Faculty in the Division of Child Neurology are dedicated mentors, and offer research training opportunities to medical students, residents, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical fellows.

Resident and Medical Student Research

Residents and medical students interested in research opportunities should contact the investigator they are interested in working with. Below are open opportunities.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Nicolas J. Abreu

Nicolas J. Abreu, MD, offers trainees an opportunity to engage in research projects exploring the diagnostic odyssey for patients with neurogenetic conditions, family and provider perspectives on genetic testing and counseling, and phenotypic and mutational expansion of neurogenetic disorders.

Research Opportunities with Kara Anstett

As a genetic counselor, Kara Anstett, MS, CGC, focuses on the lived experiences of patients with neurofibromatosis, as well as better defining the genotypes and phenotypes of these rare diseases.

Examples of projects appropriate for medical student and resident research may include surveys and qualitative interviews of patients regarding psychosocial aspects of their disease, and chart review, survey administration, and genetic analysis of specific patient subpopulations of the Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Center to further investigate a particular feature of the disease phenotype, such as development of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in patients with NF1, clinical and molecular features of pediatric-onset NF2, and clinical and molecular features of patients with schwannomatosis.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Patricia C. Dugan

Dr. Patricia C. Dugan, MD is interested in risk stratification and prognostication in epilepsy surgery and participates in collaborative clinical-translational research efforts that utilize electrocortiocographic recordings and clinical cortical stimulation. She also works on research involving long term ambulatory electrocorticography to investigate clinical response to neurostimulation and medical therapy. She is an investigator in epilepsy genomics with a focus on phenotyping, and studies barriers to epilepsy surgery in medically underserved populations.

Research Opportunities with Laura A. Gould

The SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative provides a multidisciplinary forum to investigate and better understand sudden deaths in children through retrospective review, omics research, pathology investigations, and AI techniques. The association of febrile seizures in some cases foster additional research mechanisms to identify children to at higher risk of sudden death. The SUDCRRC database includes comprehensive phenotypic data on >300 cases of sudden unexplained child death, inclusive of medical records, autopsy records, histological slides, biospecimens, whole exome sequencing files, and family interviews. Secondary analysis of our data is welcomed. To learn more, visit the SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative site.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Beth A. Leeman-Markowski

The Epilepsy and Cognition Laboratory, led by Dr. Beth A. Leeman-Markowski, MD, investigates the mechanisms of, and treatments for, cognitive impairment in the setting of epilepsy. Current projects include studies of visual fixation as a measure of memory, the effects of interictal discharges on EEG signatures of memory formation, shared pathology and clinical features of epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease, and methylphenidate for the treatment of epilepsy-related attention deficits. Opportunities for trainees include retrospective analyses and prospective studies.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Dana Price

Dana Price, MD performs clinical trials for rare genetic epilepsies to include antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies, genetic therapies, observational and interventional trials for medications to treat refractory epilepsy, investigational trials to study new or repurposed medications, and clinical trial readiness trials to prepare for further genetic therapies.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Devorah Segal

Devorah Segal, MD, PhD, offers trainees an opportunity to engage in research projects that retrospectively examine imaging and pathology characteristics of several pediatric low-grade gliomas in order to better understand long-term prognosis and guide treatment. We are also studying brain MRI abnormalities in NF1 to determine whether some are more likely to develop into gliomas.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Kaleb H. Yohay

Kaleb H. Yohay, MD, leads the following research projects open to medical students and residents:

• evaluation of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)–related MRI T2 hyperintensities as a risk factor for glioma growth across the lifespan
• development of an ophthalmic screening protocol in an NF clinic utilizing optical coherence tomography
• evaluation of utilization of nutritional supplements/nutraceuticals in the NF population
• evaluating the understanding of breast cancer risk and screening recommendations among adult women with NF1
• utilization and perceptions of family planning modalities in NF1

Postdoctoral Research

NYU Langone’s Center for Cognitive Neurology is pleased to offer National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32–funded postdoctoral positions in neurodegenerative research. The goal of this program is to train scientists and clinician–scientists to be future leaders in the field of neurodegenerative research that affects pediatric populations.

Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship

The Section of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at NYU Langone offers a one-year clinical fellowship that provides comprehensive training in the diagnosis and management of primary central nervous system tumors in children and young adults. In an optional second or third year, fellows may pursue neuro-oncology clinical or laboratory research training, although they must first receive approval from the program director and secure additional funding. This program is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).