Luc Brion, M.D.

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Dr. Luc P Brion has published more than 170 manuscripts and 12 chapters and presented more than 110 abstracts. During his training in pediatrics and in neonatology, he participated and conducted studies on growth, nutrition and assessment of renal function in neonates and children. As Faculty at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York (AECOM), he was funded for years by the NIH, American Heart Association, Genentech Foundation, and Pharmacia for basic sciences research in developmental nephrology, specifically renal acid secretion, carbonic anhydrase, pathophysiological effects of acidosis and growth. Dr. Brion has served on the IRB at AECOM. Dr. Brion was Director of the Fellowship Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at AECOM in 1997-2006. 

Dr. Brion was Director of the Fellowship Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UTSW in 2007-2019. He has been research mentor for more than 30 trainees. He is a member of the Neonatal Review Group of the Cochrane Collaboration. He has participated in 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in preterm infants and several multi-center research studies. Since 2009, he has been the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Alternate PI for the NICHD Eunice Kennedy Shriver Cooperative Multicenter Neonatal Research Network (NRN). Dr. Brion serves on the subcommittee on protection of human subjects of the NRN. 

Dr. Brion's current research interest includes (1) improving nutrition and growth in very preterm and very low birth weight infants to optimize neurodevelopment and to reduce signs suggestive of metabolic syndrome in high-risk preterm infants and (2) using evidence-based medicine to improve morbidity and morbidity in neonates. He has obtained funding from Children’s Medical Center Foundation at Dallas and from the Gerber Foundation.

In preterm infants fed human milk, milk fortification can be adjusted by 1) optimization, based on growth rate and serum analyses, or 2) individualization, based on daily human milk nutrient analysis. Randomized allocation to adjusting macronutrients based on breast milk analysis in preterm neonates did not improve weight gain, linear growth or weight/length disproportion at 36 weeks postmentrual age or discharge. Long-term follow-up of these infants is now in process to assess the development of signs of metabolic syndrome and neurodevelopment. 

Valid serial length measurements in preterm infants were shown to permit characterization of growth patterns. A quality improvement project using adjustable feedings plus accurate serial length measurements was successful in reducing excessive weight gain and weight length disproportion at discharge without affecting linear growth, head growth or neurodevelopment. Among extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs) a serum Zinc concentration was obtained in 52 with insufficient linear growth (17%). Zinc deficiency was diagnosed in 33% small for GA (SGA) compared to 13% non-SGA infants (P=0.01). Zinc supplementation for >2 weeks improved head growth to discharge or 50 weeks postmenstrual age in infants with Zinc deficiency. 

A quality improvement project is in progress at Parkland Hospital, aiming at reducing necrotizing enterocolitis stage II or greater (Bell classification) among high-risk neonates, i.e., those born with gestational age < 33 weeks and those with birthweight < 1500 grams.

In 2013 Dr. Brion took the Clinical Safety and Efficacy Course at UTSW. He supervises a team of research nurses who maintain the Divisional extensive neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) clinical databases at Parkland and Children’s Medical Center and databases for the Vermont Oxford Neonatal Network (VON) and Children’s Hospital Network Database (CHND). He compiles and presents an Annual Report of mortality and morbidity of neonates admitted to Parkland NICU and compares them to those of the NICHD NRN, VON and national data. He has used the databases for quality improvement and for research.

Medical School

Universite Libre de Bruxelles (1976)

Residency

Hopital Universitaire Saint-Pierre (1979), Pediatrics

Residency

Institut Edith Cavell (1981), Pediatrics

Fellowship

Hospital for Sick Children (1982), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine

Fellowship

Institut Edith Cavell (1982), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine

Fellowship

Cliniques Universitaires (1983), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine

Fellowship

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center (1985), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine

Residency

Montefiore Medical Center/ Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1986), Pediatrics

• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Neonatal mortality/morbidity
• Neonatal nutrition and gorwth
• Renal disease

Featured Publications

Growth after implementing a donor breast milk program in neonates <33 weeks gestational age or birthweight <1500 grams: Retrospective cohort study.

Sanchez-Rosado M, Lair CS, Edwards A, Jacob T, Heyne R, Brown LS, Clark C, Nelson DB, Wyckoff MH, Kiefaber I, Verma D, Reis J, Burchfield PJ, Sepulveda P, Brion LP, J Perinatol 2023 Feb 1-8

A Quality Improvement project in a neonatal intensive care unit reduced the prevalence and duration of hypophosphatemia with significant and sustainable results.

