Child Neurology Research

Message from the Chief

Research is unusually robust in our division of child neurology, which significantly contributes to and benefits from the renowned collaborativeenvironment of Weill Cornell Medicine. In fact, we are an essential part of the research enterprise of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which includes the historic New York Hospital, in addition to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, Burke Neurological Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, Rockefeller University, and Cornell University in Ithaca. We are among the leading research child neurology teams in the United States and among the - if not the - leading divisions of child neurology in New York in terms of per-capita research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Taking epilepsy as the best example, we have faculty and trainees conducting research at 3 accredited epilepsy monitoring units, with clinical trials taking place in all of them. In some, we develop the targeting of gene therapies to be directly administered to the brain, we treat epilepsy using noninvasive focused ultrasound centered on very small brain regions, and we follow through with quantitative rehabilitation and outcomes research so that we can promote a rapid and successful reinsertion of the child into a normal life, a life which, unfortunately too often, many did not get to experience before coming in contact with us. For us, research begins with accelerating pre-linguistic development in the premature newborn and ends with comprehending and anticipating how old age diseases start in childhood.

About one half of our research is brain function and disease-mechanism focused. This spans from studying molecular interactions to brain network phenomena. About the other half of what we do is based on an individual-centered model, whether treating a single person with an unusual disease by developing an entirely new treatment or conducting a large international study to comprehend disease and lifestyle aspects that become apparent only after the analysis of very large data sets. To support this work, we do have a significant research personnel infrastructure, including a superior capacity for model organism generation and characterization, therapeutic development and large data set analysis.

More important, however, is our habit to work as a team to discern which questions are worth pursuing from those which are mere scientific curiosities. One factor that differentiates one type of question from the other is the ability to improve either mankind or a single person in a tangible way. Once the correct question is properly formulated, we spare no resource or effort available in our vast scientific environment. Every aspect of research is conducted by or involves trainees. Our youngest has been 16 years of age and our most senior have been international visiting faculty interested in learning a specific research technique.

We also provide an outstanding scientific formative environment for physician scientists embarking in a research career and offer them significant mentorship and resources to ensure their success. In addition, we strive to influence, at the national level, the development of these careers to their fullest degree and their proper valuation by society.