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Dallas Morning News: Team at Scottish Rite for Children Awarded Grant From National Institutes of Health For Rare Disease Research

Dallas Morning News: Team at Scottish Rite for Children Awarded Grant From National Institutes of Health For Rare Disease Research

by | Mar 27, 2025 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

Researchers at Scottish Rite for Children and UT Southwestern Medical Center recieved a $420,000 grant to test a gene therapy they believe may lead to a breakthrough treatment for a disease that causes children to lose nerve and motor control by the age of 5.

The two-year project, led by principal investigator Jonathan J. Rios, Ph.D., and funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, aims to develop and test a new treatment for Childhood-Onset Striatonigral Degeneration (SNDC). SNDC is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting children, leading to loss of nerve and muscle function. Currently, there are no treatments to slow, reverse or stop the progression of this condition.

“The funding provided by this award ensures we can complete the research needed to move this potential new therapy closer to treating children with this devastating condition,” said Rios, who is the director of Molecular Genetics at Scottish Rite, as well as an associate professor in the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Departments of Pediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW).

SNDC is caused by genetic mutations that affect a child’s neurological functions. Over time, children with the condition experience muscle spasms, trouble with balance and posture and tremors. Children with SNDC may lose the ability to speak or move on their own. The condition is rare and affects an estimated one to nine in 1,000,000 people. Without treatment, the symptoms of SNDC can be debilitating, and in some cases fatal. The gene therapy being studied at Scottish Rite would be the first treatment for SNDC if eventually approved by the FDA.

“Many parents of children with rare diseases struggle with finding hope for a cure,” says Robert L. Walker, president/CEO of Scottish Rite. “Scottish Rite is committed to giving these children and their families the support they need through our research discoveries.”

Read the full article shared by the Dallas Morning News.

Get to Know Our Staff: Kelly Jeans, Movement Science

Get to Know Our Staff: Kelly Jeans, Movement Science

by | Mar 26, 2025 | Research & Innovation, Spotlight

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am the Division Director of the Movement Science Lab (MSL) in Dallas. I also am a researcher with an interest in understanding treatment outcomes in the patients we treat here at Scottish Rite.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
The key to successful research is having a strong team of collaborators with technical and clinical expertise. The most fulfilling part of my job is seeing our research efforts directly impact clinical care.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
The staff is what makes Scottish Rite a special place. The people here are friendly and genuinely happy to help.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I was looking for a research job in biomechanics and found Scottish Rite’s job posting for Clinical Gait Lab Biomechanist. When I came to interview, I got to sit in on the lab’s monthly research meeting. That’s when I knew this was a perfect fit. What makes my career even better is that I get to work with kids and do research!

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
I get to study movement patterns using 3D motion capture, which I think is super cool!

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Gardening (but not weeding), growing plumerias, travelling and sewing.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I am the “fixer” of all things in my house. Whenever I tell my family something is beyond repair, they get deeply disappointed.

Where are you from and what brought you to DFW?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from college in Southern California. I moved to Dallas to join the MSL team.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I love to travel and have a long bucket list. If I had to pick just one trip, I would really love to make it to Australia and New Zealand. I want to dive into the great barrier reef and do the “Lord of the Rings” tour in New Zealand.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Only one meal for the rest of my life?!  If I had to choose, I would have to go with fresh seafood, pasta, a salad and a Diet Dr. Pepper.

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“Elf.” Will Ferrell still cracks me up after all these years.

What was the first concert you attended?
I want to say Whitney Houston or George Michael, but I can’t remember who came first.

Favorite DFW hidden gem?
I would recommend Gloria’s for their swirl margarita and pupusas.

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
I would pick Drew Barrymore. She seems to be a positive person who might appreciate a good garden.

What is some advice you would give your younger self OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
The best advice I received was to get on the board of a professional society. It has really been wonderful working with other health care providers who share a passion for treating children.

Sports Physicals – Don’t Rush This Important Process For Your Young and Growing Athlete

Sports Physicals – Don’t Rush This Important Process For Your Young and Growing Athlete

by | Feb 6, 2025 | Research & Innovation

Although schools and sports organizations often require physicals annually, it is frequently overlooked until the last minute. Shane M. Miller, M.D., FAAP, sports medicine physician and the Section Director of Medical Sports Medicine at Scottish Rite for Children, shares his thoughts on the pre-participation evaluation (PPE) in the following article.

Dr. Miller suggests to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, urging families to schedule an appointment with the child’s primary care provider at least six weeks before the season. To prepare for this apppointment, families can discuss the following topics prior to the visit:

  • Family and child medical and heart-related history and cardiac health
  • Muscle, joint, or bone pain or injuries and pain
  • Eating habits and any desires to gain or lose weight
  • Menstrual cycle frequency and any concerns
  • Use or contemplation of using supplements
  • Changes in sleep, mood, or interest in sports or friends

Learn more about Sports Medicine at Scottish Rite for Children here.

