Pediatric Research

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

Assistant Professor Pediatrics, Divsion of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Researcher, Patient Oriented Research Unit

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

Pediatrics , 2001
MO, Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts , 2004
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology , 2006

Honors

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

Selected Publications view all (14)

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.	Rentata G Medina, David P. Dempsher, Karen M. Gauvain, Thomas J. Geller, Samer K. Elbabaa. Resolution of precocious puberty following resection of fourth ventricular medulloblastoma: case report JNS Pediatrics. 2015.
3.	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
4.	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
5.	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
6.	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
7.	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
8.	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
9.	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
10.	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 Pathology.

1.	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
2.	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
3.	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
4.	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
5.	Rentata G Medina, David P. Dempsher, Karen M. Gauvain, Thomas J. Geller, Samer K. Elbabaa. Resolution of precocious puberty following resection of fourth ventricular medulloblastoma: case report JNS Pediatrics. 2015.
6.	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
7.	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
8.	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
9.	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
10.	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
11.	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
12.	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
13.	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 Pathology.
14.	. Presence of cerebral microbleeds is associated with worse executive function in pediatric brain tumor survivors doi:10.1093/neuonc/now163 PMID:27540084