December 16, 2022, Filed Under: NewsWelcome to Our Newest Faculty Members Rosalia Costello, PsyD Eman K. Rettig, PsyD Saher Suleman, MD M. Omar Iqbal, MD Rosalia Costello, PsyD, joins our Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center as an assistant professor of neurology at Dell Medical School. She specializes in the neuropsychological evaluation of children with epilepsy. Costello received both her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and her Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Adler University. She completed an internship in psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and a fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Costello’s research interests include cultural responsiveness and health disparities among children with neurological disorders. She serves on the board of directors of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society and is a member of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. Eman Rettig, PsyD, joins our program as an assistant professor of neurology at Dell Medical School and a pediatric neuropsychologist who specializes in pediatric rehabilitation and traumatic brain injury. Rettig comes to Austin from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she completed her fellowship in behavioral medicine and clinical psychology with a concentration in pediatric neuropsychology. Rettig earned her Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Psychology from Wright State University School of Professional Psychology and completed her pediatric neuropsychology internship at Dell Children’s Medical Center. She is a member of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the International Neuropsychological Society. Saher Suleman, MD, also joins our Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center as an assistant professor at Dell Medical School. A board-certified pediatric neurologist who specializes in pediatric epilepsy, she earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and completed her residency in general pediatrics at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She later completed fellowships in pediatric neurology and pediatric epilepsy at the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Dr. Suleman is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Child Neurology Society, and the American Epilepsy Society. M. Omar Iqbal, MD, is a board-eligible pediatric neurosurgeon who joins us an assistant professor at Dell Medical School. He earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, then completed a pediatric neurosurgery residency at Rutgers University, a fifth-year residency at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and a second fellowship in spine deformity at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia. Dr. Iqbal’s research interests include the growing pediatric spine and growth-modulating approaches that allow surgeons to avoid fusion in a pre-pubescent spine. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons.
November 18, 2022, Filed Under: NewsDr. Hardy Selected as a Top 10 Most Influential Doctor by Austin Black Business Journal Duriel Hardy, MD Duriel Hardy, MD, was selected by the Austin Black Business Journal as one of the top 10 Central Texas Most Influential Doctors of 2022. Dr. Hardy, a pediatric neuroimmunologist and an adult neurologist in UT Health Austin’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center, earned his medical degree from Duke University and his bachelor’s from Brown University. He completed his internship and residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric neurology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, followed by a fellowship in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology disorders at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Black Business Journal’s 2022 Most Influential Central Texas Black Doctors are honored for achieving professional excellence and paving the way for success for others. Dr. Hardy and the other honorees will be recognized at a dinner on November 19 at JW Marriott in downtown Austin. Congratulations, Dr. Hardy!
November 16, 2022, Filed Under: NewsDave Clarke Honored With Travis County Medical Society Physician Humanitarian Award Dave Clarke, MD Dave Clarke, MD, pediatric epileptologist and Chief of the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center, was presented with the Travis County Medical Society Physician Humanitarian Award in recognition of his continued work toward reducing deficits in epilepsy care by promoting inclusiveness and collaboration between centers in Texas and several Caribbean island countries. Dr. Clarke is a professor in both the Department of Neurology and Department of Pediatrics. He is a fellow of the American Epilepsy Society, an elected member of the North American Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy, and a past president of the Epilepsy Society of the Caribbean. He has received several awards over the years, including the On-Time Doctor Award, Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors, Top 10 Doctor—State, Patients’ Choice Award, Patients’ Choice 5th Anniversary Award, Compassionate Doctor Award, and Newcomers Award by the NAACP. Dr. Clarke will be honored with other physician award recipients at a dinner at The Oasis in Austin on November 17.
November 7, 2022, Filed Under: NewsBrumback Invited to Co-Chair Brain Research Summit Session Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD, pediatric neurologist and assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School, has been invited to co-chair a session on neurodevelopmental disease at The University of Texas Systemwide Brain Research Summit on November 8, 2022. The summit brings together national leaders, researchers from across UT’s 13 institutions, and key partners for collaborative discussions around advancing brain research in Texas. Keynote speakers include Walter Koroshetz, MD, Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and Joshua Gordon, MD, PhD, Director of the National Institute on Mental Health. Brumback’s session, co-chaired with Jenny Hsieh, PhD, of UT San Antonio, will focus on autism and its relationship to mental illness.
November 3, 2022, Filed Under: NewsDr. Sara Pavitt Launches Headache Lectureship Series Dell Children’s Pediatric Headache Center chief Sara Pavitt, MD, and Irene Patniyot, MD, of Texas Children’s Hospital have created the International Pediatric Headache Didactic Series, a recurring virtual series featuring lectures delivered by headache faculty from around the world on relevant topics for anyone wanting to learn more about headache medicine. Lectures are held every other Friday from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. CT throughout the 2022-2023 academic year and are co-moderated by Pavitt and Patniyot. Sign up for the series here or scan the QR code.