Innovation in Motion: Scottish Rite for Children’s Highlights From the 2025 PRiSM Meeting

Innovation in Motion: Scottish Rite for Children’s Highlights From the 2025 PRiSM Meeting

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Events, Research & Innovation

Scottish Rite for Children attended the 12th annual Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM) Society meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Scottish Rite clinicians and researchers displayed the results of 25 projects through various presentations and posters, resulting in a strong presence at the meeting.

Continue reading for highlights of Scottish Rite’s contributions and accomplishments at the 2025 PRiSM meeting:

Staff in the Spotlight

Director of Movement Science Sophia Ulman, Ph.D., led several presentations, involving the groundbreaking work from the Movement Science Lab team. She also served as a board member for PRiSM.

Director of Sports Medicine and orthopedic sports surgeon Philip L. Wilson, M.D., shared promising results from a study, which included outcomes in treating osteochondritis dissecans in the ankle, specifically the talus bone. The technique was adapted from one previously published by the team in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine as a treatment for osteochondritis dissecans in the knee.

Jacob C. Jones, M.D., RMSK, helped lead the pre-conference workshop to introduce attendees to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in diagnostics methods for pediatric sports medicine conditions. He also presented several novel investigations from the podium, involving the use of ultrasound to evaluate ankle injuries, as well as elbows, in asymptomatic baseball players and gymnasts.

Learn more about the annual internation Pediatric Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Symposium held at Scottish Rite for Children. Registration for the August 2025 program is open now.

Trainees in the Spotlight

Scottish Rite’s sports medicine team proudly supports young researchers and students in various programs. They mentor the young researchers by helping them prepare presentations for national audiences, such as PRiSM, and publish research, as the lead author or primary investigator.

Medical Student Research Fellow (MSRF)

Rishi Sinha, M.D., is an orthopedic resident at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. As he completed medical school at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, he participated in the one-year Medical Student Research Fellowship at Scottish Rite for Children and collaborated the sports medicine and hip teams. Sinha shared data from the Sports Cohort Outcomes Registry (SCORE), a multicenter registry of pediatric and adolescent arthroscopy cases and complications. His presentation focused on skeletally immature anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions and was nominated as a top ten contender for the Top Scientific Paper Award.

Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA)

Each year, Scottish Rite seeks out college students in pursuing a career in medicine. Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA) are hired to help Scottish Rite’s experts in collaborating on clinical research tasks and projects. CORA researchers specialize in an area of study and works with the experts in that department, exiting the program with a well-rounded experience to further their education in medical school or other post-graduate programs.

For the past two years, PRiSM has recognized two Scottish Rite for Children CORA researchers with trainee travel grants to present their projects. Trainee travel grants help members pay for the expenses to travel to conferences or other events to present their research. This year, the following CORA researchers gave two exceptional presentations:

  • James McGinley, B.S., a former baseball player and first-year medical student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, presented findings from an ultrasound study on baseball players and a project on risk factors for osteochondral fractures in first-time patellar dislocations.
  • Cassidy Schultz, B.S., presented a retrospective study on the incidence of rhabdomyolysis in North Texas and an anatomic study of the medial meniscus. She plans to become a physician assistant and will begin her program this summer.

Learn more about the Medical Student Research Fellow (MSRF) and Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA) programs. These programs immerse medical students and college graduates in a highly productive academic setting to learn the skills necessary to become a successful musculoskeletal clinician researcher.

 

Awards and Accolades

In addition to the trainee travel grants, PRiSM society award committee members recognized a handful of outstanding projects. Recipients of these and other awards are selected by a small committee during the annual meeting.

Hank Chambers Best Scientific Paper Award

Our team is a significant contributor to data and efforts of the Research on Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee (ROCK) study group. The presentation of this data earned the Hank Chambers Best Scientific Paper Award, named for the founding member of PRiSM, Dr. Hank Chambers.

Kevin Shea Best Scientific Poster Award

Lead biomechanist Ashley Erdman, B.S., M.B.A., was awarded the Kevin Shea Best Scientific Poster for her project scrutinizing the medial knee position in the single-leg squat, a test used to evaluate knee collapse, or valgus, a known position that increases risk of ACL injury. The project is called, “Comparison of Most Medial Knee Position and Knee Abduction During a Single-Leg Squat Task: Are We Seeing the Whole Picture?”.

“Top 10” Poster

The poster titled, “Strength and Spatiotemporal Predictors of Fatigue induced Changes in Hip and Ankle Kinetics in High-School Cross-Country Runners,” was a top ten contender for Best Scientific Poster. In this poster and on the podium, sports medicine physician Shane M. Miller, M.D., and physical therapist Jessica Penshorn, P.T., D.P.T., A.T.C., shared findings from work on young runners in a project that began as an idea at the 2024 PRiSM annual meeting. They have tested young, long-distance runners in Scottish Rite’s Movement Science Lab  in a novel study evaluating movement mechanics and running mechanics across the course of a five-mile run.

