February 3, 2024, Filed Under: carousel, NewsRoach Inducted into Shine Academy of Health Science Education E. Steve Roach, MD E. Steve Roach, MD, has been elected to membership in The University of Texas System Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education. Roach was nominated for Shine Academy membership by Dell Medical School Dean Claudia Lucchinetti, MD, who cited his innovative biomedical writing skills workshop, numerous medical textbooks, clinical teaching awards, resident curriculum development projects, and years of service as a medical journal editor. “Dr. Roach has inspired generations of students, trainees, and faculty through his rigorous teaching and mentorship,” said David Paydarfar, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. “He is a role model in medical education, teaching others as a master clinician and medical scholar, skillfully translating knowledge to clinical practice.” Named for former Institute of Medicine President Kenneth I. Shine, MD, the academy promotes excellence in health science education by recognizing outstanding educators and advancing knowledge and innovation in medical education through project grants. Each year the academy inducts a limited number of outstanding health science educators and leaders from the eight UT System health care institutions. Nominations for membership may come from a university president, dean, or faculty senate at any of the system’s health care facilities.
February 2, 2024, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Bridges! Rachel Bridges, PhD A warm welcome to Rachel Bridges, PhD, who recently joined our team as a pediatric neuropsychologist and an assistant professor of neurology. She specializes in neuropsychological evaluations for patients with complex medical and neurological disorders, including neuro-oncology, leukemia, sickle cell disease, and rare genetic/degenerative disorders. She also has expertise in the assessment of oncology/hematology patients with stroke, posterior fossa syndrome, and other neurological injuries post-neurosurgical intervention. Bridges earned her master’s degree and her doctorate in school psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology from the University of South Carolina. She completed a predoctoral internship in pediatric neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital of Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical System, followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Bridges’ research focuses on outcomes following childhood cancer treatment, neurocognitive monitoring during CNS-directed therapy, and assessment measures for the neurocognitive screening of patients with cancer. She is a member of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, the International Neuropsychological Society oncology special interest group, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.
January 27, 2024, Filed Under: NewsHardy Represents Medical Community in Olympic Trials Duriel Hardy, MD, training in downtown Austin Congratulations to Duriel Hardy, MD, pediatric neuroimmunologist and assistant professor of neurology, for qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the marathon category. Dr. Hardy will attend his second Olympic Marathon Trial on February 3 in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Hardy began running at age 10 and was recruited to Brown University as a cross-country runner. “When I began medical school, I was told I wouldn’t have time to run, but I didn’t let that deter me,” he said. “Instead, I woke up early to run before class and clinical rotations. When I entered residency, I pushed myself to wake up even earlier and ended up qualifying for my first Olympic Marathon Trials. “Just as I’ve put a lot of miles into my running, I’ve also put a lot of time into my career,” he explained. “I’ve gained experience through my dedicated efforts and have learned so much from the people I’ve met along the way. Running taught me discipline and provided me with a more appreciative outlook on life, which has helped me become a better person and a better doctor.” We’re all cheering you on!
January 17, 2024, Filed Under: carousel, NewsFour Faculty Members Named Castle Connolly 2024 Top Doctors Jane Edmond, MD Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD Louisa Keith, MD E. Steve Roach, MD We are proud to announce that four of our pediatric neuroscience providers were named Castle Connolly Top Doctors: Jane Edmond, MD; Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD; Louisa Keith, MD; and E. Steve Roach, MD. Keith was also named a Castle Connolly Rising Star. Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians and are peer nominated through surveys sent out to tens of thousands of doctors. Those results are rigorously vetted by a research team of Castle Connolly physicians based on several factors.
January 16, 2024, Filed Under: NewsFreedman & Psychogenic Nonepileptic Events Clinic Featured in Dell Med News Dan Freedman, DO Dan Freedman, DO, assistant professor of neurology and director/co-developer of the Psychogenic Nonepileptic Events Clinic, was featured in a recent Dell Med news story. The clinic, housed within the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center, is the only clinic of its kind in Texas and one of a few in the country. Read how Freedman and the clinic team are improving communication surrounding the diagnosis and addressing the social stigma.
