May 27, 2025, Filed Under: NewsCongratulations, Graduates! On May 23, the Department of Neurology held its graduation and awards ceremony for residents and fellows. This year, one resident and two fellows graduated from our program: Qingqing Wang, MD, child neurology residentSireesha Chinthaparthi, MD, pediatric epilepsy fellowMelanie Somekh, PhD, pediatric neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow Congratulations to these graduates! Qingqing Wang, MD, with child neurology residency director Stephen Deputy, MD Sireesha Chinthaparthi, MD, with pediatric epilepsy fellowship associate director Dan Freedman, DO Melanie Somekh, PhD, with Amanda Winter-Greenberg, PhD, training director of the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology
May 3, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsRegister for the 6th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium The sixth annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium will be held this Saturday, May 17, at Dell Children’s with virtual access. The target audience is general pediatric practitioners who care for children with a wide range of neurological disorders. This free event will feature several interactive presentations by pediatric neurosciences faculty members on a broad range of topics. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management. Register online now or scan the QR code below.
May 2, 2025, Filed Under: NewsMoodley Retires After Four Decades of Service in Pediatric Neurology On April 30, we hosted a department luncheon in honor of Manikum “Mani” Moodley’s retirement. Dr. Moodley, an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Neurology and former co-director of our Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence, began a remarkable half-century medical career in 1974 after completing his medical degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine in Durban, South Africa. He finished a rotating internship and residencies in pediatrics and neurology in South Africa, then completed fellowship training in child neurology, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neuromuscular diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children in London and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, followed by a fellowship in neonatal neurology at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. This extensive training no doubt underpinned what often appeared to be an uncanny ability to arrive at a correct diagnosis that had escaped others. In 2004, Moodley began a 15-year stint with the Cleveland Clinic. There he honed his expertise in pediatric autonomic disorders and neuroimmunological conditions. Working closely with David Rothner, MD, Moodley also became an expert in the management of neurofibromatosis. In parallel, his academic career flourished. Moodley authored some 80 articles and chapters, often in collaboration with his trainees. He has won at least seven resident and student teaching awards from three different institutions. Special honors include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and his selection as the keynote speaker for the medical school’s annual convocation. In 2019, when many people would be planning for a comfortable retirement, Moodley joined the faculty of the newly established Dell Medical School. Here he played a major role in the creation of the now-flourishing pediatric neurosciences program. To no one’s surprise, he won a resident teaching award the year after he arrived. He established the clinical pediatric autonomic laboratory and helped to establish the Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence. Moodley has been a worthy role model for both trainees and colleagues. We are not quite ready to turn loose of this remarkable physician: he will continue to be involved in our neurology outreach program in Kenya and in assisting trainees with publications and presentations. Thank you, Dr. Moodley, for decades of service to child neurology! Enjoy your retirement—you have earned it.
February 13, 2025, Filed Under: NewsJoin Us for the Sixth Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium Save the date! The sixth annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Dell Children’s with virtual access. The target audience is general pediatric practitioners who care for children with a wide range of neurological disorders. This free event will feature several interactive presentations by faculty members of the pediatric neurosciences program on a broad range of topics. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management. Details on registration and CME forthcoming.
February 13, 2025, Filed Under: NewsRegister for the 2nd Annual Innovative Minds: Pediatric Research in Epilepsy Surgery (IMPRES) Conference The Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center in collaboration with the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center present the second annual IMPRES: Improving Access & Health Equity in Epilepsy. The conference will take place June 20-22, on the campus of Northwestern University in downtown Chicago, Illinois. IMPRES is designed to provide evidence-based research on pediatric epilepsy surgery as well as highlight collaboration between pediatric epilepsy centers and programs. Workup and process of identifying surgical patients will be discussed, including medical and dietary management. Register now!
February 8, 2025, Filed Under: NewsFerrante & Ortman Selected to Editorial Board of Seminars in Pediatric Neurology Leah Ferrante, MD, assistant professor of neurology and co-director of the Dell Children’s neuro-neonatal intensive care unit program, and Chelsey Ortman, MD, assistant professor of neurology, were recently appointed to the editorial board of Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. Ferrante and Ortman guest edited the journal’s October 2024 and December 2024 issues, both on neurocutaneous syndromes in the pediatric population. Congratulations, Drs. Ferrante and Ortman!
February 5, 2025, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Karen Evankovich We are pleased to welcome Karen D. Evankovich, PhD, a clinical associate professor of neurology and a pediatric neuropsychologist, to our program. Her research interests include the cognitive and psychosocial effects of pediatric epilepsy as well as the cognitive and psychosocial difficulties in children and adolescents with demyelinating disorders and the relationships of these issues to disease-related factors. Dr. Evankovich joins us from Houston, Texas, where she was the clinical program director of pediatric neuropsychology at Texas Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University followed by her master’s in clinical psychology and PhD in clinical neuropsychology from the University of Houston. She completed both her internship in clinical child psychology and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Evankovich is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, and the International Neuropsychological Society.
February 3, 2025, Filed Under: NewsElias Rizk Appointed Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Co-Chief of Pediatric Neurosciences Elias Rizk, MD, PhD, MSc We are excited to announce the appointment of Elias Rizk, MD, PhD, MSc, as the new chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Dell Children’s Medical Center and co-chief of UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s. Rizk previously served as chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Pennsylvania State University and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He is a professor in Dell Medical School’s Department of Neurosurgery. Rizk earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut and went on to complete a PhD in neuroscience and a master’s in public health from Penn State College of Medicine. He completed his neurosurgery residency at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s of Alabama. As a postdoctoral fellow, he worked with Bermans Iskandar, MD, at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, focusing on neuro-regeneration. Specializing in the management of complex clinical conditions such as spina bifida, hydrocephalus, craniosynostosis, and brachial plexus injuries, Rizk led multidisciplinary clinics for spina bifida and craniofacial anomalies at Penn State. He has also made significant contributions to trauma and surgical quality improvement initiatives to enhance outcomes in pediatric care. In addition to his clinical expertise, Rizk’s research focuses on axonal regeneration, particularly the role of DNA methylation in neuronal repair. He has championed the use of bioprinting technologies for craniofacial reconstruction and advanced treatments for hydrocephalus. With over 150 publications, Rizk is an accomplished academician. Among his many honors at Penn State, he was named Physician of the Year in 2024, received the Barron Leadership Award in 2021, and received the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2020. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rizk to our team,” said E. Steve Roach, MD, co-chief of Pediatric Neurosciences. “We look forward to his leadership in advancing pediatric neurosurgery at Dell Children’s and UT Health Austin.”
January 31, 2025, Filed Under: NewsFerrante Featured in Austin American-Statesman for Neuro-NICU Care Leah Ferrante, MD, was featured in an Austin American-Statesman article on a newborn who was treated for multiple strokes and seizures in the neuro-NICU, one of the only multidisciplinary, subspecialty neuro-NICU programs in the country. “It’s phenomenal,” said Dr. Ferrante of the baby’s current development. “Not only does he look typical, he’s actually developmentally advanced.” Read the full story.
January 30, 2025, Filed Under: NewsNeuropsychology Fellow & Faculty Examine Contribution of Preinjury Factors to Course of Concussion in Adolescents Laura Winstone-Weide, PhD Kelly Gettig, DNP, APRN Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP The concussion literature has increasingly shown that preinjury factors influence the course of concussion recovery. In a recent Annals of the Child Neurology Society article, neuropsychology fellow Laura Winstone-Weide, PhD, with colleagues Kelly Gettig, DNP, APRN, and Cynthia Austin, PhD, ABPP, used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the contribution of preinjury factors, baseline symptoms, and first-visit symptoms to the time required to return to baseline following injury. SEM is an advanced statistical technique that allows simultaneous consideration of multiple variables as well as mediation analysis to test direct and indirect effects. The study analyzed prospectively collected data from 642 adolescents who were assessed in the Dell Children’s concussion clinic. Preinjury variables included a history of headache, anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, previous concussions, and female gender. A particular strength of the study was the diversity in patient ethnicity (54% Hispanic), insurance status (41% Medicaid), and mechanism of injury (54% sports-related concussion), facilitating broader generalization across adolescent concussion populations. Preinjury headaches, depression, and anxiety had the strongest direct effects on baseline symptoms. Adolescents with preinjury depression and/or anxiety took an average of four to six additional days to clearance for high-risk activities. Notably, a history of prior concussions or learning disability did not influence symptom reporting or recovery when considered simultaneously with other risk factors. The study emphasizes the unique, additive effects of preinjury factors on symptom reporting and concussion recovery. The authors concluded that preinjury risk factors should be viewed as a constellation, with particular attention to mental health factors in concussion management. The Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center was established in 2018 and has evaluated over 2,000 patients. Its complex concussion clinic focuses on children and adolescents with risk factors for prolonged recovery time. In addition to collecting data to support evidence-based guidance on concussion management and recovery expectations, clinic staff members provide annual concussion management education to hundreds of school nurses, athletic trainers, and coaches. Their work recently led to modification of the Texas High School Coaches Association’s required return-to-play education to include active rehabilitation. Winstone-Weide LK, Gettig K, Austin CA. Postconcussive symptom severity, risk factors for prolonged recovery, and mental health history: pathways of influence in a diverse pediatric sample. Ann Child Neurol Soc. 2024;2:281-289, doi.org/10.1002/cns3.20094.
