pediatric neurosurgeon Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, the 2026 Medicine & Healthcare winner for Austin Under 40. Dr. Kumar joined the faculty of Dell Medical School as an assistant professor of neurosurgery in 2024 after completing his MD and PhD at Vanderbilt University’s National Institutes of Health-funded Medical Scientist Training Program, his residency in neurological surgery at Stanford University, and his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Stanford. His research lab at UT Austin is dedicated to advancing the field of pediatric neurosurgery, with a primary focus on brain tumor research and development of cellular therapeutics. He was awarded a K12 in Clinical and Translational Science from the National Institutes of Health in 2025 and was recently appointed surgical director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Dell Children’s.
May 8, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsHardy Receives Dell Children’s Trust Grant Duriel Hardy, MD, at the annual Dell Children’s Trust dinner Assistant neurology professor and pediatric neuroimmunologist Duriel Hardy, MD, was recently awarded a 2026 Dell Children’s Trust grant focused on improving the transition of care for patients with neuroimmune disorders. Dr. Hardy, one of five finalists selected to present at the Trust’s annual dinner in April, established the Dell Children’s neuroimmunology transition of care program and will use the grant funding to expand the program and support related research. This includes ongoing work examining transition-of-care readiness among youth, building on findings published earlier this year in the Journal of Child Neurology. Dell Children’s Trust is a collective of advocates and philanthropic ambassadors who have funded more than $5.4 million in grants supporting over 120 hospital initiatives, touching the lives of millions of children and families throughout Texas.
May 1, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsWelcome, Serena! Serena G. Garcia, PA-C, is a physician assistant in our pediatric neurosurgery program. She received her Master of Arts in biomedical science from Midwestern University Arizona College of Graduate Studies in Glendale, Arizona, and her Master of Science in physician assistant studies from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. She completed her neurosurgery physician assistant fellowship at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was an instructor in neurosurgery. Serena enjoys building relationships with her patient families and providing clear patient education, particularly during such a vulnerable time of life.
