Daniel J. Licht, MD

faculty photo
Emeritus Professor CE of Neurology
Professor, Children's National Hospital
Department: Neurology

Contact information
Children's National Hospital
111 Michigan Ave NW
Washington, 20010
Education:
BA (Biochemistry)
New York University, 1984.
MD (Medicine)
New Jersey Medical School - UMDNJ, 1997.
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Description of Research Expertise

I am a child neurologist with expertise in the care of the critically ill infants and children. My clinical practice informs my research endeavors as I try to understand how the delivery of care affects cerebral blood flow and brain metabolic use of oxygen. My research uses non-invasive imaging techniques, including MRI and Optics, which, when combined, offer both high anatomic resolution and time sensitivity.

As a consequence of my research in infants with severe congenital heart defects, I have begun exploring fetal research. I have developed an MRI technique to qualitatively assess fetal brain development as a tool to monitor fetal brain health. This is now being used to monitor a drug trial for a neuroprotective agent for fetuses identified with severe congenital heart defects. I am currently leading research to non-invasively image placental anatomy and function.

Description of Clinical Expertise

My clinical expertise is in the neurological care for children who are critically ill infants and children. I am the neurology liaison to the cardiac intensive care unit and am a consult attending for the Neonatal, Pediatric and Cardiac intensive care units. My special interests are the neurologic complications in the care of congenital cardiac disease and I am also an expert in pediatric stroke and founding member of the pediatric stroke team at CHOP.

My interests in congenital malformations including congenital heart defects and congenital diaphragmatic hernia, have recently led me to the relatively new field of Fetal Neurology. I am currently the only neurologist to perform Fetal Neurology consults to optimize the care for infants with congenital malformations.

Selected Publications

Andersen KN, Yao S, White BR, Jacobwitz M, Breimann J, Jahnavi J, Schmidt A, Baker WB, Ko TS, Gaynor JW, Vossough A, Xiao R, Licht DJ, Shih EK.: Cerebral Microhemorrhages in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Association With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. J Am Heart Assoc 14: e035359, Feb 2025.

Baker WB, Forti RM, Heye P, Heye K, Lynch JM, Yodh AG, Licht DJ, White BR, Hwang M, Ko TS, Kilbaugh TJ.: Modified Beer-Lambert algorithm to measure pulsatile blood flow, critical closing pressure, and intracranial hypertension. Biomed Opt Express 15: 5511-5532, Aug 2024.

Matlis GC, Zhang Q, Benson EJ, Weeks MK, Andersen K, Jahnavi J, Lafontant A, Breimann J, Hallowell T, Lin Y, Licht DJ, Yodh AG, Kilbaugh TJ, Forti RM, White BR, Baker WB, Xiao R, Ko TS.: Chassis-based fiber-coupled optical probe design for reproducible quantitative diffuse optical spectroscopy measurements. PLoS One 19: e0305254, Jul 2024.

Agarwal D, Hunt ML, Sridharan A, Larson AC, Rychik J, Licht DJ, Davey MG, Flake AW, Gaynor JW, Didier RA.: Unique model of chronic hypoxia in fetal lambs demonstrates abnormal contrast-enhanced ultrasound brain perfusion. Pediatr Res Jun 2024.

Gaynor JW, Moldenhauer JS, Zullo EE, Burnham NB, Gerdes M, Bernbaum JC, D'Agostino JA, Linn RL, Klepczynski B, Randazzo I, Gionet G, Choi GH, Karaj A, Russell WW, Zackai EH, Johnson MP, Gebb JS, Soni S, DeBari SE, Szwast AL, Ahrens-Nicklas RC, Drivas TG, Jacobwitz M, Licht DJ, Vossough A, Nicolson SC, Spray TL, Rychik J, Putt ME.: Progesterone for Neurodevelopment in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Defects: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 7: e2412291, May 2024.

Aronowitz DI, Geoffrion TR, Piel S, Morton SR, Starr J, Melchior RW, Gaudio HA, Degani R, Widmann NJ, Weeks MK, Ranieri NR, Benson E, Ko TS, Licht DJ, Hefti M, Gaynor JW, Kilbaugh TJ, Mavroudis CD.: Normoxic Management during Cardiopulmonary Bypass Does Not Reduce Cerebral Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neonatal Swine. Int J Mol Sci 25: 5466, May 2024.

Lee VK, Ceschin R, Reynolds WT, Meyers B, Wallace J, Landsittel D, Joseph HM, Badaly D, Gaynor JW, Licht D, Greene NH, Brady KM, Hunter JV, Chu ZD, Wilde EA, Easley RB, Andropoulos D, Panigrahy A.: Postnatal Brain Trajectories and Maternal Intelligence Predict Childhood Outcomes in Complex CHD. J Clin Med 13: 2922, May 2024.

Aronowitz DI, Geoffrion TR, Piel S, Benson EJ, Morton SR, Starr J, Melchior RW, Gaudio HA, Degani RE, Widmann NJ, Weeks MK, Ko TS, Licht DJ, Hefti M, Gaynor JW, Kilbaugh TJ, Mavroudis CD.: Early Impairment of Cerebral Bioenergetics After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Neonatal Swine. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg Apr 2024.

Reitz JG, Zurakowski D, Kuhn VA, Murnick J, Donofrio MT, d'Udekem Y, Licht D, Kosiorek A, Limperopoulos C, Axt-Fliedner R, Yerebakan C, Carpenter JL.: Brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. JTCVS Open 17: 229-247, Dec 2023.

Benson EJ, Aronowitz DI, Forti RM, Lafontant A, Ranieri NR, Starr JP, Melchior RW, Lewis A, Jahnavi J, Breimann J, Yun B, Laurent GH, Lynch JM, White BR, Gaynor JW, Licht DJ, Yodh AG, Kilbaugh TJ, Mavroudis CD, Baker WB, Ko TS.: Diffuse Optical Monitoring of Cerebral Hemodynamics and Oxygen Metabolism during and after Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Hematocrit Correction and Neurological Vulnerability. Metabolites 13: 1153, Nov 2023.

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Last updated: 03/07/2025
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