Division director
Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD
A Ernest and Jane G Stein Professor of Neurology
Director, Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology
Chief of Neurology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Washington University School of Medicine
The Pediatric Neurology Residency Training Program at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital has a long and distinguished track record for producing excellent pediatric neurologists—it is an outstanding place to train. The neuroscience community at Washington University is truly world class, and clinical and research opportunities are abundant. Dr. Phil Dodge created our program in 1967 when he arrived to take the helm of the Department Pediatrics. Since its inception, we have considered it our mission to prepare our graduates for any career pathway in pediatric neurology, including research, leadership, and community practice.
We enjoy an excellent relationship with our colleagues in the Department of Pediatrics allowing our residents to function as Fellows supervising pediatric residents on our Neuromedicine services. Indeed, our residents are often awarded the “Outstanding Fellow Teaching Award” by the Pediatric house staff. Our large faculty have diverse clinical and research interests, and are superb role models for how to build a career without sacrificing an enjoyable and satisfying work-life balance.
Program director
Soe S. Mar, MD, MBBS, MRCP
Professor of Neurology
Professor of Pediatrics
Program Director, Pediatric Neurology Residency Training Program
Director, Pediatric Onset Demyelinating Diseases and Autoimmune Encephalitis Center
It is absolutely thrilling to be part of a team which has consistently ranked in the top segment of the elite neurology/neurosurgery programs in the nation. Our catchment area comprises a 300 mile radius and our specialists provide second opinions nationally and internationally. We participate in global health initiatives and our scientists are regularly in the news for breakthrough discoveries. We strive to make our residents feel welcomed and valued during their training. Our program and people allow you to flourish as a clinician and scientist with ample support and guidance.
We love what we do and we also love the St. Louis community. St. Louis is dotted with ethnic neighborhoods, entertainment districts, stadiums, cultural institutions, and fabulous restaurants. It is an interesting and affordable place to live, culturally diverse, and family-friendly. Don’t miss the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Louis Art Museum, and Zoo. We also have kayaking and canoeing on spring fed rivers in the Ozarks just a short drive away. We offer residents a friendly, non-competitive, collegial, and supportive atmosphere here in our world class department. We hope you’ll consider training in St. Louis. It’s an exceptional place to live and work!
Associate program directors
Réjean M. Guerriero, DO
Associate Professor of Neurology
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Neurology Residency
Washington University School of Medicine
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Pediatric Neurology Training Program at Washington University in St. Louis! I recently moved from the northeast after completing my training in Boston and I am continually impressed with the high quality of neurology trainees and the faculty here.
Washington University Pediatric Neurology has a long history of training exceptional child neurologists. The program always strives to improve its curriculum, training and work-life balance to maintain the highest quality of neurology trainees. I believe the best way to learn clinical pediatric neurology is done through seeing patients supplemented with bedside and didactic teaching and individualized feedback and career development. Whether your interests are in clinical neurology or becoming a physician-scientist, there are opportunities here for you. The program leadership and faculty across the division take pride in resident education and consider residents as an integral member of the clinical team and our academic family.
Finally, being new to the St. Louis area and Midwest, my family and I have been thrilled with our high quality of life and work-life balance. There are opportunities for all of us to enjoy the restaurants, sports, outdoor activities and warm sense of community that exists here.
Sarah Bauer Huang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Neurology Residency
Washington University School of Medicine
I am very excited to be part of the training of young physicians in the early stages of their career. Our training program continues to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the pediatric neurology landscape as our patient population becomes more complex with new treatments, increasing understanding of the role of genetics in the presentation of neurologic disease, as well as expanding landscape of sub-specialty pediatric neurology. My hope is to help guide our trainees through this important stage of training, realizing all of us have unique goals in our careers (from clinician to scientist).
Given the breadth of our faculty expertise as well as our relationship with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, we have the opportunities to take care of a variety of patients from St. Louis, and throughout the Missouri and Illinois regions (and beyond).
Since moving to St. Louis, my family has taken full advantage of the St Louis area. We are constantly finding new restaurants to try (all within 20 minutes), access to new cultural and educational opportunities for my children, and have slowly learned the vernacular of the local sports teams. We are looking forward to continuing to explore this area and am always happy to share our experiences.
Chief residents
Anna Scholz, MD
2024-2025 Chief Resident – Administrative
Where I am from: I grew up in a small town called Worthington in rural Minnesota. I got my bachelor’s degree with double major in biochemistry and math from a small liberal arts college called Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. I then went to medical school at Rosalind Franklin University in the Chicago suburbs.
Where I am going: I am most interested in neuro-critical care and/or epilepsy. I love learning about continuous EEG in the PICU, especially in cases of traumatic brain injuries, post-arrest, and status epilepticus. It is also an honor to be able to support families through extremely challenging times and decisions. Something I love about the program is that we are exposed to all areas of neurology but are also allowed plenty of time to explore our unique interests. I am excited to continue exploring and seeing which area of neurology I choose!
