Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Resident Research

group of people smiling at a theatre


Learning aspects of research is an important part of training. Residents starting in our program have varying levels of experience with research.  Regardless of prior experience, our program provides a directed approach in teaching residents about the basics of research, writing, and presentations so that upon graduation, each one has had the opportunity to explore the possibility of research as part of their future career.  Facilitated by lead faculty, residents connect with various research projects or are mentored in developing their own research idea.  Routine workshops are designed to allow residents to collaborate with other residents and faculty to further develop a project into a poster, presentation, or article.  Upon graduation, most residents have presented their work at a national meeting and/or published their work in a journal.

Child Neurology Society Meeting

Mikael Guzman

  • GATORopathy with a twist: A novel partial gene deletion in NPRL3 with variable expressivity
  • A novel pathogenic synonymous TRAPPC2L variant causing aberrant splicing and phenotypic expansion

Alex Sandweiss 

  • Infectious profiling reveals potential triggers of pediatric NMDAR encephalitis: a large case-control study

Karla Salazar  

  • Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis manifesting with auditory agnosia, a case report 

Jesse Levine

  • A de novo pathogenic CSF1R variant implicates microglial dysfunction in FIRES pathogenesis

Rima El Atrache 

  • Mucormycosis due to Rhizomucor pusillus triggering a stroke alert; a case report

Chrissie Massrey  

  • Panayiotopoulos When Autonomics and Neurology Collide: Lessons from a Patient with Panayiotopoulos Syndrome

Alyssa Runco

  • Acute immune-mediated sensory polyneuropathy with anti-ganglioside antibody pan-positivity in a pediatric patient
  • Health disparities encountered by two patients with developmental disabilities 

Jeff Kuerbitz  

  • Personalized treatment of behavioral symptoms with memantine in a child with a suspected gain of function variant in GRIN2A

Doug Wells

  • Bridging the Quality Care Gap in ASD Diagnosis and Management: The Role of Education, Training, and EMR Integration

Manasa Sudheendra

  • Neuroinflammatory Disease of the Neuroaxis and ROHHAD: Casting A Wide NET

American Academy of Neurology Meeting

Alex Sandweiss

  • Animal model of HSV-induced-NMDAR Autoimmune Encephalitis affects predominantly female mice (S22. 008)
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Pediatric NMDAR Encephalitis with Grossly Normal MRI Reveals Widespread Changes of Subcortical
  • Microstructure Compared to Healthy Controls 

Alyssa Domingue 

  • Acute psychosis as initial presentation for Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (P11-9.006)
  • Phenotypic Variability in Patients with Pathogenic Variants in ATP1A2 and ATP1A3 (S8. 003)

Mika Guzman 

  • Dual Genetic Diagnoses: Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy
  • Expediting Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnoses Through Education, Training, and EMR-integration of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2) Diagnostic Tool
  • An Unexpected Case of Monocular Vision Loss in a Pediatric Patient 

Jesse Levine

  • Trench Foot: Waging a War Against Pediatric Small Fiber Neuropathy

Chrissie Massrey

  • Adding Tools to Our Toolkit: How to Care for Children with Autism and Challenging Behaviors

Manasa Sudheendra 

  • Painful Hemidystonia-A Rare Presentation of Uremic Encephalopathy

Abhijit Das

  • Hemispheric Havoc: Migraine’s Asymmetry in Cerebral Blood Flow 

Karla Salazar

  • Treatment of Anti-GAD65 Autoimmune Encephalitis Presenting as NORSE with Intrathecal Dexamethasone 

European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis

Jon Yarimi

  • Bimodal Presentation of First Relapse in Paediatric MOGAD: A Single Center Retrospective Study

Jesse Levine 

  • Serum and CSF Biomarker Profiles of Paediatric Neuroinflammatory Disease
  • Serum Neurofilament Light Chain as a Clinical Predictor of Outcome in Paediatric MOGAD

