Biography
- Chief, Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
- Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Beatrice Cummings Mayer Professor in Pediatric Autonomic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
See Lurie Children's Provider Profile
Sustained focus in rare respiratory control and autonomic disorders of infancy, childhood, and adulthood (RADICA), including congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD), Rett syndrome, and familial dysautonomia, led to Dr. Debra Weese-Mayer’s position as Chief of the Division of Pediatric Autonomic Medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. With more than 35 years of clinical and research experience in RADICA, development of this emerging discipline was the natural progression to integrate expertise in all systems impacted by the autonomic nervous system, develop an armamentarium of non-invasive child-friendly objective physiologic measures of autonomic nervous system (dys)regulation, build physiologic and disease-specific RADICA databases including expansion of the longitudinal CCHS and ROHHAD NIH.gov REDCap Registries, embed basic scientists in clinical programs to add depth to longitudinal physiologic in-hospital and ambulatory wireless wearable measures in rare disorders as well as more common conditions, utilize the NIH Toolbox paired with wireless wearable technology of vital sign measures to identify autonomic antecedents of neurodevelopmental impairment in CCHS, ROHHAD, and infants born extremely prematurely, and develop the next generation of RADICA physicians and scientists.
Education and Background
- Fellowship in Neonatal-perinatal Medicine and Control of Breathing, Children’s Memorial Hospital 1982-1986
- Residency in Pediatrics, Children’s Memorial Hospital 1978-1981
- MD, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine 1978
Research Highlights
INTEGRATED ANALYSIS OF AUTONOMIC BIOMARKERS IN PREMATURITY-RELATED VENTILATORY CONTROL: DETERMINATION OF NEURORESIRATORY MATURATION AND PREDICTORS OF CO-MORBIDITY RISK
EVALUATING THE INTEGRATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR, RESPIRATORY, AND CEREBROVASCULAR STABILITY AND MATURATION AND THEIR EFFECT ON RESPIRATORY AND NEUROLOGIC MORBIDITY IN PRETERM INFANTS
POST-VENT, THE SEQUELAE: PERSONALIZED PROGNOSTIC MODELING FOR CONSEQUENCES OF NEONATAL INTERMITTENT HYPOXEMIA IN PRETERM INFANTS AT PRE-SCHOOL AGE
PHOX2B CONGENITAL CENTRAL HYPOVENTILATION SYNDROME: PHYSIOLOGIC SIGNATURES FOR CLINICAL TRIALS READINESS
ROHHAD: DENTAL PULP STEM CELL MODELS TO INVESTIGATE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES
Featured Grants
Integrated Analysis of Autonomic Biomarkers in Prematurity- Related Ventilatory Control: Determination of Neurorespiratory Maturation and Predictors of Co-morbidity Risk
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
09/01/2016 → 06/30/2022
ROHHAD: Dental Pulp Stem Cell Models to Investigate Causes and Consequences
ROHHAD Association (Scotland)
11/01/2019 → 12/31/2022
Evaluating the Integration of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Cerebrovascular Stability and Maturation and Their Effect on Respiratory and Neurologic Morbidity in Preterm Infants
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
09/05/2020 → 06/30/2022
Post-Vent, the Sequelae: Personalized Prognostic Modeling for Consequences of Neonatal Intermittent Hypoxemia in Preterm Infants at Pre-School Age
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
12/15/2021 → 11/30/2026
