Dinorah Zanger, PhD
New center provides hope for CACNA1A patients
With smiles and laughter, six patients, their families, and more than a dozen providers gathered for the ribbon cutting of the Multidisciplinary Center for CACNA1A-Related Disorders. “This is a deeply moving milestone,” said Dennis Lal, PhD, the founding director of the…
Conference Season, Spring 2025
First and second quarters 2025 have seen a multitude of conferences in a variety of locations. Everyone’s presentations and posters are noteworthy, so this post represents a small glimpse into the great work the Department is carrying across the country…
Upcoming Events, May 2025
For happenings beyond May, visit the Events page in SharePoint and extend the “To” date. CLI’s STEM-tastic Celebration Join the Children’s Learning Institute for a day of exploration and discovery on Saturday, May 10, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at…
DoP Honors, May 2025
Hope Northrup, MD, and Amir Khan, MD, were 2 of 6 faculty inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society at a ceremony on March 17. Thao L. Nguyen, DO, FAAP, and Haitham Al-Wahab, MD, FAAP, were both nominated…
Spring Event Recap
Scientific Retreat The 2025 Pediatric Research Center (PRC)/Center for Craniofacial Research (CCR) Scientific Retreat was April 22 at the Cooley Center. 91 attendees enjoyed informative keynotes and a variety of presentations. Congratulations to this year’s presentation awardees (pictured above, right):…
Presentations & Publications as of May 2025
Congratulations to all who have presented research posters recently! Those snapshots are all featured in the Conference Season post. Presentations Joan Hernandez, MPH, was featured in a leadership panel for the UTHealth Houston Emerging Leaders Institute. Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD: Invited…
In the Media, May 2025
Michelle Ruda, MD, Associate Professor and Director, Child Safety and Integrated Care Division, talked to Parents about what to teach children to avoid dangers. The story was picked up by Yahoo! Life. Kimberly Ellison, PhD, Assistant Professor, Children’s Learning Institute,…
Department of Pediatrics Team Updates: May 2025
In Memoriam The Department of Pediatrics laments the loss of Paul H. Dahm, MD, MS, who passed away April 14, 2025, after a battle with cancer. DoP Spotlight The McGovern Medical School Office of Communications recently featured…
A Noble Journey: Grateful Patient Gives Back to Help Others with Rare Diseases
Rylee Noble often watched other kids do cartwheels on the playground, wondering why she couldn’t do the same. She didn’t know that the joint stiffness and muscle aches she felt weren’t normal. “When you don’t know anything else, you don’t…