I grew up in Damascus, Syria, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Pediatrics has been an interest since I was a child. My father is a pediatrician, who is known for his caring nature and his astuteness, and I had the opportunity to spend my summer vacations at his office. With hard work and passion for pediatrics, I was accepted into medical school at the University of Damascus. After medical school, I decided to continue my academic journey in United States.

Learning about the neonatal brain from great physician-scientists like Dr. Seetha Shankaran and Dr. Harry Chugani during my training in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan solidified my interest in pursuing further training in pediatric neurology. I always believed in the comprehensive and timely approach of the care of the neonatal brain as a model to realize the best developmental outcome. I went on to do my Pediatric Neurology training at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Painter, a legend in the field of neonatal neurology.

Thereafter, I had the privilege of being accepted as the first research fellow in neonatal neurology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. under the great mentorship of Dr. Anna Penn and Dr. Taeun Chang. Caring for extremely premature newborns in the neonatal unit on daily basis was an eye-opening experience. It helped me realize how much is needed in terms of establishing protocols and standards of care for this fragile population. It was also amazing to witness how a small effort can result in a huge impact. The evaluation of the head ultrasound, which is a common procedure done in newborns, was lacking standardization. We were worried about the potential impact of delaying necessary treatments for post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus. We worked together as a team that involved neurology, neonatology, radiology, and neurosurgery to standardize the measurement of the lateral ventricles on the ultrasound which was published in pediatric research. I was fortunate to be a Thrasher Early Career funding awardee to help accomplish the study.

I am currently the director of the neonatal neurology program at the Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. My advice to those interested in this field is that mentorship and guidance are important. This field also requires patience and motivation. The final product is always worth it, especially when it comes to advancing human knowledge and impacting health for future generations.