Get to Know Our Staff: Bridget Barry Thias, Medical Library

Get to Know Our Staff: Bridget Barry Thias, Medical Library

by | Dec 12, 2024 | Research & Innovation, Spotlight

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I manage all aspects of our Medical Library by providing evidence-based resources to our clinical staff for their clinical practice.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
Knowing that my behind-the-scenes role contributes to research, direct patient care, our staff’s continuing education and the formation of hospital policies and practices is fulfilling.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
Our mission is important and meaningful.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I like the variety. I am always learning and doing something meaningful.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
Because of the new daily literature that crosses my desk, I stay on top of news in the health care field.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Time spent with family and friends! I love going to good restaurants, traveling, listening to live music, going to plays and museums and watching movies.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I am interested in photography and writing.

Where are you from and what brought you to DFW?
I grew up in the DFW area.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would travel to Switzerland for the beauty of the mountains.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Palak Paneer. I love spicy Indian food.

What was the first concert you attended?
The Rolling Stones.

What is some advice you would give your younger self OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Find work that is meaningful.

Dr. Carol Wise & Her Groundbreaking Scoliosis Research Timeline

Dr. Carol Wise & Her Groundbreaking Scoliosis Research Timeline

by | Jun 14, 2024 | Research & Innovation

At Scottish Rite for Children, one of the most common conditions we treat is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). With AIS, the spine curves or twists into a “S” or “C” shape for unexplained reasons. It affects two to three percent of school-aged children, equating to millions of children worldwide. It is well known that girls have a much higher risk of developing severe AIS than boys, and that it tends to run in families. Despite this knowledge, much is still unknown about the cause of scoliosis, and there is currently no way to prevent the condition from occurring.
While our surgeons treat AIS in our clinics and operating rooms, Scottish Rite’s director of Translation Research Carol Wise, Ph.D., continues her groundbreaking scoliosis genetic research two floors above. Dr. Wise and her team have received millions of dollars in grant funding, and their breakthroughs in research are advancing the world’s understanding of scoliosis. Below is an overview of her discoveries, what she and her team are studying now, and where she hopes her research will lead in the future to help patients with scoliosis around the world.

Where It Started
In 2016, Dr. Wise was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health for a Program titled “Developmental Mechanisms of Human Idiopathic Scoliosis”. This program is a collaborative effort between three research-focused centers including Principal Investigators Dr. Wise at Scottish Rite for Children and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Liliana Solnica-Krezel, Ph.D., at Washington University and Nadav Ahituv, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco. The goal of the Program is to discover the causes of AIS in children.
In the first six years of the program, the researchers discovered many genetic variants associated with increased risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. For example, one discovery was near PAX1, a gene involved in spine development. Curiously, this variant was found mostly in females and not males, suggesting it promotes the higher instance of AIS in females. The collaborative team went on to show that specific factors in cartilage, are relevant in AIS. This was a significant breakthrough as it pointed to specific parts of the spine that drive the disease. These findings were published in the journals Nature Communication and Bone Research.
In 2022, Wise and the team were awarded a highly competitive renewal of their grant. The goals of the new grant are to continue building on groundbreaking genetic research and define specific factors causing AIS that could be targeted for treatment. The group expanded with a fourth research center by adding Principal Investigator Dr. Gray of University of Texas at Austin.

Current Research
In a study published in January of 2024, Wise and her team defined still more genetic variants that function in cartilage and connective tissue and increase the risk of developing AIS. One of these variants was found in a gene called Col11a1, a gene variant affecting collagen. To further investigate, when PAX1 – the gene previously discovered to impact spine development – was removed, Col11a1 was reduced, limiting collagen production. Going one step further, the researchers found that lowering the levels of an estrogen receptor altered the activation patterns of Pax1, Col11a1, and Mmp3 in mouse cartilage cells. These findings suggest a possible mechanism for the development of AIS, particularly in females. This information may guide future therapies aimed at maintaining healthy spinal cells in adolescent children, particularly girls. This work was published in the journal eLife. At the same time the UCSF team, using a different approach, discovered that estrogen blockade alters functions of Pax1. This work was published in Cell Reports. Dr. Wise and her team are continuing to define the roles of human AIS-associated genes in spine using animal models and other tools.  Simultaneously, they are sharing their findings with the larger scientific community for the benefit of spine researchers worldwide.

Future Research and Goals
As Wise and the group continue unraveling the “why” of AIS it is leading to ideas for prevention or cures. Developing pre-clinical therapies, and understanding why girls are at such greater risk of progressive AIS than boys, are two major goals of Wise and her colleagues. For Dr. Wise, patients and families living with AIS inspire her work and the work of many other scientists diligently seeking answers.