Lair CS, Brown LS, Edwards A, Jacob T, Brion LP, Jaleel MA. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, in press 2023

Relationship between ventricular size on latest ultrasonogram and Bayley scores in extremely low gestational age neonates.

Reis JD, Hagan T, Heyne R, Tolentino-Plata K, Clarke R, Brown S, Rosenfeld CR, Burchfield PJ, Caraig M, Brion LP. Am J Perinatol 2023

Double-blinded randomized controlled trial of optimizing nutrition in preterm very low birth weight infants: Bayley scores at 18-38 months of age.

Reis JD, Tolentino-Plata K, Caraig M, Heyne R, Rosenfeld CR, Brown LS, Brion LP, J Perinatol 2022 Dec

Association of Antenatal Steroid Exposure at 21 to 22 Weeks of Gestation With Neonatal Survival and Survival Without Morbidities.

Chawla S, Wyckoff MH, Rysavy MA, Patel RM, Chowdhury D, Natarajan G, Laptook AR, Lakshminrusimha S, Bell EF, Shankaran S, Van Meurs KP, Ambalavanan N, Greenberg RG, Younge N, Werner EF, Das A, Carlo WA, JAMA Netw Open 2022 Sep 5 9 e2233331

Presumed Aspiration Pneumonia in a Term Newborn Infant.

Short KL, Zagory J, Joglar J, Bautista L, Brion LP, Ali N, Neoreviews 2022 Jul 23 7 e501-e503

Perinatal management: Lessons learned from the neonatal research network.

Ramachandran S, Foglia EE, DeMauro SB, Chawla S, Brion LP, Wyckoff MH, Semin Perinatol 2022 Jun 151636

Overview of the neonatal research network: History, contributions, challenges, and future.

Watterberg KL, Carlo WA, Brion LP, Cotten CM, Higgins RD, Semin Perinatol 2022 Jun 151634

Cortisol awakening response and developmental outcomes at 6-7 years in children born extremely preterm.

Lowe J, Fuller JF, Dempsey AG, Do B, Bann CM, Das A, Gustafson KE, Vohr BR, Hintz SR, Watterberg KL, Pediatr Res 2022 Jun

Hydrocortisone to Improve Survival without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

Watterberg KL, Walsh MC, Li L, Chawla S, D'Angio CT, Goldberg RN, Hintz SR, Laughon MM, Yoder BA, Kennedy KA, McDavid GE, Backstrom-Lacy C, Das A, Crawford MM, Keszler M, Sokol GM, Poindexter BB, Ambalavanan N, Hibbs AM, Truog WE, Schmidt B, Wyckoff MH, Khan AM, Garg M, Chess PR, Reynolds AM, Moallem M, Bell EF, Meyer LR, Patel RM, Van Meurs KP, Cotten CM, McGowan EC, Hines AC, Merhar S, Peralta-Carcelen M, Wilson-Costello DE, Kilbride HW, DeMauro SB, Heyne RJ, Mosquera RA, Natarajan G, Purdy IB, Lowe JR, Maitre NL, Harmon HM, Hogden LA, Adams-Chapman I, Winter S, Malcolm WF, Higgins RD, N Engl J Med 2022 03 386 12 1121-1131

 Featured Books

Clinical significance of developmental renal physiology. In RA Polin, WW Fox; Fetal and Neonatal Physiology

Brion LP, Satlin LM (1998). Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

Kidney and Urinary Tract. In Fanaroff AA, Martin RJ, eds. Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Brion LP, Bernstein J, Spitzer A. (1997). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.

Renal disease. In MacDonald MG, Mullett MD, Seshia MMK. Avery's Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn.

Nafday S, Brion LP, Benchimol C, Satlin LM, Flynn J, Edelmann CM Jr. (2004). Philadelphia, PA: JB Lippincott Company.

Renal disease. In MacDonald MG, Mullett MD, Seshia MMK, eds. Avery's Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn

Nafday SM, Woda CB, Saland JM, Flynn JT, Askenzi D, Benchimol C, Brion LP. (2015). Philadelphia, PA: JB Lippincott Company.

Neonatal Jaundice. In Campbell DE, ed. Neonatology for Primary Care.

Kapadia VS, Brion LP. (2014). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

Neonatal jaundice in the term and near term infant. In TK McInerny, HM Adam, DE Campbell, DM Kamat, KJ Kelleher, eds. American Academy of Pediatrics Textbook of Pediatric Care.

