Matthew P Kirschen, MD, PhD, MSCE
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Director, Pediatric Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Director, Pediatric Neurocritical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department: Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Contact information
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
3401 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
3401 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Office: 215-590-7430
Email:
kirschenm@chop.edu
kirschenm@chop.edu
Education
BS (Neuroscience)
Brandeis University , 2000.
PhD (Neuroscience)
Stanford University School of Medicine , 2006.
MD (Medicine)
Stanford University School of Medicine, 2007.
MSCE (Clinical Epidemiology)
University of Pennsylvania, 2025.
BS (Neuroscience)
Brandeis University , 2000.
PhD (Neuroscience)
Stanford University School of Medicine , 2006.
MD (Medicine)
Stanford University School of Medicine, 2007.
MSCE (Clinical Epidemiology)
University of Pennsylvania, 2025.
Post-Graduate Training
Resident in Pediatrics, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 2007-2009.
Fellow in Child Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012.
Fellow in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 2012-2015.
Resident in Pediatrics, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, 2007-2009.
Fellow in Child Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012.
Fellow in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 2012-2015.
Certifications
Pediatric Advanced Life Support , 2007.
Advanced Trauma Life Support , 2012.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support , 2012.
American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (Child Neurology) , 2012.
American Board of Pediatrics, 2013.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor, 2014.
Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS), 2016.
American Board of Pediatrics (Critical Care Medicine), 2016.
Basic Life Support Instructor re-certification, 2018.
Permanent linkPediatric Advanced Life Support , 2007.
Advanced Trauma Life Support , 2012.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support , 2012.
American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (Child Neurology) , 2012.
American Board of Pediatrics, 2013.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor, 2014.
Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS), 2016.
American Board of Pediatrics (Critical Care Medicine), 2016.
Basic Life Support Instructor re-certification, 2018.
Selected Publications
Bach AM, Walsh K, Cooper DD, Fung FW, Press CA, Gupta A, Vossough A, Kirschen MP, Topjian AA, Abend NS: Postanoxic Myoclonic Seizures After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest: Characteristics and Outcomes in a Single-Center Cohort, 2018-2024. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine July 2026 Notes: Online ahead of print.Balcarcel DR, Keim GP, Mehta SD, Harhay MO, Himes BE, van Amsterdam WAC, Moler F, Kirschen MP, Topjian AA, Yehya N: Individualized Treatment Effects of Therapeutic Hypothermia in Children Postcardiac Arrest: A Reanalysis of Two Randomized Clinical Trials. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 27, July 2026 Notes: Online ahead of print.
Harrison DS, Dhruva N, Ford JL, Greer DM, Wahlster S, Chhabra N, Morris NA, Simulation-based mastery learning to assess and Ensure COmpetency in death by Neurologic criteria Determination (SECOND) Study Group: A Modified Delphi Consensus-Based Comprehensive Checklist and Angoff Standard for Assessment of Competency in Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria Determination. Critical Care Medicine 54(6): 1410-1419, June 2026.
Wolfe AHJ, McIlroy M, Flori H, Sederstrom N, Society of Critical Care Medicine Contestation of Brain Death Taskforce: Discussing Death by Neurologic Criteria in Pediatrics: Opportunities and Challenges for Families and Clinicians. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 27(6): 695-704, June 2026.
Cohen J, Simon R, Ashkenazi T, Kirschen MP: Transcranial Doppler As Ancillary Testing for Pediatric Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria: Retrospective Study of the Israel Transplant Organ Donor Registry, 2016-2024. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 27: 1-9, June 2026 Notes: Online ahead of print.
Gabriel ED, Kumar NK, Senthil K, Hejazi-Garcia C, Wang C, Lacoul A, Mazandi V, Wannasarnmetha M, Bhatia A, Tucker AM, Storm PB, Flanders TM, Heuer GG, Kennedy BC, Kirschen M, Topjian A, Francoeur C, Yuan I, Kim CT, Kilbaugh TJ, Huh JW, Lang SS: Correlation of Noninvasive Near-Infrared Spectroscopy With Outcomes in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics Page: 1-9, June 2026 Notes: Online ahead of print.
McSherry ML, Zhang B, Louderback L, Little A, Walsh KE, Press CA, McGuire J, Ichord R, Kirschen MP, Woods-Hill C, Topjian A: Real-Time Assessment of Factors Impacting Prognostic Predictions After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest: A Single-Center Prospective Study. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 27, May 2026 Notes: Online ahead of print.
Francoeur C, Lehr A, Hornby L, Alkharusi A, Boyd JG, Saint Martin C, Poulin C, Slater F, Kirschen MP, Shemie SD: In reply: Hypoxic-ischemic spinal cord injury after cardiac arrest. Can J Anaesth 73(4): 430-431, May 2026.
Siddique H, Abulhasan Y, Gomez M, Randhawa A, Kirschen M, Varelas P, Shutter L: Impact of a Brain Death Workshop on the Knowledge of Attendees. Poster Presentation at American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL April 2026.
Dhruva N, Harrison D, Ford J, Greer D, Wahlster S, Chhabra N, Lewis A, Shutter L, Rubin M, Varelas P, Busl K, Kirschen M, Nakagawa T, Vespa P, Chang C, Bauer D, Maciel C, Souter M, Goldenberg F, Francoeur C, Bleck T, Sung G, Nelson S, Koffman L, Marcolini E, Galvagno S, O'hana Nobleza C, Fahy B, Rocha Ferreria da Silva I, Rabinstein A, Kumar A, Bonomo J, Hemphill C, Nanchal R, Dengler B, Morris N, on behalf of the Simulation-based mastery learning to assess and Ensure COmpetency in death by Neurologic criteria Determination (SECOND) Study Group.: Simulations and Brain Death: A Novel Approach to Evaluating Competency. American Academy of Neurology April 2026.