January 10, 2026, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Xu Join us in welcoming Lori Xu, MD, a pediatric neurologist who specializes in pediatric stroke. Dr. Xu is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology. She graduated with an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, then earned her medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She completed her pediatric neurology residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a fellowship in pediatric stroke at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her research interests include Moyamoya disease.
January 6, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, NewsSave the Date: Third Annual IMPRES Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference The Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center is hosting its third Innovative Minds: Pediatric Research in Epilepsy Surgery (IMPRES) Conference in collaboration with the Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center from Friday, June 26, to Sunday, June 28, 2026, at Hotel Van Zandt in downtown Austin. Visit the event website or email dcmcepilepsy@ascension.org for additional information.
December 2, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsBiobank Collection Advances Pediatric Neurological Research Despite decades of research, our understanding of the pathophysiology of many central and peripheral nervous diseases and disorders remains limited. Analysis of histology, biomarkers, and genetic markers is needed to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of neurological-related diseases. Furthermore, cell lines derived from these diseased tissues are needed to create animal models and other in vitro testing. The Neurosurgery Biobank at Dell Medical School is a repository of biological specimens collected from adult and pediatric patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, and Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. The biobank allows researchers to better understand the biochemical, genetic, and biomechanical mechanisms behind neurological diseases and paves the way for innovative genetic treatments and breakthroughs. This is particularly important for children, who are often underrepresented in research and therapeutic innovation for many of these conditions. Led by Vincent Wang, MD, PhD, of the Department of Neurosurgery with contributions by pediatric neurosurgeon Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, the biobank has received thousands of samples from more than 200 patients, primarily consisting of various central nervous system tumor specimens. The specimens, including tissues used to generate tumor cell lines, are processed and stored in the Department of Neurosurgery. “The biobank highlights our commitment to advancing research and improving patient care,” said Pierrick Millet, MD, biobank senior research program coordinator who works in the Kumar lab at UT Austin. “Its growth will allow us to contribute to the scientific community and further solidify Dell Medical School as a leader in this field.”
November 27, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsPavitt Appears as Guest on WebMD Podcast Sara Pavitt, MD, chief of our pediatric headache program and co-director of the pediatric neurosciences program, was the guest on WebMD Health Discovered Podcast on November 26. Pavitt was interviewed by Neha Pathak, MD, WebMD’s Chief Physician Editor for Health and Lifestyle Medicine, on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of migraine in children, when to seek medical attention, and how to manage chronic and acute migraine. Listen to the episode, “Headaches or Something More? Understanding Childhood Migraine.”
November 21, 2025, Filed Under: NewsDell Medical School Child Neurology Residency Program Ranks 24 in Nation The Child Neurology Residency program at Dell Medical School ranked 24 out of 79 child neurology residencies nationwide according to the 2025–26 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.
November 18, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsKumar Awarded Research Grants to Study Pediatric Brain Tumors Gliomas are the most common type of pediatric brain tumor, and median survival for children with high-grade gliomas is only one to two years. Due to the paucity of research on pediatric gliomas, most therapies are based on adults and have limited efficacy. Recent studies of pediatric microglia have demonstrated the critical role these resident immune cells of the central nervous system play in tumor growth and progression and have prompted research into microglia replacement as a promising therapeutic for patients with gliomas. Pediatric neurosurgeon Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, who joined the Dell Medical School faculty as an assistant professor of neurosurgery in 2024, is pioneering innovative microglia replacement protocols to deliver therapeutics designed to limit tumor progression, thereby reducing the adverse effects of more traditional therapies such as radiation and improving outcomes for children. Kumar recently received a K12 award from the National Institutes of Health to study this novel therapeutic approach for pediatric gliomas. The award will help to launch his independent research career under the guidance of his senior mentoring team: Kimberly Nixon, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology; Amy Brock, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering; Tom Yankeelov, PhD, director of the Center for Computational Oncology and director of cancer imaging research within the Livestrong Cancer Institutes; and Marius Wernig, MD, PhD, professor of pathology and chemical and systems biology at Stanford University. Additionally, Kumar will receive funds for ongoing professional development and will be supported for a third year by the Department of Neurosurgery. Kumar also received a 2025–27 Dell Medical School Health Transformation Research Institute and Cain Foundation Award of $175,000 to develop predictive modeling of neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric brain tumor patients. Kumar and co-awardee Sage Green, DO, a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Dell Children’s Medical Center, will collaborate with Paul Rathouz, PhD, professor of population health and founding director of Dell Medical School’s Biomedical Data Science Hub, and Rachel Bridges, PhD, pediatric neuropsychologist and assistant professor of neurology who specializes in evaluating children with brain and spinal cancers. Kumar’s mission to provide new hope to these medically complex children would not be possible without the commitment and expertise of his Austin colleagues. “By leveraging the incredible resources at The University of Texas at Austin and Dell Children’s Medical Center, we can integrate basic science research and clinical expertise to develop novel approaches to pediatric brain tumors,” said Kumar. “This unique collaborative environment enables us to ask important scientific questions that could improve patient care.”
November 4, 2025, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Hernandez Cindy Hernandez, MD, MS, recently joined our program as an assistant professor of neurology and a pediatric neuroimmunologist with a special interest in Down syndrome regression disorder. She graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and completed her child neurology residency and combined pediatric neuroimmunology and experimental therapeutics fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society. Welcome, Dr. Hernandez!
October 30, 2025, Filed Under: NewsIqbal & Rizk Featured in Statesman Story on Intraoperative MRI M. Omar Iqbal, MD Elias Rizk, MD, PhD, MSc Assistant professor of neurosurgery M. Omar Iqbal, MD, and pediatric neurosurgery chief and neurosurgery professor Elias Rizk, MD, PhD, MSc, were featured in an Austin-American Statesman article on the new intraoperative MRI at Dell Children’s. “Not many children’s hospitals in the country have this,” Dr. Rizk said. “This is next-level acute patient care.” Read the article.
October 15, 2025, Filed Under: NewsBrumback Interviewed by NY Times as Autism Expert Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD, who specializes in the clinical assessment and management of autism spectrum disorders and related disorders, was interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Reuters, and multiple other media outlets in response to the FDA’s announcement of the possible association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. Dr. Brumback is a child neurologist and physician-scientist who investigates the neurophysiological mechanisms of autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. She develops neuromodulation therapies for specific neuropsychiatric symptoms that localize to the prefrontal network. Her work has been supported by the NIH through NIMH and NINDS.
October 4, 2025, Filed Under: News12 Faculty Members Receive 2025 Teaching Awards Kudos to our 12 pediatric neuroscience faculty members who received GME Clinical Learning Environment Awards from Dell Medical School. These individuals received near-perfect (4.9 or 5.0) cumulative resident teaching scores for the year based on their ability to create a positive environment for learning and the patient experience. Kristen Arredondo, MD Glendaliz Bosques, MD Dave F. Clarke, MD Daniel Freedman, DO Duriel Hardy, MD Kristina Julich, MD Louisa Keith, MD Chelsey Ortman, MD Sara Pavitt, MD E. Steve Roach, MD Vandana Vedanarayanan, MD “Veda” Vedanarayanan, MD
