Nationwide Childrens Hospital
Columbus, United States
Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I incessantly remind colleagues that the “heart is a muscle, too”. As a pediatric cardiologist with a career long interest in the cardiomyopathy of neuromuscular disorders, I have been a fierce advocate for the inclusion of cardiologists in comprehensive neuromuscular care. I feel passionately that transformational clinical change occurs in an intra-disciplinary culture. The skeletal muscle disease is only one piece of the puzzle for many neuromuscular disorders. We must break down traditional silos. I believe the WMS would be enhanced by the inclusion of representatives of the Executive Board who would provide a voice to all who research and treat muscle disorders. I have been a member of the WMS since 2004 and have attended the majority of the annual meetings during that time. I would be honored to bring my expertise and passion to the organization.
I am a Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics Vice-Chair for Faculty Affairs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. As mentioned, my clinical interests focus on the care of patients with cardiomyopathy associated with neuromuscular diseases, especially Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In addition, I have subspecialty expertise in non-invasive cardiac imaging. I serve as an attending cardiologist in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Comprehensive Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic where I work side by side with talented health care providers in a collaborative intra-disciplinary setting. I have been involved in numerous clinical trials as an investigator, consultant, and serve on the data safety monitoring board for gene therapy trials for DMD. I have published over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and over 100 abstracts. I am an invited international speaker for topics related to cardiomyopathy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and was honored to be an invited keynote speaker at the 2018 WMS meeting. I have served on numerous national and international committees to define clinical standards of care including the US Centers for Disease Control National Steering Committee. I am currently a member of the Board of Directors for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, a leading patient advocacy organization for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
