My areas of clinical practice include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental-behavioral conditions associated with complex congenital heart disease (CHD).
During my residency, I enjoyed working with patients in my primary care clinic who had learning difficulties and ADHD. After residency, I decided to pursue a fellowship in research and public health through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. I chose a project that looked at adolescents' perceptions of having ADHD growing up.
Caring for this population excited me, so I decided to do a developmental and behavioral pediatrics fellowship. During my fellowship, and when I started my work at Cincinnati Children's, I had the opportunity to work more with children with ASD. I found that diagnosing children and supporting them and their families long-term throughout childhood and adolescence was extremely rewarding. I love seeing children make progress and learn new skills.
On the research side, I’m interested in quality improvement (QI) projects that improve the quality of life (QoL), developmental outcomes, health and well-being of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. This work includes improving developmental outcomes for children with CHD at risk for developmental delays. I also study shared decision-making (SDM). My goal is to optimize the treatment of behavioral conditions by better aligning medications and therapies to best fit family preferences, values and priorities.
My research interests are informed by the practical, everyday challenges I see in my clinical practice. This work aims to identify and manage behavioral conditions in children and support and inform families about treatment options to choose the best fit. I strive to improve care practices to optimize the developmental outcomes for children with ASD and other behavioral conditions. I want patients to consistently receive the highest standard of care to reach their full potential.
I was listed in Cincinnati Magazine's "Top Doctors" (2019, 2020). I am an associate editor for the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. I also received the Morris Y. Krosnick, MD Award from Yale University Department of Pediatrics — awarded to the senior resident who most exemplifies a caring, compassionate and dedicated pediatrician.
In addition, I serve as an improvement advisor for two learning health networks: Autism Learning Health Network (supported by Autism Speaks) and the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC QIC). In these organizations, I lead a developmental screening initiative to improve the identification of developmental delays and referrals to early intervention services. I’m certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics (2004) and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (2011).
BS : Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 1996.
MD: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 2001.
Residency: Pediatrics, Yale New-Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, 2004.
Fellowship: Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2006; Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 2008.
Certification: General Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics, 2004; Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics, 2011.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD); attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); developmental outcomes in children with congenital heart disease (CHD); medication management of ADHD in children with CHD.
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, Autism
Interventions to improve care and outcomes for children with ASD, including Shared Decision Making; developmental outcomes in children with CHD; use and safety of stimulant medication to treat ADHD in children with CHD.
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
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Evidence-Based Interventions in Autism. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2024; 71:199-221.
Altered white matter connectivity in children with congenital heart disease with single ventricle physiology. Scientific Reports. 2023; 13:1318.
Stimulant Medication Treatment in Children with Congenital Heart Disease and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Cardiovascular Outcomes. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 2023; 44:e247-e254.
Co-occurring medical and behavioural conditions in children with Down syndrome with or without ADHD symptom presentation. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2022; 66:282-296.
Characterisation of neurodevelopmental and psychological outcomes in CHD: a research agenda and recommendations from the cardiac neurodevelopmental outcome collaborative. Cardiology in the Young. 2021; 31:876-887.
Long-Term Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes After Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Report. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2021; 113:481-495.
Pattern of head circumference growth following bidirectional Glenn in infants with single ventricle heart disease. Cardiology in the Young. 2021; 31:609-616.
Is Developmental Screening Enough in High-Risk Populations?. Pediatrics. 2021; 147.
The Fontan outcomes network: first steps towards building a lifespan registry for individuals with Fontan circulation in the United States. Cardiology in the Young. 2020; 30:1070-1075.
Improving Behavior Challenges and Quality of Life in the Autism Learning Health Network. Pediatrics. 2020; 145:S20-S29.
2/19/2019
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