Stanford Child Neurology Research
Meet the Research Team
Neuro-Oncology
Faculty in this section are pursuing research on a wide range of fronts in pediatric neuro-oncology. They are exploring the epidemiology, natural history, and disease patterns of brain tumors in childhood, as well as conducting multiple novel clinical trials for these neoplasms. Stanford is an active member of the National Cancer Institute-sponsored Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, as well as the Children’s Oncology Group and the Children’s Tumor Foundation Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Consortium. Investigators are pioneering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy via application of GD2 (GD2CART) for diffuse midline gliomas. There is also parallel, novel bench and translational research spanning both pediatric and adult brain tumors across Stanford University through the Program in Cancer Neuroscience. In the Monje lab, researchers are exploring roles for neural precursor cell function and dysfunction in the origins of childhood brain tumors, particularly gliomas, and the consequences of cancer treatment. Investigators in the program are also focused on understanding and treating the neurological deficits that result with neurofibromatosis as well as neurologic effects following radiation therapy or chemotherapy in children with cancer.
Epilepsy
Stanford pediatric epilepsy researchers are making groundbreaking discoveries to pinpoint molecular, network dynamics and genetic mechanisms contributing to epilepsy, as well as the devastating cognitive and behavior deficits common in children with epilepsy. We are identifying and testing novel drugs, genetic therapies, surgery and neuromodulation devices to treat epilepsy and its comorbid conditions all focused on improving the lives of children with epilepsy and their families.
There are currently 9 Pediatric Epilepsy Faculty at Stanford, all involved in epilepsy care and research. Our bench to bedside ethos is focused on improving the lives of patients with epilepsy. Please consider reaching out to specific faculty to discuss their laboratory research, epilepsy research studies and clinical trials, we are a collaborative group.
Neonatal and Developmental Medicine
The Division of Child Neurology collaborates closely with the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine in efforts to better understand the causes of brain injury in newborns and make advances towards potential interventions. In addition, our team is actively working to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying newborn brain injury using animal models. Dr. Barsh is a fetal neurologist interested in congenital malformations of the nervous system. She uses mouse models of neural tube defects to investigate the impact to the gut-brain axis and subsequent gastrointestinal dysfunction, a major source of morbidity in patients affected by neural tube defects. Dr. Reinitz is a child neurologist with a special interest in neonatal neurology who studies myelin generation in the developing newborn brain and uses mouse models of hypoxia to understand how injury impacts myelination.
Neurogenomics
Stanford is one of few West Coast institutions with a dedicated Neurogenomics Clinic run by a dual board-certified child neurologist and geneticist, as well as a dedicated genetic counselor and nurse practitioner. The Neurogenomics Clinic collaborates with local, national, and international groups to advance our understanding of rare neurogenetic disorders. Our research includes natural history studies to characterize poorly understood rare genetic conditions and development of biomarkers for use in future clinical trials. We have carried out studies in small numbers of patients to develop novel treatment approaches. We have a robust program at Stanford in translational science, including 3D neural organoid research into the pathophysiology of disorders and screening for treatments.
Stroke
The Stanford Pediatric Stroke and Neurocritical Care programs are internationally-recognized for their clinical and bench research efforts focused on optimizing the diagnosis, treatment, and management of infants and children with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Dr. Sarah Lee is a board-certified vascular neurologist and director of the pediatric stroke clinical research program. She leads several ongoing projects investigating advanced neuroimaging in acute ischemic stroke in children and collaborates on multiple multi-center funded pediatric stroke and neurocritical care-based studies to further our knowledge of brain injury in children. Dr. Elizabeth Mayne is a board-certified pediatric neurointensivist and leads a research laboratory investigating the causes of cognitive disability after pediatric and developing new therapies for learning impairment after childhood stroke. Her clinical research focuses on prevention and management of stroke in children with cardiac disease.
Neuroimmunology
Stanford has a distinguished history of groundbreaking research in neuroimmunology. Both pediatric and adult neuroimmunology teams at Stanford are actively engaged in collaborative clinical and translational studies. Current research encompasses basic science, translational applications, and clinical trials. The Pediatric Neuroimmunology Clinic utilizes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with pediatric rheumatology, child psychiatry, and other specialized services to provide optimal diagnostic, therapeutic, and psychosocial care, while simultaneously advancing research.
Leukodystrophy Clinic
The Leukodystrophy Clinic at Stanford is one of the largest clinics of its kind in the United States and has been designated a Center of Excellence by the Leukodystrophy Care Network. The clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and management of leukodystrophies in both children and adults. Stanford researchers conduct basic, translational, and clinical studies of leukodystrophies, with particular emphasis on peroxisomal disorders, including X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.
Neuromuscular
Stanford's dedicated clinical and basic science investigators are at the forefront of identifying the underlying causes and optimizing clinical care for both genetic and acquired neuromuscular disorders. This multidisciplinary team is actively engaged in disease-modifying therapy trials across a variety of conditions, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Pediatric Myasthenia Gravis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Myotonic Dystrophy, and congenital myopathies, notably as part of the Nemaline Natural History Study.
Eager to enhance the lives of neuromuscular patients, the team is investigating innovative treatment approaches, such as gene transfer therapy and exon skipping for DMD, combination therapies, novel antisense oligonucleotides, myostatin inhibitors, and catheter delivery of intrathecal medications for SMA. They are also exploring RNA-based therapeutics and oral small molecules for Myotonic Dystrophy and newer immunomodulatory treatments for Pediatric Myasthenia Gravis. These cutting-edge therapeutic strategies aim to improve outcomes not only for these specific disorders but also for a broader spectrum of pediatric neuromuscular conditions, including congenital myopathies, other muscular dystrophies, congenital myasthenic syndromes, familial neuropathies among others.
If you or someone you know is interested in taking part in a study, please contact our team at the links provided below.
For eligibility information, access the links below.
To learn more about our active research studies, please
visit https://med.stanford.edu/neurology/divisions/neuromuscular/clinicaltrials.html
To meet our dedicated team members and learn more about their roles, click on the links below: