Pediatric Research

Karen Gauvain, M.D. gauvain_k@kids.wustl.edu

Assistant Professor Pediatrics, Divsion of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Researcher, Patient Oriented Research Unit

Hematology and Oncology

phone: (314) 454-6018

Research Interests

My current research focus is specifically on angiogenesis and vascular function in pediatric brain tumors. I have a background in both PET and MR imaging research prior to and during medical school, as well as a resident, fellow and faculty member. My specific research interests include clinical trials in brain tumor patients, specifically with biologic agents and incorporation of biologic studies in order to better understand and improve the outcome of these poor prognosis dieases. My additional interest is in incorporating advancing imaging technology to assess response, early relapse, and late effects in patients with brain tumors.

Education

BS, University of Missouri, 1989
MD, Distinction in Research, Saint Louis University, 1998
MSPH, St. Louis University, 2013

Training

Pediatric Resident, St. Louis Children's Hospital, 1998 - 2001
Fellow, Washington University School of Medicine, 2001 - 2004

Licensure and Board Certification

2001 - PresPediatrics
2004 - PresMO, Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts
2006 - PresPediatric Hematology/Oncology

Honors and Awards

NIH Pediatric Research Loan Repayment Program, 2003 - 2005
Guardian of Childhood Winner, 2016

Selected Publications view all (15)

Publication Co-Authors

Manu S. Goyal

Joshua B. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D.

Mohamed Abdelbaki

Robert J. Hayashi, M.D.

1.	Roddy E, Sear K, Felton E, Tamrazi B, Gauvain K, Torkildson J, Del Buono B, Samuel D, Haas-Kogan DA, Chen J, Goldsby RE, Banerjee A, Lupo J, Molinaro A, Fullerton HJ, and Mueller S. Presence of cerebral microbleeds is associated with worse executive function in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Neuro-Oncology. 2016;18(11):1548-1558. PMID:27540084
2.	Bieser S, Reis M, Guzman M, Gauvain K, Elbabaa S, Braddock SR, Abdel-Baki MS. Grade II pilocytic astrocytoma in a 3-month-old patient with encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL): case report and literature review of low grade gliomas in ECCL. Am J Med Genet A. 2015. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.37017 PMID:25705862
3.	Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Kane JR, Pradhan KR, Shih CS, Gauvain KM, Baker JN, Haase JE. Evaluation of Physician and Nurse Dyad Training Procedures to Deliver a Palliative and End-of-Life Communication Intervention to Parents of Children with a Brain Tumor. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2015. doi:10.1177/1043454214563410 PMID:25623029
4.	Raikar SS, Halloran DR, Elliot M, McHugh M, Patel S, Gauvain KM. Outcomes of pediatric low-grade gliomas treated with radiation therapy: a single-institution study. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2014. doi:10.1097/MPH.0000000000000142 PMID:24714505
5.	Gauvain KM, Durham BH, McHugh M, Geller TJ. Rapidly progressive primary leptomeningeal atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor: a report of 2 cases. J Child Neurol. 2012;27(12):1597-601. doi:10.1177/0883073812436878 PMID:22378667
6.	Gauvain KM, Garbow JR, Song SK, Hirbe AC, Weilbaecher K. MRI detection of early bone metastases in b16 mouse melanoma models. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2005;22(5):403-11. doi:10.1007/s10585-005-1264-9 PMCID:PMC2726655 PMID:16283483
7.	Gauvain KM, McKinstry RC, Mukherjee P, Perry A, Neil JJ, Kaufman BA, Hayashi RJ. Evaluating pediatric brain tumor cellularity with diffusion-tensor imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001;177(2):449-54. doi:10.2214/ajr.177.2.1770449 PMID:11461881
8.	Schuster DP, Kaplan JD, Gauvain K, Welch MJ, Markham J. Measurement of regional pulmonary blood flow with PET. J Nucl Med. 1995;36(3):371-7. PMID:7884497

