Tag Archive for: neuro-immunology

Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine announces new leaders

Drs. Wells and Kenworthy

Elizabeth M. Wells, M.D., M. H. S., was named Senior Vice President of the Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, and Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D., was named division chief of Neuropsychology.

The Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at Children’s National Hospital recently announced the appointment of two new leaders. Elizabeth M. Wells, M.D., M. H. S., was named Senior Vice President of the Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, and Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D., was named division chief of Neuropsychology.

Dr. Wells obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology and biology at Harvard University and her medical degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She was an Intramural Research Training Award fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health and holds a master’s in Health Science from the NIH/Duke Clinical Research Training Program. She completed pediatrics and neurology training at Children’s National and joined the faculty in the Brain Tumor Institute in 2011.

Dr. Wells has led the Children’s National Inpatient Neurology program and developed the hospital’s multidisciplinary Neuro-immunology program into a destination program for unsolved neuroinflammatory diseases. She serves on numerous national and international associations and working groups and is a member of the scientific selection committee for the Child Neurology Society.

Dr. Wells has served in leadership roles for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National and the District of Columbia Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center. She is principal investigator for a 10-year translational research study within the Children’s National partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and was the Children’s National Hospital Medical Staff President from 2020-2022.

Dr. Kenworthy received a B.A. from Yale University and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. She completed her internship and residency training in clinical psychology/pediatric neuropsychology at Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital Boston, Johns Hopkins Medical School and Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. She has been on the faculty at Children’s National and GW since 1995. She is a national leader in autism research, as well as a distinguished author and speaker.

Elizabeth Wells, M.D., named Vice President of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Center

Dr. Wells with patient

Elizabeth Wells, M.D., Vice President of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Center, interacting with patient.

Elizabeth Ann Molloy Wells, M.D., MHS, has been appointed to the role of Vice President of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Center at Children’s National Hospital. This new role has been created to further the growth of the Center, broaden and deepen the leadership structure and allow Children’s National to continue to deliver the highest level of care, education, safety and scholarship for our patients and families. “I joined Children’s National 15 years ago as a pediatric neurology resident because I thought it was the best place to train and develop in academic neurology, and I am so honored to serve as the Neuroscience Center Vice-President” said Dr. Wells.

Dr. Wells is a graduate of Harvard University and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She holds a master’s in Health Science from the NIH-Duke Clinical Research Training Program. Dr. Wells completed her pediatrics and neurology training at Children’s National and has been on staff as a pediatric neurologist within the Brain Tumor Institute and the Division of Neurology for the past 10 years. In addition to caring for children with neurologic effects from cancer, Dr. Wells developed the multidisciplinary program in pediatric neuro-immunology. She serves on numerous national committees and receives national and international referrals for children with neuro-inflammatory disorders. She is a principal investigator for translational research studies and serves in a leadership role for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the District of Columbia Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center.  Dr. Wells has been director of Inpatient Neurology and the Neuroscience Medical Unit since 2015 and was elected president of the medical staff in July 2020.

During her time at Children’s National, Dr. Wells has become known for her communication skills, team building and tireless commitment to excellence. She will expand the Neuroscience Center’s work on quality and safety, medical informatics, diversity and inclusion and patient experience.  “I am especially excited to promote growth and visibility for developing and expanding Neuroscience programs. Doing so will enable us to serve more kids and spread knowledge and expertise for children affected by brain disorders and injuries. I also look forward to fostering our culture of teamwork” said Dr. Wells. “There is a sense of urgency in the Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Center to rapidly translate discoveries into answers for children and families, better treatments and tools to support strong and healthy lives.”

2019 at a glance: Neuroscience at Children’s National

The Children’s National Division of Neurology and Neurosurgery is consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top neurology programs in the nation.

Shining light on autoimmune encephalitis

Doctors working together to find treatments for autoimmune encephalitis

Experts at Children’s National Health System brought together over 40 specialists from around the world to talk about autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and how the present institutions can better align their research priorities with the goal of finding more effective treatment for children with AE.

About autoimmune encephalitis

AE is a serious and rare medical condition in which the immune system attacks the brain, significantly impairing function and causing the loss of the ability to perform basic actions such as walking, talking or eating. If diagnosed quickly and treated appropriately, many patients recover most or all functions within a few years. However, not all patients will fully recover, or even survive, if the condition is not diagnosed early. AE is mainly seen in female young adults, but is increasingly being seen more in males and females of all ages.

The condition is often difficult to diagnose. Symptoms can vary and include psychosis, tremors, multiple seizures, and uncontrollable bodily movements. Once diagnosed, AE is treated by steroids and neuro-immunology treatments such as plasmapheresis, the removal and exchange of infected plasma with healthy plasma.

The Neuro-Immunology Clinic at Children’s National treats infants, children, and adolescents with several neurologic autoimmune conditions including AE. The multidisciplinary team consists of neurologists, neuropsychologists, physical and rehabilitation medicine experts, and complex care physicians.

A look at the pediatric autoimmune encephalitis treatment consensus meeting

Children’s National, along with Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance, hosted the first International Pediatric Autoimmune Encephalitis Treatment Consensus Meeting at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, this month. Several leading children’s hospitals and health institutions including Duke University Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Alberta Children’s Hospital also co-hosted the event with Children’s National.

“This meeting gathered experts from around the world to discuss our current efforts to standardize approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and research for pediatric autoimmune encephalitis with the common goal of discovering new ways to provide more effective care to children and adolescents with AE,” says Elizabeth Wells, MD, director of the Neuro-Immunology Clinic at Children’s National.

The following were the three main objectives of the meeting:

  • Beginning the formation of treatment roadmaps for initial treatment and maintenance therapy for pediatric AE
  • Discussing current work to standardize approaches to diagnosis, initial treatment, maintenance immunotherapy, disease surveillance, biomarker discovery, supportive care, and multidisciplinary coordination
  • Aligning research priorities and planning future collaborative work

Three families who have children with AE also shared their stories of diagnosis and journeys to recovery, putting the need for more research into perspective for the experts in the room.

“We are very hopeful for the future of autoimmune encephalitis research and are proud to be at the forefront of it so we are able to provide the best possible care to our patients,” says Dr. Wells.