Current Environment:

Medical Services

Specialties

Programs & Services

Languages

  • English
  • Portuguese

Education

Medical School

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

1990, Rico de Janeiro, Brazil

Internship

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

1990, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Residency

Hospital de Clínicas of Federal University of Paraná

1995, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Fellowship

Boston Children's Hospital

1995, Boston, MA

Certifications

  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Child and Adolescent Neurology)
  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Epilepsy)

Professional History

My research interests are in Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) and epilepsy during the first two years of life considering all aspects of the heterogeneous conditions. My mission is to improve the understanding of the multitude of etiologies and the possible mechanisms of seizure, diagnostic assessment, treatment and prognosis. I have had a chance to in the comprehensive SWS clinic in the neurology department at Boston Children’s Hospital. Brain involvement is commonly seen; seizure is the most common neurological symptom manifested in SWS patients, and yet the pathophysiologic process involving the epileptogenesis in this syndrome is not fully explained. Seizures often occur during first year of life and they can be drug resistant. Studies have shown that duration of epilepsy impact quality of life and neurodevelopment of this group of patients. Hopefully we can promote improvement on those aspects in the life of patients with SWS. 

Publications

Even before my entrance in medical school, I knew I wanted to work with children. My mother was a teacher, and I have always enjoyed trying to get into the mind and universe of a child. Now as a mother, I have two children who continue to inspire me. I was already a practicing child neurologist in Brazil when I came to the United States in July 2007 in order to pursue training in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology.

I received my Medical Degree from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Then I went on to complete my PhD in Neurology at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In addition, I completed the epilepsy and neurophysiology fellowship, neurology residency program, and neurogenetics fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. My area of interest is epilepsy in children and adolescents, and that’s where I would like to have a chance to make a difference. Through the understanding of the impact of seizure disorders in this age group, I would like to focus my career on the prevention of epilepsy, the easing of its effects, and the promotion of the best possible quality of life for people with seizure disorders and their families.