Luc Brion, M.D.
Professor

Download Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Brion's current research interest is focused on (1) improving nutrition and growth in very preterm and very low birth weight 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. His research and quality improvement projects address the relationship between neonatal nutrition, growth, neurodevelopment and signs suggestive of metabolic syndrome in high-risk preterm infants.

Valid serial length measurements in preterm infants were shown to permit characterization of growth patterns. Adjustable feedings plus accurate serial length measurements decreased weight-length disproportion at discharge in very preterm infants. 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.

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 (but not weight gain on linear growth) to discharge or 50 weeks postmenstrual age in infants with Zn deficiency. However, neither linear growth nor weight gain improved with Zn supplementation.

The next step in quality improvement aims at decreasing the frequency of growth failure, optimizing timing and amount of supplementation of micronutrients including zinc, and reducing the frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Dr. Brion is also collaborating with several co-investigators (Chan CS, Kong JY, Babata K, Thai Yeo K, Mazarella K, Adhikari E, Hascoët JM) and with the Neonatal Review Group of the Cochrane Collaboration (Roger Soll and Colleen Ovelman) to analyze delivery room practices and breast milk approaches designed to optimize outcomes in neonates exposed to SARS-COV-2. 

Dr. Brion has published more than 130 original manuscripts and 12 chapters. 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’s academic focus later changed to clinical research assessing neonatal mortality and morbidity and evidence-based medicine. 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. Dr. Brion has served on the IRB at AECOM. He has participated in 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 was Director of the Fellowship Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at AECOM in 1997-2006 and Director of the Fellowship Training Program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UTSW in 2007-2019. He has been research mentor for more than 25 trainees. He is one of 3 neonatologists who teach an evidence-based medicine course twice a month for Fellows in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UTSW. 

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

• COVID-19; SARS-COV-2
• Evidence-based medicine
• Interventions to reduce mortality and morbidity in neonates
• Kidney
• Neonatal nutrition and growth
• Quality improvement

Featured Publications

Blood myo-inositol concentrations in preterm and term infants.

Brion LP, Phelps DL, Ward RM, Nolen TL, Hallman NMK, Das A, Zaccaro DJ, Ball MB, Watterberg KL, Frantz ID, Cotten CM, Poindexter BB, Oh W, Lugo RA, Van Meurs KP, O'Shea TM, Zaterka-Baxter KM, Higgins RD, J Perinatol 2020 Sep

Zinc deficiency limiting head growth to discharge in extremely low gestational age infants with insufficient linear growth: a cohort study.

Brion LP, Heyne R, Steven Brown L, Lair CS, Edwards A, Burchfield PJ, Caraig M, J Perinatol 2020 Aug

Association of age of initiation and type of complementary foods with body mass index and weight-for-length at 12 months of age in preterm infants.

Brion LP, Rosenfeld CR, Heyne R, Steven Brown L, Lair CS, Heyne E, Dohoney EL, Burchfield PJ, Caraig M, J Perinatol 2020 Mar

Timing of postnatal steroids for bronchopulmonary dysplasia: association with pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Harmon HM, Jensen EA, Tan S, Chaudhary AS, Slaughter JL, Bell EF, Wyckoff MH, Hensman AM, Sokol GM, DeMauro SB, J Perinatol 2020 Feb

Optimizing individual nutrition in preterm very low birth weight infants: double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Brion LP, Rosenfeld CR, Heyne R, Brown LS, Lair CS, Petrosyan E, Jacob T, Caraig M, Burchfield PJ, J Perinatol 2020 Feb

Comment on evidence for and against vertical transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019)

Brion LP; Chan CS; Adhikari EH AJOG 2020 223 91.e1-91.e4

Optimal delivery management for the prevention of early neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Protocol

Christina S Chan, Juin Yee Kong, Kikelomo L Babata, Kelly Mazzarella, Emily H Adhikari, Kee Thai Yeo, Jean-Michel Hascoët, Luc P Brion Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020 7

Feeding strategies to prevent neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection in term or late preterm babies born to mothers with confirmed COVID-19. Protocol

Kikelomo L Babata, Kee Thai Yeo, Christina S Chan, Kelly Mazzarella, Emily H Adhikari, Juin Yee Kong, Jean-Michel Hascoët, Luc P Brion Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020 7

Cuffed versus uncuffed endotracheal tubes in neonates. Protocol

Dariya V, Moresco L, Bruschettini M, Brion LP. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020 7

Role of Zinc in Neonatal Growth and Brain Growth: Review and Scoping Review.

Brion LP, Heyne R, Lair C. Pediatric Research 2020

 Featured Books

Clinical significance of developmental renal physiology. In Fetal and Neonatal Physiology

Brion LP, Satlin LM (1998). 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 (2020). Philadelphia., JB Lippincott Company,

Neonatal Jaundice. In Neonatology for Primary Care

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

Neonatal jaundice. In 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.

Neonatal jaundice. In 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

• 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)
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Medical Association
• Society of Pediatric Research