January 13, 2026, Filed Under: NewsFerrante Featured in Neurology Today Article on White Matter Development in Preterm Infants Assistant neurology professor and neonatal neurologist Leah Ferrante, MD, was a featured expert commentator in a Neurology Today article entitled “Skin-to-Skin Care May Impact White Matter Development in Preterm Infants.” The article reported on a recent Neurology publication whose authors found an association between skin-to-skin care and neonatal white matter microstructure in frontolimbic tracts involved in socioemotional development and stress regulation. Ferrante told Neurology Today that the findings affirm what she and other clinicians see in the NICU and in long-term outcomes.
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: News12 Faculty Members Named Austin Monthly’s Top Doctors of 2026 In the most recent list of Austin Monthly’s Top Doctors, our program’s faculty once again dominated the selections related to pediatric neurological care. Our team accounted for 12 of the 16 pediatric neuroscience physicians, including seven of nine child neurologists, both pediatric neurosurgeons, two of four pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, and the only pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist. Congratulations to these dedicated physicians! Kristen Arredondo, MD Glendaliz Bosques, MD Dave Clarke, MD Jane Edmond, MD Daniel Freedman, DO Duriel Hardy, MD M. Omar Iqbal, MD Louisa Keith, MD Dhruve Jeevan, MD, MA Faheem Mahomed, MD Sara Pavitt, MD E. Steve Roach, MD
January 6, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, NewsRegistration Open: 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. Register now by scanning or clicking on the QR code below. For additional information, visit the event website or email dcmcepilepsy@ascension.org. Featured Speakers Keynote Speaker: Carter Snead III, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto; Scientist Emeritus, SickKidsDave Clarke, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJim Riviello, MD, Texas Children’s HospitalZachary Grinspan, MD, MS, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical CenterAhmed Abdelmoity, MD, Children’s MercyBernice Martin Lee, CEO, Epilepsy Foundation of AmericaIlene Miller, Director, Rare Epilepsy NetworkM. Omar Iqbal, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterRosalia Costello, PsyD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterHoward Weiner, MD, Texas Children’s HospitalMonika Jones, JD, CNP, Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery AllianceRana Said, MD, Children’s Health/UT SouthwesternDaniel Arndt, MD, Specialists in Pediatric Neurology PLLCSteven Wolf, MD, Boston Children’s Health PhysiciansDaniel Freedman, DO, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJorge A. Vidaurre, MD, Nationwide Children’sRosario DeLeon, PhD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterElysa Widjaja, MD, Lurie Children’sLiberty Hamilton, PhD, University of California, BerkeleyGabrielle Conecker, MPH, SCN8A Alliance, DEE-P Connections, and The Inchstone ProjectAlison Kukla, MPH, CURE EpilepsySandi K. Lam, MD, MBA, Lurie Children’sSookyong Koh, MD, Children’s NebraskaRaheel Ahmed, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin–MadisonJorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterDhruve Jeevan, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterChelsey B. Ortman, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterKaren Evankovich, PhD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJanet Wilson, APRN, CPNP-PC, Dell Children’s Medical CenterAllie Melendez-Zaidi, MD, PhD, El Paso Children’s HospitalEmily Ramirez, DO, Dell Children’s Medical Center
December 9, 2025, Filed Under: NewsProgram Co-Sponsors Fourth Annual Neurofibromatosis Family Day Panelists (L to R) Amy Durand, MD, Virginia Harrod, MD, PhD, Chelsey Ortman, MD, Moise Levy, MD, Neha Puar, MD, Rachel Bridges, PhD, and Emily Greenspahn, PhD Patients and family members from throughout Central Texas gathered at Dell Children’s for the fourth annual Neurofibromatosis Family Day Meeting on November 8. Co-sponsored by the Dell Children’s Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence, UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s, and the Children’s Tumor Foundation, this free meeting educated patient families on community resources and the latest developments in clinical care and research through bilingual presentations and Q&A sessions. Rachel Bridges, PhD and Emily Greenspahn, PhD Presentations spanned topics from neuropsychological monitoring by neurology assistant professors Emily Greenspahn, PhD, and Rachel Bridges, PhD, to the NF1 disease course by neurology assistant professor Chelsey Ortman, MD. Children could participate in the educational sessions with their families or in science-themed activity workshops. 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 care in a family-centered environment. With subspecialty expertise, the clinic is committed to providing the best care at each stage of the disease and offers transitional care into the adult NF program.
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!
