Rachel Leon, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Director, Neurologic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NeuroNICU) Program Assistant Professor School Medical School Department 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 Graduate School West Virginia University School of Medicine (2013) Other Post Graduate Training 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 Featured Publications Interdependence of placenta and fetal cardiac development. Leon RL, Bitar L, Rajagopalan V, Spong CY, Prenat Diagn 2024 Apr Postnatal Cerebral Hemodynamics and Placental Vascular Malperfusion Lesions in Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease. Leon RL, Bitar L, Sharma K, Mir IN, Chalak LF, Pediatr Neurol 2024 Apr 156 72-78 Placental pathology associated with lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV) in preterm infants. Sisman J, Leon RL, Payton BW, Brown LS, Mir IN, J Perinatol 2023 May 43 5 568-572 Practice variations for fetal and neonatal congenital heart disease within the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium. Leon RL, Levy PT, Hu J, Yallpragada SG, Hamrick SEG, Ball MK, Pediatr Res 2022 Sep Placental clearance not synthesis tempers exaggerated pro-inflammatory cytokine response in neonates exposed to chorioamnionitis. Mir IN, Uddin N, Liao J, Brown LS, Leon R, Chalak LF, Savani RC, Rosenfeld CR, Pediatr Res 2022 Jun Wavelet-based neurovascular coupling can predict brain abnormalities in neonatal encephalopathy. Das Y, Leon RL, Liu H, Kota S, Liu Y, Wang X, Zhang R, Chalak LF, Neuroimage Clin 2021 Oct 32 102856 Intravoxel incoherent motion MR imaging analysis for diagnosis of placenta accrete spectrum disorders: A pilot feasibility study. León RL, Brown BP, Persohn SA, Norris CD, Steinhardt NP, Lin C, Territo PR, Magn Reson Imaging 2021 Jul 80 26-32 Part III. Neuronal biochemical effects of acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental outcomes: Friend or foe? Angelis D, León RL, Chalak L, Early Hum Dev 2021 Jun 105408 Neuroplacentology in congenital heart disease: placental connections to neurodevelopmental outcomes. Leon RL, Mir IN, Herrera CL, Sharma K, Spong CY, Twickler DM, Chalak LF, Pediatr Res 2021 Apr Cerebral Blood Flow Monitoring in High-Risk Fetal and Neonatal Populations. Leon RL, Ortigoza EB, Ali N, Angelis D, Wolovits JS, Chalak LF, Front Pediatr 2021 9 748345 Results 1-10 of 18 1 2 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)
