Research

Vivian Cheung, M.D.

Dr. Cheung's Michigan Research Experts profile

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In the Cheung lab, we combine computational and experimental methods to study normal variation in human traits and genetics of complex diseases. We assess the extent of individual differences in cellular phenotypes such as gene expression and organelle function. Then, we treat the variable phenotypes as quantitative traits to map and characterize molecularly their regulators. We are particularly interested in regulators that affect transcription and RNA processing. Our studies focus on normal human cells at baseline homeostatic states; however, we are also interested in cellular responses to stress including DNA damage, protein load and metabolic perturbations. By studying regulation in normal cells, we gain insights into how dysregulations lead to diseases. While our interest is in human biology, recently, we have taken advantage of yeast genetics to complement our studies.

Louis Dang, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Dang's Michigan Research Experts profile

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Dr. Dang studies genetic mechanisms of epilepsy in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Parent. He is interested in how variants in sodium channel genes cause epilepsy and is developing novel therapies for these diseases. He also studies how variants in genes in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway result in cortical malformations and epilepsy. Dr. Dang employs human induced pluripotent stem cells derived into two-dimensional and three-dimensional neural cultures to model genetic epilepsies.  Dr. Dang is the recipient of the 2019 Young Investigator Award from the Child Neurology Society.

Erin Fedak Romanowksi, D.O. 

Dr. Fedak-Romanowski's Michigan Research Experts profile

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Dr. Fedak-Romanowski is a pediatric epileptologist with an interest in global health.  She is working on global health program development in collaboration with other faculty in the Department of Pediatrics.

Rachel Gottlieb-Smith, M.D.

Dr. Gottlieb-Smith's Michigan Research Experts profile

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Dr. Gottlieb-Smith’s research interests are in medical education.  Through qualitative research, she explores how medical students decide on a career path, particularly with respect to neurology.

Gita Gupta, M.D.

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Dr. Gupta’s research involves studying the sleep of young children, with a specific focus on children with early life epilepsies. She is a research fellow supported by a T32 grant.

Timothy Hoban, M.D.

Dr. Hoban's Michigan Experts Research Profile

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Dr. Hoban is a pediatric neurologist, sleep specialist, and epileptologist whose research interests focus primarily on identifying the causes of sleep disorders in children, and on improving their treatment.

Steven Leber, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Leber's Michigan Experts Research profile

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Dr. Leber is interested the best clinical management of children with conversion disorders, in the application of the internet in medicine, and in pediatric headache, including evaluation of referral patterns from primary physicians and in headache treatment.

Ava Lin, M.D.

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Dr. Ava Lin aims to bring next generation treatment and care for pediatric neuromuscular diseases to our patients with special interest in inherited neuropathies. She is interested in translational research (brining basic science information to the bedside), clinical trials for neuromuscular diseases, natural history studies, outcome measures for clinical trial readiness.

Kerri Neville, M.D.

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Dr. Neville is a pediatric epileptologist with a research interest in quality improvement.  She has assessed the use of standardized seizure action plans in clinic to improve parent education and is now working on a project to improve safe sleep practices for infants on video EEG monitoring. She also has an interest in improving work flow for pediatric stroke patients.

Patricia Robertson, M.D.

Dr. Robertson's Michigan Experts Research profile

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Dr. Robertson's research interests focus on development of more effective therapies for pediatric brain tumors. Related research focuses on refining clinical methods for the evaluation of response to treatment, for the assessment of outcomes, and for analyzing late effects of therapy on children with these tumors.

Faye Silverstein, M.D.

Dr. Silverstein's Michigan Experts Research profile

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Dr. Silverstein’s laboratory research focuses on neonatal brain injury and neuroprotection.  She is interested in the delineation of mechanisms of neurodegeneration, and the development of novel neuroprotection strategies, using neonatal rodent brain injury models.  Her clinical research focuses on neurocritical care.  She served as the lead neurology Co-Investigator for the pediatric intensivist led multi-center clinical trial to evaluate Therapeutic Hypothermia after Resuscitation from Pediatric Cardiac Arrest.  She is currently collaborating in the development of a new major clinical trial to identify the optimal temperature management intervention in pediatric cardiac arrest survivors.

Garnett Smith, M.D.

Dr. Smith's Michigan Experts Research profile

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Dr. Smith applies quantitative methods, machine learning algorithms, and data driven analysis to the study of EEG signal with the goals of improving the way that human EEG is described and analyzed and improving the clinical utility of quantitatively derived biomarkers. He works in the lab of Dr. Bill Stacey.

Julie Ziobro, M.D.

Dr. Ziobro's Michigan Experts Research profile

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Dr. Ziobro’s research involves studying basic mechanisms and novel-therapeutic targets of genetic epilepsies utilizing rodent and stem cell cultures. She is working in the lab of Dr. Jack Parent and funded by the Department of Pediatrics Child Health Research K12 award.