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 31, 2023, Filed Under: NewsA Warm Welcome to Tanner Britton, Digital Documentarian Tanner Britton Join us in welcoming Tanner Britton, digital documentarian and academic content creator, to the pediatric neurosciences team. Tanner previously worked as the multimedia producer for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in Austin. He received a Bachelor of Music in business and performance from McNally Smith College of Music and has experience as a filmmaker, photographer, and videographer for commercials, documentaries, music videos, and events throughout the country. An sEEG installation procedure captured by Tanner
October 17, 2023, Filed Under: NewsEdmond Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Congratulations to pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist Jane Edmond, MD, who received a lifetime achievement award from Houston Methodist Hospital and the Houston Ophthalmological Society. Edmond is director of the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at Dell Medical School, interim vice dean of professional practice, professor and chair in the Department of Ophthalmology, and 2023 president-elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
October 13, 2023, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Willsey! Help us give a warm welcome to Kylene Willsey, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology. Willsey joined our team in October from Green Tree Pediatrics in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she practiced as a general pediatrician. She will be working primarily with the Dell Children’s Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Clinic. Willsey received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She has been involved in the community through various sports-related initiatives, including coaching, providing sports coverage for high school football games, and performing baseline concussion testing for high school football players. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Welcome, Dr. Willsey!
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.
August 19, 2023, Filed Under: carousel, NewsPediatric Neurosciences Sponsors Sixth Annual Women in Neuroscience Internship May Tun, Emanuela Ilboudo, Karen Ramos, and Rosario DeLeon, PhD WiNterns Karen Ramos, Emanuela Ilboudo, and May Tun Emanuela Ilboudo, Dave Clarke, MD, and May Tun This summer, 25 interns completed the sixth annual Women in Neuroscience (WiN) Summer Intensive internship program, supported by UT Austin’s Department of Neuroscience in the College of Natural Sciences and the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. WiN’s eight-week paid internship encourages high school seniors and college students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in neuroscience and neurology. WiNterns from Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Huston- Tillotson University, and UT Austin’s College of Natural Sciences partner with faculty mentors, attend daily seminars to build professional development skills, gain clinical and lab experience, and present their research at the conclusion of the program. They also receive ongoing mentorship. Pediatric neuroscience faculty mentors this year included Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD (autism), Dave Clarke, MD (pediatric epilepsy), Rosario DeLeon, PhD (pediatric neuropsychology), and Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD (pediatric neurosurgery). E. Steve Roach, MD, taught a half-day course on biomedical writing. “Being able to speak to numerous health care professionals gave me great insight into all the rewards and challenges of their careers,” said WiNtern Karen Ramos. “I gained so much knowledge from asking questions and seeing them treat patients. In addition, seeing men and women from different ethnic backgrounds excelling in their specialty is motivating. Now I know I can do this!” For more information on WiN, visit www.neurowomen.org or follow the organization on X @helloNeuroWomen. Karen Ramos, Emanuela Ilboudo, OR nurse Shannon Neely, RN, and surgical technician Tracy Losoya
August 16, 2023, Filed Under: NewsKeith Participates in American Academy of Neurology Leadership Forum Louisa Keith, MD, at AAN Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum Louisa Keith, MD, chief of the Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Program, was selected as one of the 31 American Academy of Neurology members to participate in the 2023 Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum (PALF). The annual forum trains neurologists to become advocacy leaders in their institutions and communities by building skills in action planning, media relations, and grassroots advocacy. “PALF was an amazing weekend with a group of passionate neurologists committed to improving patient care across the life span,” said Keith. “The training sessions and opportunity to form relationships with supportive mentors and peers gave me tools to translate big-picture ideas into achievable, actionable steps.”
July 20, 2023, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Drs. Ortman and Ferrante! Join us in welcoming two new colleagues to our program: Chelsey Ortman, MD Leah Ferrante, MD Chelsey Ortman, MD, joins our Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center as an assistant professor of neurology at Dell Medical School. Ortman earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA. After her pediatrics and child neurology training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, she completed fellowships in pediatric epilepsy and advanced clinical neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She is board certified in neurology with special qualification in child neurology and is a member of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, American Epilepsy Society, Child Neurology Society, and American Academy of Neurology. Leah Ferrante, MD, joins the Pediatric Neurosciences Program as an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology. After receiving her medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine, she completed a pediatrics residency and a neurodevelopmental disabilities residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Most recently, she completed a fetal and neonatal neurology fellowship at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is certified in neurology with special qualification in child neurology and is board eligible for certification in neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is a member of the Texas Neurological Society, Newborn Brain Society, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Academy of Neurology.