October 21, 2022, Filed Under: NewsWelcome, Dr. Arredondo and Dr. Mahomed Kristen Arredondo, MD Faheem Mahomed, MD Our pediatric neurosciences team expanded this fall with the addition of two faculty members. Kristen Arredondo, MD, joins our Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center as an assistant professor of neurology at Dell Medical School. Arredondo earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. After her preliminary training in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital, Arredondo completed a pediatric neurology residency and a clinical neurophysiology fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Prior to joining our program, Arredondo was on the faculty of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Arredondo is certified in neurology with special qualifications in child neurology as well as in clinical neurophysiology. She oversees the medical, dietary, and surgical treatment of epilepsy in children and has interests in medically refractory epilepsy patients, neurostimulation, and individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex. Arredondo’s research interests include thalamic EEG findings and practice trends in epilepsy presurgical evaluation and surgical management. Faheem Mahomed, MD, joined our pediatric rehab team in September. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine in 2016, Mahomed completed his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. During his residency, he received the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s resident medical school teaching award. Most recently, Mahomed completed a two-year pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at the University of California Davis Health Center and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Mahomed is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His academic interests include management of neuropathic pain in children and facilitation of adaptive sports participation. Welcome, Dr. Arredondo and Dr. Mahomed!
October 21, 2022, Filed Under: NewsSara Pavitt Honored With Resident Teaching Award Sara Pavitt, MD, Chief of Dell Children’s Pediatric Headache Center and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, was recently honored with the Dell Children’s 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award. Pavitt was nominated by the Dell Medical School pediatric and adult neurology residents for supporting trainees in attaining the knowledge and skills they need to become excellent clinicians. “Dr. Pavitt is keenly aware of the residents’ individual learning needs and provides one-on- one feedback while remaining receptive to suggestions,” said child neurology resident Emily Ramirez, DO, PGY-5. “She clearly prioritizes resident and student teaching, both on the wards and in the clinic.” Congratulations, Dr. Pavitt!
October 10, 2022, Filed Under: NewsThe Neurotransmitter, Issue 3 Check out our September issue of The Neurotransmitter to discover the latest news in the Pediatric Neurosciences Program. The-Neurotransmitter-UT-Health-Austin-Pediatric-Neurosciences-Newsletter-Issue-3-4Download
October 4, 2022, Filed Under: NewsChild Neurology Faculty Members Receive Clinical Learning Environment Awards Dave Clarke, MD Louisa Keith, MD Sara Pavitt, MD Congratulations to child neurologists Dave Clarke, MD, Louisa Keith, MD, and Sara Pavitt, MD, who were among the 2022 recipients of Dell Medical School’s Clinical Learning Environment Awards. These awards are based on student clerkship evaluations recognizing the creation of a positive learning environment and service as an effective role model for empathy and compassion. Former Dell Med pediatric neurology faculty member Collin Swafford, MD, was also a recipient of this award.From among the 500 teachers evaluated by clerkship students last year, 22 received this award based on perfect or near-perfect evaluation scores. Child neurologists accounted for 18% of the awardees.Clarke, Keith, and Pavitt were honored at the Dell Med Educational Innovation, Research & Awards Symposium on October 3, 2022.
October 1, 2022, Filed Under: NewsChild Neurology Resident Develops Automated Lesion Analysis Algorithm Khushboo Verma, MBBS For many years, the study of focal brain lesions has played an important role in our effort to localize specific neurological functions to precise anatomic brain regions. Because of the acute onset and distinct anatomical localization of ischemic brain infarction, functional correlation studies have relied heavily on individuals with stroke. Although manual lesion analysis is the gold standard for such analyses, this approach is labor intensive and subject to bias, and it tends to limit the sample size. Working with Dell Medical School Department of Neurology Chair David Paydarfar, MD, and Satwant Kumar, MBBS, PhD, of The University of Texas Center for Perceptual Systems, pediatric neurology resident Khushboo Verma, MBBS, developed an automated image algorithm to facilitate the characterization of chronic ischemic strokes on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Verma used 655 manually defined T1- weighted stroke images from the open-source dataset ATLAS (Anatomical Tracings of Lesions After Stroke) to refine the algorithm. She demonstrated a robust similarity coefficient between the manual and the automated volume calculations. This automated segmentation model, trained on a large multicentric dataset, may enable accurate automated on-demand processing of MRI scans and quantitative chronic stroke lesion assessment.