Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology)
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern University
Dr. Maria Dizon, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, has been an attending neonatologist in the Division of Neonatology since 2002, and a proud contributor to the growth of the division, department and hospital over the years. She completed my subspecialty training at Northwestern University following general pediatrics training at Boston City Hospital. Although originally a Texan, Chicago is her sweet home.
Dr. Dizon is interested in mechanisms leading to newborn brain injury, especially preterm brain injury. In the lab, her focus has been on the impact of hypoxia-ischemia on the development of cells of the oligodendroglial lineage, using the strategy to genetically manipulate bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in an attempt to regenerate white matter lost to perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain iinjury,
with a particularly interest in how BMP intersects with other signaling pathways including HIF1alpha. She has also explored biomarkers for the development of cerebral palsy, including microRNAs. With the Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium, she has examined intercenter variation in medical management and resource utilization for term hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In international collaborations, she is exploring variables contributing to delayed CSF diversion for post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation.
As Co-Director of Lurie's NeuroNICU program, she works to heighten brain-awareness in the clinical management of our babies, as well as increase opportunities for clinical research that will improve the neurodevelopmental outcomes of our patients. With Neurosurgery colleagues, she works to decrease time to intervention for post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation.