Nicholas S. Abend - Faculty Biosketch

Nicholas S. Abend, MD

Professor of Neurology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Medical Director, Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Associate Scholar, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Epidemiology Unit, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics)

Director, Strategy and Inpatient Operations, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Division of Neurology)

Senior Medical Director, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Neuroscience Center)

Core Faculty, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Clinical Futures Center of Excellence; Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness)

Distinguished Endowed Chair in the Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Department: Neurology

Contact information

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Division of Neurology, HUB 10548
3501 Civic Center Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Office: 215-590-1719
Fax: 215-590-1771

Email:
abend@chop.edu

Education:
BS
Washington University, 1998.
MD (Medicine)
University of Chicago School of Medicine, 2002.
MSCE (Clinical Epidemiology )
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2015.

Post-Graduate Training
Pediatrics Internship, University of Chicago Children's Hospital, 2002-2003.
Pediatrics Residency, University of Chicago Children's Hospital, 2003-2004.
Child Neurology Fellowship, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania , 2004-2007.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Certificate, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2007-2008.
Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2007-2009.
Certificate - Development in Leadership, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, 2014-2016.
Certificate - Healthcare Innovation, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 2019-2020.

Certifications
Neurology (with special qualification in child neurology) - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2008.
Epilepsy - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2012.

Permanent link

> Perelman School of Medicine > Faculty > Details

Description of Research Expertise

Pediatric Epilepsy
EEG Monitoring in Critically Ill Children and Neonates
Management of Pediatric Status Epilepticus

Description of Clinical Expertise

Pediatric Epilepsy
Pediatric Electroencephalography

Description of Other Expertise

Quality Improvement

Selected Publications

Kellier D, Anto M, Hal M, Nash K, Hutchinson M, Wells E, Moharir M, Abend NS, Messer R, Palaganas J, Piantino J, Marin J, Szperka C, Press C. : Association of race and ethnicity with emergency room rate of migraine diagnosis, testing, and management in children with headache. Neurology 104(5), e213351 2025.

Fung FW, Parikh DS, Donnelly M, Xiao R, Topjian AA, Abend NS.: Electrographic Seizure Characteristics and Electrographic Status Epilepticus Prediction. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 42: 64-72, 2025.

Massey SL, Sandoval Karamanian AG, Fitzgerald MP, Fung FW, Abramson A, Salmon MK, Parikh D, Abend NS.: Development of a Model to Predict Electroencephalographic Seizures in Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia. Epilepsia 66(2), 518-530 2025.

Nunes ML, Yozawitz EG, Wusthoff CJ, Shellhaas RA, Olivas-Peña E, Wilmshurst JM, Pressler RM, Triki CC, Hartmann H, Inder T, Boylan GB, Valente K, Moshe SL, Mizrahi EM, Abend NS.: Defining Neonatal Status Epilepticus: A Scoping Review from the ILAE Neonatal Task Force. Epilepsia Open 10(1): 40-54, 2025.

Murphy C, Molisani SE, Riisen AC, Scotti-Degnan CM, Karvounides D, Witzman S, Kaufman MC, Gonzalez AK, Ramos, MO, Szperka CL, Abend NS. : A Quality Improvement Initiative to Implement Anxiety Screening to Children and Teens with Headache and Epilepsy. Neurology in Clinical Practice 15(3): e200458, 2025.

Fung FW, Parikh DS, Walsh K, Fitzgerald MP, Massey SL, Topjian AA, Abend NS.: Late-Onset Findings During Extended EEG Monitoring Are Rare in Critically Ill Children. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 42(2): 149-155, 2025.

Fung FW, Parikh DS, Massey SL, Fitzgerald MP, Vala L, Donnelly M, Jacobwitz M, Kessler SK, Xiao R, Topjian AA, Abend NS.: Periodic Discharges and Outcome in Critically Ill Children. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 41(4): 297-304, 2024.

Jacobwitz M, Mulvihill C, Kaufman MC, Gonzalez AK, Resendiz K, Francoeur C, Helbig I, Topjian AA, Abend NS.: A Comparison of First-Line Anesthetic Agents for Pediatric Status Epilepticus. Neurocritical Care 40(3): 984-995, 2024.

azzio EL, Topjian AA, Reeded RW, Sutton RM, Morgan RW, Berg RA, Nadkarni VM, Wolfe HA, Graham K, Naim MY, Friess SH, Abend NS, Press CA.: Association of EEG Characteristics with Outcomes Following Pediatric ICU Cardiac Arrest: A Secondary Analysis of the ICU-RESUScitation Trial. Resuscitation Page: 110271, 2024.

Bach AM, Kirschen MP, Fung FW, Abend NS, Ampah S, Mondal A, Huh JW. Chen SL, Yua I, Graham K, Berman JI, Vossough A, Topjian A. : Association of EEG Background with Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Neuroimaging and Short-Term Outcomes After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest. Neurology 102(5): e209134, 2024.