UPMC Children's Hospital 2024 Year in Review

Year in Review: 2024

A Note from Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery Leadership

The Division of Child Neurology and the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UPMC Children’s are proud to reflect on the research and clinical milestones our faculty and staff achieved throughout 2024.

As our divisions continue to grow and address evolving challenges in patient care and research, we remain committed to advancing the fields of child neurology and pediatric neurosurgery. We are excited to share our ongoing contributions and look forward to collaborating with colleagues nationwide to drive progress and innovation.

We invite you to connect with our team or reach out to any of the highlighted faculty members below to learn more about their work or discuss opportunities for collaboration. You can also explore our academic programs in Pediatric Neurosurgery and Child Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Image of Dr. Bergman.

Ira Bergman, MD, PhD

Chief, Division of Child Neurology and Child Development
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Professor of Pediatrics, Neurology and Immunology
Ronald L. and Patricia M. Violi Endowed Chair in Child Development
University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Abel

Taylor Abel, MD

Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Chief, Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery
Surgical Director, Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is Nationally Ranked in all 11 Specialties by U.S. News & World Report

As a leader in treating and caring for childhood conditions and diseases, pioneering new therapies, and educating the next generation of pediatric specialists, UPMC Children’s was recognized for excellence in all 11 pediatric specialties.

Published Research and New Research Grants

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: A pediatric-focused review. Published in Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, child neurologist Elissa Ortolani, MD, was a coauthor.

Neurosurgery division researchers, Baoli Hu, PhD, was awarded a National Institutes of Health R01 grant that will support his continuing studies of medulloblastoma. Dr. Hu’s latest R01, “Role of SMARCD3/BAF60C in Medulloblastoma,” is investigating the role of SMARCD3/BAF60C in how the brain develops and its role in tumor development, growth, and metastasis. The goal of the research is to determine the functional mechanisms of how SMARCD3 may drive medulloblastoma development and if it can be targeted for novel therapeutic development.

Sameer Agnihotri, PhD, and Jeremy Rich, MD, MHS, MBA, coauthored a study in Cell Metabolism on “Metabolic Regulation of the Glioblastoma Stem Cell Epitranscriptome by Malate Dehydrogenase 2.” In this study they team found that, “…stem-like tumor cells preferentially activate the malate- aspartate shuttle (MAS), which represses levels of a-ketoglutarate, a metabolite co- factor for the mRNA demethylase ALKBH5, to reprogram the epitranscriptome and maintain tumor stemness. Targeting this tumor- associated metabolic pathway through malate dehydrogenase 2 sensitizes highly resistant cancer cells to targeted therapeutics. Collectively, tumors reprogram their metabolic states to promote RNA diversity and maintenance of cancer stem cells, providing therapeutic vulnerabilities.”

UPMC Children’s/University of Pittsburgh Study Finds Potential New Therapeutic Target for Diffuse Midline Glioma. The study, titled “An ERK5-PFKFB3 Axis Regulates Glycolysis and Represents a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Pediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma,” was published in Cell Reports in January 2024. Sameer Agnihotri, PhD, associate professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh, who directs the Brain Tumor Biology and Therapy Lab at UPMC Children’s was the study’s senior and corresponding author.

New Brain Cell Atlas Offers Precision Medicine Framework For Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment. A multidisciplinary group of investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix created an interactive molecular atlas of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, in mice, which may help doctors use precision medicine to target treatments for TBI patients in the future. This research was published in Neuron.

Laura Kirkpatrick, MD, Receives Children's Trust Grantmakers Award for Epilepsy Research. Dr. Kirkpatrick, who is the director of the Epilepsy Transition Clinic and associate director of Child Neurology Clinical Research was one of three individuals to receive a 2024 Children's Trust Grantmakers award to further her epilepsy research.

Immunotherapy for Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas. Review published in Child’s Nervous System with contributors from Pediatric Neurosurgery and Hematology/Oncology, including Ian Pollack MD, PhD; Gary Kohanbash, PhD.

Multidisciplinary Team Publishes Case Report on Pediatric Paraspinal Desmoid Tumor. A multidisciplinary team from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery, the Department of Pathology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UPMC Children’s published a case report in the Asian Journal of Neurosurgery on a case of a 9-year-old patient with a paraspinal desmoid tumor with no prior surgical history.

Pollack Awarded V Foundation Grant. Ian F. Pollack, MD, A. Leland Albright Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and noted pediatric brain tumor researcher, has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research for his project “Metabolic Strategies to Improve Outcome for DIPGs.” The award is funded in partnership with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Connor’s Cure initiative, a longstanding supporter of various innovative brain tumor projects in the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Brain Tumor Research Program.

UPMC Children’s Brain Cancer Researcher Receives RK Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research Award for Developing New Therapy to Treat Medulloblastoma. Baoli Hu, PhD, associate professor of Neurological Surgery at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was awarded a 2024 Richard King Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research Award to support his research on pediatric brain cancer.

Pandey Lab at UPMC Children’s Receives NIH R01 Grant to Further Studies of GEMIN5-driven Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Congratulations to the Pandey Laboratory and the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Child Neurology for receiving a National Institutes of Health R01 grant to further their ground-breaking studies of a genetically-driven rare neurological disorder caused by mutations of the GEMIN5 protein that the team was the first to discover several years ago.

