Rachel Leon, M.D., Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Associate Director, Neurologic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NeuroNICU) Program Assistant Professor Schools Medical School Departments Pediatrics You have reached the Academic Profile. For more information on the doctor and patient care, please visit the clinical profile. Biography Rachel Leon, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2019. Dr. Leon completed medical and graduate school at West Virginia University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children. As a scientist, Dr. Leon is interested in neuroplacentology, an emerging field focused on placental connections to fetal health. Education Other Post Graduate Training West Virginia University School of Medicine (2013) Graduate School West Virginia University School of Medicine (2013) Medical School West Virginia University School of Medicine (2013) Residency Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children (2016), Pediatrics Fellowship Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children (2019), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine Research Interest Connections between neonatal cerebral blood flow/ autoregulation, placental pathology, and brain development. Neuroprotection and neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with congenital heart disease, stroke, HIE, and prematurity. Placental connections to fetal health, and specifically, placental influences on fetal brain development, a new field called neuroplacentology. Using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques and analysis, she is investigating placental perfusion and oxygenation, and how this vital organ supports fetal brain development. Publications Results of a Preoperative Screening Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol in Neonates Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass Islam IS, McGetrick ME, Leon R, Reyes K, Davies RR, Jaquiss RD, Andersen ND Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2026 Placental Adaptations to Pregnancy Comorbidities in Fetal Congenital Heart Disease Baldauf C, Desmond A, Leon RL, Rajagopalan V Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine 2025 Dec 27 Impact of fetal inflammatory response on brain MRI abnormalities in extremely preterm infants Mir IN, Machie M, Clarke R, Brown LS, Leon R, Wisnowski JL, Chalak L Pediatric Research 2025 Dec 98 2203-2210 Multi-organ dysfunction across the neonatal encephalopathy spectrum Bitar L, Leon RL, Liu YL, Kota S, Chalak LF Pediatric Research 2025 Nov 98 1849-1855 Placental Role in Fetal Neonatal Neurologic Outcomes Chalak LF, Bitar L, Leon R, Mir I Pediatric clinics of North America 2025 Oct 72 793-804 Timing of initiation of therapeutic hypothermia in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy born at a high-volume urban safety net hospital Pazandak CC, Martinez MG, Whiting ME, Kota S, Brown LS, Chalak LF, Leon RL Early Human Development 2025 May 204 Placental inflammatory response and association with the severity of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy Mashat S, Bitar L, Mir IN, Leon RL, Brown LS, Chalak LF Early Human Development 2025 Feb 201 Subgaleal hemorrhage in neonates: a comprehensive review and summary recommendations Babata K, Vadlamudi G, Bailey NA, Gill S, Viswanathan P, Sillero R, Seidu T, Mangona KL, Leon R, Angelis D Journal of Perinatology 2025 Feb 45 167-179 Neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm infants with placental pathologic evidence of fetal inflammatroy response Alayli Y, Brown LS, Tolentino-Plata K, Leon R, Heyne R, Chalak LF, Mir IN Pediatric Research 2025 Feb 97 1147-1154 Arterial Spin Labeled MRI to Detect Early Placental Perfusion Differences in Fetal Heart Disease Leon RL, Navalta M, Greer JS, Madhuranthakam AJ, Udayakumar D JAMA Network Open 2025 Results 1-10 of 32 1 2 3 4 Next Last Honors & Awards Southern Society for Pediatric Research Young Faculty Award (2022) UT-FOCUS AwardUT Southwestern Medical Center (2021) Nalepa Fellowship Award FinalistIndiana University Dept. of Pediatrics (2019) Joyce Victoria McRobbie Pediatric Fellowship AwardIndiana University Dept. Pediatrics (2017) Presentation/Travel AwardE.J. Van Liere Memorial Convocation (2010) Scholarship, T32 Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Training GrantWest Virginia University (2009) Travel AwardAmerican Academy of Neurology (2007) Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society (2005) Departmental Honors, Biology DepartmentGuilford College (2005) High Honors, Bachelor of Science DegreeGuilford College (2005) Poster AwardMeredith College Undergraduate Research Conference (2005) Women in Science ScholarshipGlaxoSmithKline (2003-2005) Honors Program ScholarshipGuilford College (2001-2005) Professional Associations/Affiliations American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) American Medical Association (2009) Cardiac Neurodevelopment Outcomes Collaborative and Developing Brain SIG (2020) Children's Hospitals neonatal Consortium Cardiac Focus Group (2020) Conquering CHD (2021) International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (2020) Newborn Brain Society (2021) Society for Pediatric Research (2018) Texas Pediatric Society (2020) Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists, Member (2016)
