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| Barrow Neuroscience Research Center, Phoenix, Arizona |
John F. Kerrigan, MD
Director, Barrow Hypothalamic Hamartoma Research Program
Laboratory Focus
The Hypothalamic Hamartoma Program at the Barrow Neurological Institute seeks to contribute to new knowledge about hypothalamic hamartoma, and basic mechanisms of epilepsy, by conducting both clinical and basic science research. Stated broadly, the mission of the Barrow Hypothalamic Hamartoma Research Program is to illuminate fundamental mechanisms of hypothalamic hamartoma pathophysiology, so that hypothalamic hamartoma and other catastrophic epilepsies of childhood can be more effectively treated or perhaps even prevented.
Fundamental Research Questions
Our research efforts are framed around three fundamental questions:
- What is the pathogenesis (cause) of the hypothalamic hamartoma lesion?
- Why are hypothalamic hamartoma lesions intrinsically epileptogenic (that is, what mechanisms cause seizures to arise directly from the hypothalamic hamartoma tissue)?
- Why does hypothalamic hamartoma pathology (or the seizures arising from them) result in such deleterious effects on the rest of the brain?
Informed Consent for Participation in Research
Entry of patient information into the Barrow Hypothalamic Hamartoma Research Database, and the research use of hypothalamic hamartoma tissue following surgical resection, is performed only after written Informed Consent has been obtained from the patient or the patient’s guardians. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Research at the Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has approved the informed consent documents.
Contact Us
Please direct questions about the research efforts of the Barrow Hypothalamic Hamartoma Research Program to:
Maggie Bobrowitz, RN, MBA
Program Coordinator, Hypothalamic Hamartoma Program
Phone: (602) 406-7585
E-mail: margaret.boborowitz@dignityhealth.org
John F. Kerrigan, MD
Director, Barrow Hypothalamic Hamartoma Research Program
E-mail: jkerrigan@phoenixchildrens.com