Brion LP. (2009). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

Renal Disease. In MacDonald MG, ed. Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn.

Brion LP, Satlin LM, Edelmann CM Jr. (1999). Philadelphia, PA: JB Lippincott Company.

Neonatal jaundice.. In Campbell DE. Neonatology for Primary Care

Johnson KA, Maple BB, Brion LP. (2019, in press). Elk Grove Village, IL, American Academy of Pediatrics

Renal disease.. In MacDonald MG, Mullett MD, Seshia MMK. Avery's Neonatology: Pathophysiology and Management of the Newborn.

Nafday SM, Woda CB, Saland JM, Flynn JT, Askenazi D, Benchimol C, Brion (2021). Philadelphia., JB Lippincott Company,

Neonatal Jaundice. In Campbell DE, ed: Neonatology for Primary Care

Johnson KA, Maple BB, Brion LP (2020). Elk Groove Village, IL, American Academy of Pediatrics

Neonatal jaundice. In McInerny T, Adam HM, Campbell DE, Foy JM, Kamat, DM, and DeWitt TG, eds. AAP Textbook of Pediatric Care

Kapadia VS, Brion LP (2015). Elk Grove Village, IL, McInerny T, Adam HM, Campbell DE, Foy JM, Kamat, DM, and DeWitt TG. American Academy of Pediatrics.

The use of plasma creatinine concentration for estimating glomerular filtration rate in infants, children and adolescents.. In Pediatric Clinics of North America

Schwartz GJ, Brion LP, Spitzer A. (1986). Phildelphia, PA, Elsevier

Carbonic anhydrases in the nervous system. In WR Chegwidden, ND Carter, YH Edwards. The carbonic anhydrases: New Horizons.

Cammer WB, Brion LP (2000). Basel, Switzerland, Birkhäuser Verlag

• Provider of the Month, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, NICU, May 2019
  (2019)
• Elected to American Pediatric Society
  (2015)
• ‘Individualizing and Optimizing Nutrition to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome and To Improve Neurodevelopment in Preterm and Small for Gestational Age Infants’
  Gerber Foundation, National Grant (2015-2019)
• ‘Optimizing Individual Nutrition in Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Infants’
  Children’s Medical Center Clinical Advisory Committee (CCRAC) – Senior Investigator Research Award New Direction (2015-2017)
• Site Alternate PI, UTSW, Dallas
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver Cooperative Multicenter Neonatal Research Network: (2011-2021)
• Recognition by program directors for special contribution
  COGME, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (2006)
• Listed in Top Doctors
  American Registry (2004-2005)
• Best Doctors in America
  (2003-2014)
• America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals
  (2002-2003)
• Listed
  America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals (2002-2003)
• Listed in “Guide to America’s Pediatricians”
  Consumer’s Research Council of America (2002-2003)
• Listed
  Strathmore’s Who’s Who (2001-2003)
• New York Metro Area Top Doctors
  Castle Connolly Medical Ltd (2001-2005)
• Listed in 3rd & 4th Eds, How to Find the Best Doctors: New York Metro Area
  Castle Connolly Guide (1998-1999)
• Listed in ‘The Best Doctors in New York,’ Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine,
  New York Magazine (1998-2002)
• Grant-in-Aid: ‘Regulation of renal membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase in response to acidosis’
  American Heart Association (1997-1999)
• ‘Hormonal and cellular mechanisms of failure to thrive in acidotic mice’
  Pharmacia Inc (1997-1999)
• Hormonal mechanisms of growth failure in chronic acidosis
  Pharmacia (1996-1997)
• ‘Hormonal mechanisms of growth failure in chronic acidosis’
  Genentech Foundation for Growth and Development (1996-1998)
• Interdivisional Research Award (IRA), ‘Role of somatotropin in growth retardation associated with chronic metabolic acidosis’
  Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center (1995-1997)
• “Molecular regulation of carbonic anhydrase IV isozymes’
  Department of Pediatrics Internal Grant, Montefiore Medical Center (1995-1997)
• Biomedical Research Grants & Crisis Support Grant
  Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1990-1996)
• Clinical Investigator Award: 'Regulation and development of renal acid-base transport'
  NIDDK (1990-1995)
• Scholarship Award in Pediatrics
  Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium (1976-1977)
• Prix Fleurice Mercier
  Université Libre de Bruxelles (1970-1971)

• American Pediatric Society (2014)
• Cochrane Collaboration (1999)
• Society of Pediatric Research (1992)
• American Academy of Pediatrics (1987)
• American Medical Association