As a pediatric neurologist, I care for children and young adults with neurologically based sleep conditions including narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) and sleep-related epilepsy. Through my work with collaborative clinics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, I also see patients with special needs and sleep concerns, as well as circadian sleep disorders.
I work with a group of neurologists, pulmonologists, otolaryngologists, psychologists and basic scientists. This team approach allows the Cincinnati Children’s sleep program to develop new clinical care models and collaborate when caring for the most complex sleep disorders.
My research focuses on understanding the causes of sleep-related movement disorders in children, such as RLS, and identifying the best way to treat them. We study the role certain therapies for epilepsy may play in sleep. We’re also working to bridge the divide between circadian research and the clinical treatment of circadian sleep disorders.
I am honored to be a recipient of the Wayne Hening Young Investigator Award from the International RLS Study Group for my RLS research.