Dr. Carl E. Stafstrom

Dr. Comi graduated from SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and received her training in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo and her child neurology training at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Her clinical specialization is in the treatment of the neurological aspects of Sturge-Weber syndrome and other disorders related to capillary malformation. Dr. Comi's clinical research interests focus on improving the early diagnosis and treatment of brain involvement in Sturge-Weber syndrome in order to prevent ischemic brain injury in affected infants and young children, and on studies to understand what causes Sturge-Weber syndrome. Her laboratory research work deals with the pathogenesis of Sturge-Weber syndrome, recently shown to be caused by a somatic mutation, and on developing new drug targets, screening assays, models and therapeutic strategies for Sturge-Weber syndrome. Her lab group also works on developing better neuroprotective and neuroregenerative responses to brain injury resulting from impaired blood flow to the brain. Dr. Comi is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Aplasia Cutis Congenita. Her top areas of expertise are Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Parkes Weber Syndrome, Stork Bite, Epilepsy in Children, and Endovascular Embolization.

Roger Packer is a Neurologist and a Pediatrics provider in Washington, Washington, D.c.. Dr. Packer is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Aplasia Cutis Congenita. His top areas of expertise are Brain Tumor, Diffuse Midline Glioma H3 K27M-Mutant, Neurofibromatosis, and Medulloblastoma.

After completing her bachelors of science degree in biochemistry from the City College of New York (CUNY), Dr. Smith-Hicks entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she obtained her M.D., Ph.D. in 2000. She trained in Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her Neurology and Pediatric Neurology training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2005. Dr. Smith-Hicks trained as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Paul Worley. She joined the faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2010 where she now sees patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Rett Syndrome, while conducting basic science research exploring disorders of learning and memory. Dr. Smith is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Aplasia Cutis Congenita. Her top areas of expertise are Rett Syndrome, Ruvalcaba Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy.