If you think ultrasounds are only for checking on babies, think again. At Children’s National Hospital, some of the same sound waves used to glimpse at a baby in the womb are now helping doctors take on some of the toughest tumors in children’s brains. In the newest episode of The Lead in Peds, host Nathan Kuppermann, MD, speaks with Roger Packer, MD, the Gilbert Family Distinguished Professor of Neurofibromatosis and director of both the Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute and the Brain Tumor Institute, and Adriana Fonseca, MD, attending neuro-oncologist and director of the Rare Brain Tumor Program, about how science, teamwork and compassion are creating new possibilities for children and families facing brain tumors.

Drs. Packer and Fonseca remind us that kids are not little adults, and their tumors are not just smaller versions either. With honesty and clarity, they explain what makes pediatric brain tumors different and why progress depends on collaboration across borders and disciplines. They describe how focused ultrasound can briefly open the blood-brain barrier, allowing therapies to reach tumors that were once untouchable. They also discuss how genomic sequencing, targeted therapies and AI are reshaping care, offering precision where broad approaches once fell short.

Listen now to The Lead in Peds and learn how innovation and compassion are working hand in hand to shape a better future for children everywhere.