Shaun Carlson, PhD, receives Department of Defense and Chuck Noll Foundation Funding for Testing Noninvasive Imaging After Traumatic Brain Injury. Drs. Carlson and Yijen Wu, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, received a Department of Defense grant, Mitochondrial Inflammation Synaptic Systems Imaging of Neuroinjury (MISSION) to examine noninvasive imaging modalities after repetitive mild TBI. Drs. Carlson and Wu also received funding from the Chuck Noll Foundation to implement novel MRI outcomes to examine the role of inter-injury intervals after mild repetitive TBI.

Other Published Faculty Research:
- Hemispheric functional organization, as revealed by naturalistic neuroimaging, in pediatric epilepsy patients with cortical resections. Robert S, Granovetter MC, Patterson C, Behrmann M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Jul 9;121(28):e2317458121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2317458121. Epub 2024 Jul 1.
- Neuromodulation strategies in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.Samanta D, Haneef Z, Albert GW, Naik S, Reeders PC, Jain P, Abel TJ, Al-Ramadhani R, Ibrahim GM, Warren AEL. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 Oct 10;160:110067.
- The changing landscape of palliative epilepsy surgery for Lennox Gastaut Syndrome. Al-Ramadhani R, Hect JL, Abel TJ. Front Neurol. 2024 Mar 7;15:1380423.
- Preferences and experiences of parents/guardians of youth with epilepsy and intellectual disability on reproductive health counseling. Vasudevan G, Filipink R, Gaesser J, Kazmerski TM, Sogawa Y, Kirkpatrick L. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 Mar;152:109658.
- Genetic evidence for splicing-dependent structural and functional plasticity in CASK protein. Patel PA, LaConte LEW, Liang C, Cecere T, Rajan D, Srivastava S, Mukherjee K. J Med Genet. 2024 Jul 19;61(8):759-768.
- Prescription patterns relevant to young people with epilepsy of childbearing potential. Harrison EI, Kazmerski TM, Hochheiser HS, Sogawa Y, Kirkpatrick LA. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 Sep 28;161:110036.

Faculty News

Marlene Behrmann, PhD, Featured in Pitt Med Magazine Profile. Marlene Behrmann, PhD, researches the psychological and neural bases of visual processing, specifically on the mechanisms by which the signals from the eye are transformed into meaningful percepts by the visual cortex. She adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining computational, neuropsychological, and functional brain imaging studies with normal and brain-damaged individuals and is interested in expanding her focus on the clinical and translational aspects of studying atypical visual perception.

Shaun Carlson, PhD, received the Allen Humphrey Excellence in Mentoring Award. Shaun Carlson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine received the Allen Humphrey Excellence in Mentoring Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Taylor Abel, MD, Named Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Taylor Abel, MD, associate professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and chief of pediatric epilepsy surgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, has been announced as the next chief of pediatric neurosurgery at UPMC Children’s effective February 1, 2024, succeeding long-time pediatric neurosurgery chief Ian Pollack, MD.

Malleous Team Wins Pitt Idea Competition. A startup team featuring neurosurgeon Michael McDowell, MD; neurosurgery chief resident Ricardo Fernández-de Thomas, MD; medical student Adi Mittal; and Pitt undergrad students Benjamin Leslie, Rohita Mantena and Amna Imran, captured the grand prize at the 2024 University of Pittsburgh Big Idea Competition for their product, the Malleous, a novel surgical instrument designed to help reduce surgical time.

Abel Wins Pitt Philip Troen Award. University of Pittsburgh associate professor Taylor Abel, MD, chief of pediatric neurosurgery and surgical director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, has been awarded the Philip Troen Excellence in Medical Student Research Mentoring Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Clinical Programs – New and Noteworthy Accomplishments

Advancements in Gene Therapy: Treating DMD and SMA at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pediatric neuromuscular conditions, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), have historically posed significant challenges in treatment and management, often leading to progressive disability, decreased quality of life, and far too frequently death for affected children. At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Neuromuscular Program and MDA Clinic are designed to address these challenges through comprehensive care and cutting-edge research.

Complex Care Case at UPMC Children's

Read about a recent case of a patient with a rare genetic disorder - 7q11.23 duplication syndrome - cared for by the Complex Care Center at UPMC Children's.

Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Taylor Abel, MD, William Welch, MD, and Ruba Al-Ramadhani, MD, discuss the pediatric epilepsy surgery program at UPMC Children’s in this video.

The Children's Center For Neurogenomics, Now Part of the Department of Pediatrics

The UPMC Children’s Center for NeuroGenomics (CCNG) is committed to helping children and families with rare genetic neurodegenerative disorders through evaluation, education, and intervention. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for children with these disorders and to help them achieve their full potential.

U.S. News & World Report Webinar on Pediatric Epilepsy Features Taylor Abel, MD

The webinar, held on May 17, 2024, featured a panel of four pediatric epilepsy experts, including Dr. Abel, discussing the current landscape of treatment options and other important considerations for pediatric epilepsy patients. The webinar is currently archived and available to watch on the U.S. News website.

Conferences, Symposia, and Annual Meetings – Sharing Knowledge with the Field

CME Course: Challenges and Considerations of Pediatric Endonasal Surgery. Featuring Michael McDowell, MD.

CME Course: Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery. Featuring Taylor Abel, MD.

UPMC Children's at the 2024 Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference + Family Reunion. UPMC Children's and University of Pittsburgh faculty spoke at this year's conference.

Presentations at 2024 CNS Houston. Department faculty and residents participated in a number of lectures, presentations and symposiums at the 2024 CNS Annual Meeting.

Presentations at 2024 AANS Chicago. Department faculty and residents participated in a wide variety of presentations at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting.

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Year in Review: 2024

A Note from Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery Leadership

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is Nationally Ranked in all 11 Specialties by U.S. News & World Report

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