January 12, 2024, Filed Under: NewsNine Faculty Members Named Austin Monthly’s Top Pediatric Neuroscience Doctors of 2024 Each year Austin Monthly magazine solicits peer nominations from the Austin area, asking each doctor to nominate up to three physicians in their field whom they would trust with the medical care of their own family. The top-rated physicians are then verified to be in good standing with the appropriate medical boards. A physician or practice cannot pay to be on the list, which includes physicians from over 50 medical fields. We are pleased that nine physicians from UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s are featured in Austin Monthly’s most recent Top Doctors roster. We are honored that these nine are so highly regarded, although we think all our doctors are special. Dave Clarke, MDSpecial expertise: Pediatric epilepsy and evaluation for epilepsy surgery Daniel Freedman, DOSpecial expertise: Pediatric epilepsy and functional neurological disorders Louisa Keith, MDSpecial expertise: General neurology, NICU and cardiac follow-up Sara Pavitt, MDSpecial expertise: Diagnosis and treatment of headache in children E. Steve Roach, MDSpecial expertise: Genetic disorders, stroke in children Veda Vedanarayanan, MDSpecial expertise: Pediatric neuromuscular disorders Glendaliz Bosques, MDSpecial expertise: Pediatric physical medicine & rehabilitation Jane Edmond, MDSpecial expertise: Pediatric neuro-ophthalmology Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhDSpecial expertise: Pediatric neurosurgery
January 9, 2024, Filed Under: NewsJoin Us for the 1st Annual Innovative Minds: Pediatric Research in Epilepsy Surgery (IMPRES) Conference The Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center at UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s is proud to present its first annual IMPRES Conference in collaboration with Lurie Children’s Hospital and Corewell Health, February 16-18, 2024, at Hotel Van Zandt in downtown Austin, Texas. 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. Visit the event site for CME information, hotel information, and registration and the Dell Med event site for the full agenda. Register now for early bird rates! Student discounts available.
January 9, 2024, Filed Under: carouselEdmond Begins Term as President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Jane Edmond, MD Pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist Jane Edmond, MD, has begun her term as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Edmond is leveraging her role to address the increasing staffing and physician shortages and to advocate for expanding access to ophthalmologic care, in part by recruiting equity-driven residents to the field. “There’s so much passion and drive in the ophthalmology community, and we have lobbied hard for the safety of our patients these past several years,” says Edmond. “Together, I believe we can build upon this momentum and make an even greater push for serving our patients, educating our members, and inspiring future generations of ophthalmologists.” Edmond has practiced pediatric ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology for 33 years. She is the director of the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at Dell Medical School, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and a past president of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. She has served in many leadership roles within the AAO, including Trustee-at-Large from 2012 to 2017. Edmond will be advocating this April at the AAO’s Mid-Year Forum in Washington, DC for health care policy changes and the ophthalmology profession. Thank you for your service, Dr. Edmond!
January 3, 2024, Filed Under: NewsFreedman Appointed Vice Chair of American Epilepsy Society Committee Daniel Freedman, DO, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Psychogenic Nonepileptic Events Clinic, was named vice chair of the Guidelines and Assessment Committee for the American Epilepsy Society. He will serve a three-year term as vice chair and a three-year term as chair. Dr. Freedman joined our team in 2020 after completing his residency in pediatrics and child neurology and his fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His clinical interests include neurology education, epilepsy, difficult-to-treat seizures, and psychogenic nonepileptic events. He is passionate about advocacy for neurology and epilepsy patients. Congratulations, Dr. Freedman!
December 12, 2023, Filed Under: NewsClarke Receives Penry Award from the American Epilepsy Society Clarke at the AES awards ceremony Dave F. Clarke, MD, professor of neurology and pediatrics at Dell Medical School and holder of the Kozmetsky Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Epilepsy, received the J. Kiffin Penry Award for Excellence in Epilepsy Care by the American Epilepsy Society (AES) at its recent annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. Clarke leads the Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center in UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s. The J. Kiffin Penry Award is given each year by the AES to honor the late Dr. Penry’s lifelong commitment to improving the care of individuals with epilepsy, promoting epilepsy research, and encouraging scholarly and educational activities and mentorship. Penry was chief of the Clinical Epilepsy Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and later associate dean for research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He also began the still-running, highly regarded Penry Epilepsy MiniFellowship, an immersion program that, in the last four decades, has boosted epilepsy management skills for thousands of practitioners. Clarke emphasizes medical and surgical management of drug-resistant epilepsy. Additionally, he has long championed efforts to broadly improve epilepsy treatment and reduce disparities in epilepsy care regionally and internationally via outreach programs in Texas, Africa, and the Caribbean island countries. He is a member of the North American Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy, the Epilepsy Leadership Council Steering Committee, the International Affairs Committee of the Child Neurology Society, and the American Epilepsy Society Advocacy Task Force as well as secretary-treasurer of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers Board. In 2021, Clarke received the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award jointly from the International League Against Epilepsy and the International Bureau for Epilepsy in recognition of his outstanding contributions to furthering the cause of epilepsy internationally. “Dr. Penry was one of my own mentors,” noted E. Steve Roach, MD, chief of UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s, “and I can think of no one who better exemplifies Penry’s passion and commitment to improving epilepsy care than Dave Clarke. He is a truly exceptional individual.” The Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center is the only dedicated pediatric epilepsy center in Central Texas. Its expert staff and advanced technology support up-to-date patient- and family-focused medical, dietary, and surgical epilepsy treatments designed to provide the best possible outcomes for children and adolescents with epilepsy.