1.	Gupta N, Goumnerova LC, Manley P, Chi SN, Neuberg D, Puligandla M, Fangusaro J, Goldman S, Tomita T, Alden T, DiPatri A, Rubin JB, Gauvain K, Limbrick D, Leonard J, Geyer JR, Leary S, Browd S, Wang Z, Sood S, Bendel A, Nagib M, Gardner S, Karajannis MA, Harter D, Ayyanar K, Gump W, Bowers DC, Weprin B, MacDonald TJ, Aguilera D, Brahma B, Robison NJ, Kiehna E, Krieger M, Sandler E, Aldana P, Khatib Z, Ragheb J, Bhatia S, Mueller S, Banerjee A, Bredlau AL, Gururangan S, Fuchs H, Cohen KJ, Jallo G, Dorris K, Handler M, Comito M, Dias M, Nazemi K, Baird L, Murray J, Lindeman N, Hornick JL, Malkin H, Sinai C, Greenspan L, Wright KD, Prados M, Bandopadhayay P, Ligon KL, Kieran MW. Prospective Feasibility and Safety Assessment of Surgical Biopsy for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. Neuro Oncol. 2018. PMID:29741745
2.	Nordstrom M, Felton E, Sear K, Tamrazi B, Torkildson J, Gauvain K, Haas-Kogan DA, Chen J, Buono BD, Banerjee A, Samuel D, Saloner D, Tian B, Roddy E, Hess C, Fullerton H, Mueller S. Large Vessel Arteriopathy After Cranial Radiation Therapy in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors. J Child Neurol. 2018;33(5):359-366. PMCID:PMC5873308 PMID:29575995
3.	Gauvain K, Ponisio MR, Barone A, Grimaldi M, Parent E, Leeds H, Goyal M, Rubin J, McConathy J. ¹⁸F-FDOPA PET/MRI for monitoring early response to bevacizumab in children with recurrent brain tumors. Neurooncol Pract. 2018;5(1):28-36. PMCID:PMC5909807 PMID:29692922
4.	Schwetye KE, Gauvain K, Rodriguez D, Cottrell C, Limbrick DD Jr, Schmidt RE, Dahiya S. An 8-Year-Old Girl with A Supratentorial Mass. Brain Pathol. 2018;28(1):125-126. PMID:29265627
5.	Schwetye KE, Kansagra A, McEachern J, Schmidt RE, Gauvain K, Dahiya S. Unusual high-grade features in pediatric diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor: comparison with a typical low-grade example. Hum Pathol. 2017. PMID:28652147
6.	Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Pradhan K, Shih CS, Gauvain KM, Kane JR, Liu J, Haase JE. Pilot Evaluation of a Palliative and End-of-Life Communication Intervention for Parents of Children With a Brain Tumor J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2017;34(3):203-213. doi:10.1177/1043454216676836 PMID:27920233
7.	Roddy E, Sear K, Felton E, Tamrazi B, Gauvain K, Torkildson J, Del Buono B, Samuel D, Haas-Kogan DA, Chen J, Goldsby RE, Banerjee A, Lupo J, Molinaro A, Fullerton HJ, and Mueller S. Presence of cerebral microbleeds is associated with worse executive function in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Neuro-Oncology. 2016;18(11):1548-1558. PMID:27540084
8.	Medina RG, Dempsher DP, Gauvain KM, Geller TJ, Elbabaa SK. Resolution of precocious puberty following resection of fourth ventricular medulloblastoma: case report. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2015;16(3):287-90. PMID:26053334
9.	Bieser S, Reis M, Guzman M, Gauvain K, Elbabaa S, Braddock SR, Abdel-Baki MS. Grade II pilocytic astrocytoma in a 3-month-old patient with encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL): case report and literature review of low grade gliomas in ECCL. Am J Med Genet A. 2015. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.37017 PMID:25705862
10.	Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Kane JR, Pradhan KR, Shih CS, Gauvain KM, Baker JN, Haase JE. Evaluation of Physician and Nurse Dyad Training Procedures to Deliver a Palliative and End-of-Life Communication Intervention to Parents of Children with a Brain Tumor. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2015. doi:10.1177/1043454214563410 PMID:25623029
11.	Raikar SS, Halloran DR, Elliot M, McHugh M, Patel S, Gauvain KM. Outcomes of pediatric low-grade gliomas treated with radiation therapy: a single-institution study. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2014. doi:10.1097/MPH.0000000000000142 PMID:24714505
12.	Gauvain KM, Durham BH, McHugh M, Geller TJ. Rapidly progressive primary leptomeningeal atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor: a report of 2 cases. J Child Neurol. 2012;27(12):1597-601. doi:10.1177/0883073812436878 PMID:22378667
13.	Gauvain KM, Garbow JR, Song SK, Hirbe AC, Weilbaecher K. MRI detection of early bone metastases in b16 mouse melanoma models. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2005;22(5):403-11. doi:10.1007/s10585-005-1264-9 PMCID:PMC2726655 PMID:16283483
14.	Gauvain KM, McKinstry RC, Mukherjee P, Perry A, Neil JJ, Kaufman BA, Hayashi RJ. Evaluating pediatric brain tumor cellularity with diffusion-tensor imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001;177(2):449-54. doi:10.2214/ajr.177.2.1770449 PMID:11461881
15.	Schuster DP, Kaplan JD, Gauvain K, Welch MJ, Markham J. Measurement of regional pulmonary blood flow with PET. J Nucl Med. 1995;36(3):371-7. PMID:7884497