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CORA Prepares the Next Generation of Medical Experts

CORA Prepares the Next Generation of Medical Experts

by | Apr 24, 2025 | Research & Innovation, Scoliosis & Spine

Research equips Scottish Rite for Children clinicians to continuously provide the best care possible to every patient. Each year, Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistants (CORAs) are chosen to assist Scottish Rite’s team of experts in addressing a wide range of clinical needs, as well as innovating treatment options.

The CORA program serves as a patient-driven, hands-on experience for aspiring medical students. This program was created in 2022 to provide opportunities to students who aim to enhance their medical knowledge before entering medical school.

CORA staff assists Scottish Rite experts in performing clinical research tasks and collaborating on research projects. Each CORA staff member specializes in a specific area of study and works with the experts in that department, where they gain a well-rounded experience in their field of interest. CORA areas of study include Spine, Foot, Hip, Rheumatology, Neurology, Sports Medicine and Movement Science. They receive ample clinical interaction, research experience and mentorship within their field of interest, as well as other fields of their choosing.

Amareesa Robinson, a current CORA staff member, works with Scottish Rite’s spine experts. As a former Scottish Rite patient who had scoliosis, she is experiencing a full-circle moment by researching and collaborating with the spine team. She works closely with Assistant Chief of Staff Karl E. Rathjen, M.D., studying the use of tissue expanders to manage spinal deformities.

“What I love about researching spine conditions is the depth and complexity in the diagnoses and treatment methods,” Amareesa says. “Dr. Rathjen has served as a vital part of my experience and has taught me not only about research but also much about what goes into caring for patients with unique and complex conditions.”

As Amareesa’s CORA time wraps up, she is looking forward to a future in medicine. She was accepted into McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “My time at Scottish Rite has shaped the kind of physician I want to become,” Amareesa says. “I know I still have much to learn, but Scottish Rite has shown me the type of career I want to build.”

If you are interested in a career in medicine and plan to take a year or two off after college before applying to medical school, learn more about becoming a CORA at Scottish Rite careers. Applications for June 2026 positions are being accepted through spring of 2025.

Get to Know Our Staff: Ila Oxendine, Research

Get to Know Our Staff: Ila Oxendine, Research

by | Apr 16, 2025 | Research & Innovation, Spotlight, Uncategorized

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am a cell and tissue core coordinator, and I maintain the operations of cell culture facilities at the hospital. I also work with research labs that perform various experiments and procedures. Currently, the Cellular Path Lab is enthusiastically engaging in the world of histology procedures.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
In research, learning is a never-ending process that is always engaging to me.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
To me, Scottish Rite is a special place because of the unwavering support from my colleagues. Their kindness, thoughtfulness and camaraderie has always been a source of strength to me over the past 15 years. Together, we have navigated the joys and challenges of life. I could not have reached this point or achieved this much without their support and love. I am profoundly grateful to have such caring souls by my side.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I chose health care to have the opportunity to help people. In my case, I get to do that one experiment at a time.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
I care for cells that grow in little dishes. These cells will be used in future experiments to answer questions and potentially lead to more questions about the cell’s life.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I have many favorite things! I love my two fur babies, which is my dog named AnnaRose and my cat named Panda. I am very thankful for them. Also, I enjoy volunteering at Dallas Animal Services and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Some people may disagree, but my talent is making people laugh in my own way.

Where are you from, and what brought you to DFW?
I was already in the DFW area, because I am indigenous to the land. I am full-blooded Native American. My mother is from the Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma, and my father is from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
First off, I need to do my travel! On my bucket list, I want to visit the Galapagos Islands, because it’s a unique place with plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would eat plain oatmeal with quinoa, hempseeds, flax meal, walnuts, pecans and a dollop of no palm oil peanut butter. I would also include fresh fruit with a strong coffee made from Kona beans. Then, I would finish my meal with a pound cake that I bake.

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“John Wick” because you should never mess with someone’s dog.

Favorite DFW hidden gem?
Cedar Ridge Preserve. I love all trails.

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
Meryl Streep. She has a very expressive face, and she is very talented.

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
There are two questions that you should ask yourself that have served me well. Is it worth the fight? If so, can you win? To me, my answer will be yes and yes!

NBC 5: Go Move Helps Patients with Cerebral Palsy

NBC 5: Go Move Helps Patients with Cerebral Palsy

by | Apr 8, 2025 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

A new website developed by Scottish Rite for Children’s senior clinical scientist Angela Shierk, Ph.D., O.T.R., is helping patients with cerebral palsy reach their goals. Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability in children and causes issues with movement, balance and posture. Go Move is a virtual occupational therapy tool that allows patients to perform exercises from the comfort of their home, set specific goals and track their progress.

Evvie is a Scottish Rite patient, who is using Go Move to improve her mobility by leaps and bounds. The 17-year-old credits her daily exercises with helping her achieve key milestones, such as washing her hair or tying her shoes.

Go Move is part of an international research project with partners in Turkey, Poland and Mexico. This technology is making vital care accessible to children who need it, and our team is eager to continue developing the program to help children not only in DFW, but also around the world.

Watch the full story from NBC 5.

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.