2018 Spring-Summer Connections

Spring/Summer 2018 | Volume 26, No. 2 Bringing CNS Members Together to Make Children’s Lives Better Forty-Seventh CNS ANNUAL MEETING October 15-18, 2018 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS “See you in Chicago” PRESIDENT-ELECT COUNCILLOR FOR THE SOUTH COUNCILLOR FOR THE WEST Warren Lo, MD Phillip L. Pearl, MD Lori C. Jordan, MD, Rana Said, MD Joshua L. Bonkowsky, Mark Wainwright, PhD MD, PhD, FAAP MD, PhD Don’t Forget to Vote! CHILD NEUROLOGY SOCIETY From the President Exciting Times....for Better or Worse s we approach the beginning of July and I also wanted to take this opportunity to address the a new year for those of you in academic recent statement issued by the Child Neurology Society A settings, it is a time to reflect on the future regarding the forced separation of children from their of our profession. We have had another successful parents at our southern border. (Statement printed on match with bright and energetic recent graduates page 4). The CNS rarely issues statements of this kind. from medical school about to enter residency However, it was our view that as the leading voice for training in Child Neurology (see 2018 Match Update, the field of Child Neurology in the United States, we page 8). At the same time, we say congratulations had something pertinent to contribute on this time- to newly minted graduates who are on their way sensitive matter, alerting policymakers to the impact to ABPN certification in Neurology with Special of adverse childhood experiences on brain structure Qualifications in Child Neurology and, in some cases, and function. It is within the mission of the CNS to Jonathan Mink, MD, PhD Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Others are finishing advocate for Child Neurologists as professionals and for President, CNS subspecialty fellowship training. Many are about to our patients. We did not express a specific position on start their first job after training. Never has there immigration policy, on border protection, or on how been a more exciting time to enter Child Neurology. the United States handles asylum requests. That is not The knowledge and opportunities to apply that our expertise. But, we did think it was important to knowledge are expanding rapidly. The two-way contribute the developmental neurology perspective, In view of both the translation between research and practice is more joining with the American Psychological Association, vibrant than ever with patient-based therapy the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American excitement and development and laboratory discoveries informing Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and challenges that patient care. This was especially evident in the other similar professional organizations in issuing a submitted proposals for symposia at the upcoming accompany the statement on this matter affecting children. Annual Meeting and in the abstract submissions, emergence of new which came in at a record number this year. Any public statement of advocacy by a professional disease modifying organization that purports to present an expert In view of both the excitement and challenges viewpoint reflecting the broad consensus of its treatments for that accompany the emergence of new disease members in a rapidly shifting civic conversation must, neurological modifying treatments for neurological disorders in of necessity, rely upon a governing board elected children, the Presidential Symposium this year will be by its members to represent them in this and other disorders in children, “Child Neurology at the Forefront of Treatable Rare such matters of public interest. I was fortunate to the Presidential Diseases.” Erika Augustine, MD, Chair of the Scientific be able to submit this statement for vetting to the Program Committee, and I have worked together Symposium this collective wisdom of a board that includes Ken Mack, to assemble an outstanding group of speakers to Bruce Cohen, Peter Kang, Mary Zupanc, Don Gilbert year will be address matters from diagnostic challenges to public and Mike Shevell. We are all fortunate to have the “Child Neurology policy and ethics in relation to rare disease treatment. opportunity to elect three new officers to represent Confirmed speakers include William A. Gahl, MD us on the board in this summer’s on-line election. at the Forefront of PhD, Clinical Director, National Human Genome I encourage all Active CNS member to approach Treatable Rare Research Institute, Tracy Dixon-Salazar, PhD, Director this opportunity—this responsibility—as “high-” vs of Research and Strategy at the Lennox Gastaut Diseases.” “low-information voters” by reading the profiles and Syndromes Foundation, and Lainie Friedman Ross, responses penned by the six candidates (page 28) MD PhD, Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum Professor before voting on-line July 10–August 8. of Clinical Ethics at the University of Chicago. We are still awaiting confirmation from an additional invitee, I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting but will have a final program soon. in Chicago. 2 Child Neurology Society | Spring/Summer 2018 CONTENTS SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Forty-Seventh CNS ANNUAL MEETING October 15-18, 2018 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CNS Annual Meeting Brochure & Registration PAGE 11 11 Child Neurology Society | Winter 2017 DEPARTMENT 2 FROM THE Connecting with Society PRESIDENT 4 Statement on Precision Medicine Administration 40 PERSONNEL Policy on Separation of Children from Parents REGISTRY Connecting with Colleagues 5 Focus On Young Researchers 6 Q&A on Precision Medicine Connecting with Partners 8 Professors of Child Neurology 10 Association of Child Neurology Nurses Child Neurology Society 1000 West Cty Rd. E, Suite 290 St. Paul, MN 55126 Tel: 651/486-9447 Fax: 651/486-9436 Email: nationaloffice@ childneurologysociety.org www.childneurologysociety.org Editor: Daniel Bonthius, MD, PhD 28 2018 Candidate Profiles Managing Editor: Roger Larson, CAE On-line Balloting Begins July 10, 2018 Published Quarterly Child Neurology Society | Spring/Summer 2018 3 CONNECTING WITH SOCIETY Child Neurology Society Statement Statement of Opposition to Administration Policy on Separation of Children from Parents The following communication from CNS President Jonathan W. Mink, MD, PhD was approved by the CNS Executive Committee on June 20 for transmission to President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health & Human Services Alex Azar, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. am writing on behalf of the 2000 physician members of As the full spectrum of news media have amply documented and the Child Neurology Society (CNS) to express our collective the Administration in response has defiantly confirmed, children— Iprofessional opposition to the Administration’s policy of some as young as infants—are not only being separated from their separating children from their parents at our nation’s border. parents or other family members, they are also being detained in I write to draw your attention, based on our clinical expertise, to detention facilities or shelters operated by the Department of Health the truly dangerous outcomes this policy can have on the lifelong and Human Services (HHS). According to the Administration’s own mental and physical well being of the children who have been and continue to be targeted and incarcerated by the Administration. reports, thousands of children have been separated and detained since May of this year in direct response to the publication of a Child neurologists are specially trained physicians who have new “zero-tolerance policy” for illegal border crossings. The HHS’ followed up their four-year medical school education with a Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) charged with overseeing the five-year post-graduate training regimen consisting of two years “care and placement” of unaccompanied migrant children reports training in pediatrics, one year in general neurology, and two years that thousands of children have been so detained or sheltered, in pediatric neurology. There are over 70 university-based training adding in apparent, but preposterous, justification that such programs in child neurology in the United States and Canada, and “children spend fewer than 57 days on average” at the shelters. over 2000 child neurologists in the CNS. The research and practice is clear—adverse childhood experiences Such stress imposed on these children can be especially harmful. are closely connected to decreased physical health. Adverse In a 2017 study, “New insights into early-life stress and behavioral childhood experiences (or ACEs) are defined as “stressful or outcomes,” researchers Jessica L. Bolton, Jenny Molet, Autumn traumatic events, including abuse and neglect.” ACEs are Ivy, and Tallie Z. Baram found that ”adverse early-life experiences, “strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide including various forms of early-life stress, have consistently been range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, linked with vulnerability to cognitive and emotional disorders later including those associated with substance misuse.” in life.” Serious outcomes ranged from “hippocampus-dependent memory deficits to emotional consequences such as anhedonia and There is a significant body of research that has examined the depression.” The study specifically analyzed separation of offspring relationship between ACEs and known risk factors for disease, disability, and early mortality. A landmark study conducted by the from parents and found

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