  • Melendez‐Zaidi, A. E., Nascimento, F. A., Shukla, N. M., & Huisman, T. A. G. M. (2023). Tuberculoma development in tuberculosis immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an infant. Annals of Child Neurology Society, 1(3), 252–253. https://doi.org/10.1002/cns3.20030
  • Melendez-Zaidi AE, Pence KL, Coorg R. Early Subclinical Status Epilepticus May Contribute to Developmental Delays in Infants With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Pediatr Neurol. 2024;157:39-41. doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2024.05.010
    Melendez-Zaidi, A. E., & Pleitez, M. Y. (2023). Chapter 7: Neuromuscular Medicine. Neurology, 100(16_supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207205
  • Melendez-Zaidi, A. E., & Clark, G. (2023). Chapter 1: Child Neurology. Neurology, 100(16_supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207204
  • Ankar, A., Yarimi, J., Newell, M., Kannan, V., Davila-Williams, D., Shukla, N., & Risen, S. (2023). Pediatric FLAMES and Status Epilepticus: A Heated Combination (P12-9.012). Neurology, 100(17_supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000204279
  • Karlsson, M. G., Kannan, V., Yarimi, J., & Emrick, L. (2023). Dual Genetic Diagnoses: Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy (P9-9.008). Neurology, 100(17_supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000204321
  • Sandweiss, A., Yarimi, J., Levine, J., Kannan, V., Fisher, K., Desai, N., & Kralik, S. (2024). Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Pediatric NMDAR Encephalitis with Grossly Normal MRI Reveals Widespread Changes of Subcortical Microstructure Compared to Healthy Controls (S4.001). Neurology, 102(17_supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000208298
  • Fisher, K. S., Illner, A., & Kannan, V. (2024). Pediatric neuroinflammatory diseases in the intensive care unit. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 49, 101118–101118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2024.101118
  • Sandweiss, A. J., Kannan, V., Desai, N. K., Kralik, S. F., Muscal, E., & Fisher, K. S. (2023). Arterial Spin Labeling Changes Parallel Asymmetric Perisylvian and Perirolandic Symptoms in 3 Pediatric Cases of Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis. Neurology : Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200119
  • Prablek, M., Reyes, G., Kannan, V., Gay, C. T., Lotze, T. E., Donoho, D. A., & Bauer, D. F. (2024). Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of pediatric Hirayama disease. Child’s Nervous System, 40(5), 1427–1434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-024-06281-3
  • Kannan, V., Pareek, A. V., Das, A. R., Gay, C. T., & Riviello, J. J. (2023). “Fifth‐day fits” revisited: A literature review of benign idiopathic neonatal seizures and comparison with KCNQ2‐ and KCNQ3‐associated benign familial epilepsy syndromes. Annals of Child Neurology Society, 1(3), 202–208. https://doi.org/10.1002/cns3.20039
  • Sandweiss AJ, Erickson TA, Jiang Y, et al. Infectious profiles in pediatric anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis. J Neuroimmunol. 2023;381:578139. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578139
  • Sandweiss AJ, Kannan V, Desai NK, Kralik SF, Muscal E, Fisher KS. Arterial Spin Labeling Changes Parallel Asymmetric Perisylvian and Perirolandic Symptoms in 3 Pediatric Cases of Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2023;10(4):e200119. Published 2023 Apr 24. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000200119
  • Kannan V, Sandweiss AJ, Erickson TA, et al. Fulminant Anti-Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-Associated Cerebral Cortical Encephalitis: Case Series of a Severe Pediatric Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease Phenotype. Pediatr Neurol. 2023;147:36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2023.07.002
  • Walimbe AS, Machol K, Kralik SF, et al. Expanded clinical phenotype and untargeted metabolomics analysis in RARS2-related mitochondrial disorder: a case report. BMC Neurol. 2024;24(1):87. Published 2024 Mar 4. doi:10.1186/s12883-024-03571-w