Why I am here: I took a somewhat roundabout path into pediatric neurology. I actually initially matched into the categorical peds program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. I didn’t have much exposure to pediatric neurology in medical school but was attracted to the peds program for the volume and diversity of pathology, the supportive co-resident culture, and for the mid-sized, affordable city with lots to offer. While rotating on the pediatric neurology floor during my first year, I found myself reading articles at home every night after long days at the hospital, and I realized that neurology really encompassed everything I loved about medicine, and truly had the most interesting patients! The things that initially drew me to the categorical peds program are even more true about pediatric neurology. We see so many interesting and unique cases, have every opportunity to be involved with research and are allowed increasing autonomy as the years progress to set us up for success after graduation. Not only are the other residents extremely supportive, but the faculty go above and beyond to welcome residents and are always excited about teaching. I have never hesitated to call an attending, or just stop by their office to chat about a patient. It is also an incredible opportunity to train with a strong adult neurology program. I feel so lucky to have been able to transfer into the pediatric neurology program for PGY-3 year to continue my training!
Aimee Morris, MD, PhD
2024-2025 Chief Resident – Education & Wellness
Where I am from: I am from Albany, NY, with a brief stint in northern Michigan where I attended an arts boarding school. I received my Bachelor of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, studying French horn performance. I stayed in Rochester for medical school at the University of Rochester where I was part of the Medical Education Pathway and Academic Research Track. A few months into my research year-out, I decided to pursue a PhD and joined the Rochester MSTP. During my PhD, I studied the mechanisms underlying musician dystonia and related movement disorders using functional MRI to examine brain network architecture.
Where I am going: I plan to pursue a fellowship in movement disorders and am interested in a career in academic medicine as a physician scientist.
Why I am here: WashU is a vibrant, rigorous program with a rich history of leadership in child neurology and both clinical and academic excellence. The residents and faculty have a rich diversity in backgrounds and interests. The faculty are incredibly supportive, and I am confident they would move mountains to support our wellness and ambitions. Even though moving cities and starting residency in the time of COVID-19 is hard, the neuro family here has made me feel welcome and supported in the transition. I am loving residency so far and am thrilled to be here for the next five years. On a personal level, I can’t wait for the social dance scene in St. Louis to open back up when safe as the abundance of live music and fun, free social dancing opportunities here are super impressive. In the meantime, I enjoy going for hikes, playing my horn and hanging with friends in my free time.
Tanner Hoke, MD
2024-2025 Chief Resident – Administrative
Where I am from: I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I attended Claremont McKenna College in Southern California for college and Northwestern University Feinberg SOM for medical school.
Where I am going: While I am continuing to explore all fields within child neurology, I am currently interested in pursuing a fellowship in either neuro-critical care or neonatal neurology. I would also like to incorporate palliative care into my future career.
Why I am here: Washington University is a phenomenal institution and has such a rich history with regard to the field of child neurology. I knew that this program had so much to offer from an academic and research perspective. I knew that I would work with and be mentored by some of the most renowned pediatric neurologists in the country. While all of those things were reinforced throughout my interview days, what stuck with me most about my interview experience was the pre-interview dinner that I attended at Dr. Gurnett’s home. The environment was so welcoming, and the camaraderie between residents and attendings was evident. My Pediatric Neurology family has made St. Louis feel like a home away from home!
Welcome to the Pediatric Neurology Residency Program at Washington University in St. Louis! We take pride in the fact that as you explore pediatric neurology training programs across the country, you will find that many of their faculty and leadership have ties to Wash U. Our faculty have an unparalleled level of engagement and dedication to trainees, as evidenced by the success of our program’s graduates. Our attendings are leaders in the field who are happy to advise us at all hours and frequently invite us into their homes and their lives. They are a true highlight of our program.
Opportunities for basic, clinical, and translational science on our campus are vast. More than half of our faculty are actively involved in research and ready to mentor trainees. Importantly, we have uninterrupted time for trainees to explore their interests by means of clinical electives, scientific research (including national funding mechanisms such as the R25 program), QI, or international work. Our program is dedicated to building and shaping careers for all types of pediatric neurologists, whether pursuing clinical, academic, and/or research tracks.
The city of St. Louis is diverse, beautiful, and affordable. We guarantee you’ll find endless ways to spend your time outside of the hospital! Importantly to us, it’s a place where people are engaging with big picture issues of social justice, equity, and sustainability.
What we love most about our program is our co-residents. Our resident community is social, supportive, and engaged with one another. Our wellness curriculum and wellness champions are an important cornerstone of maintaining work-life balance within our program.
We love training at a prestigious, world-class institution where we are taught by enthusiastic, dedicated, and approachable faculty. We enjoy living in a city, where there’s never a shortage of places to eat, concerts to see, sports to attend or beautiful parks to wander through. We can’t wait to introduce you to our program, our department and our city.
Michelle, Grace and Nick