Clinical and Behavioral Team
Clinical Team
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Read More about Sanmati Cuddapah, MDSanmati Cuddapah, MD
Sanmati Cuddapah, MD
Director, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Williams Syndrome Clinic
Sanmati Cuddapah, MD, is a pediatric clinical geneticist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She serves as Director of the Williams Syndrome Clinic at CHOP that was originally founded by Dr Paige Kaplan. Dr Cuddapah is passionate about caring for individuals with Williams Syndrome. She is also expert in diagnosing and treating children with biochemical genetic conditions as well as with other genetic connective tissue disorders. Dr Cuddapah serves as the Associate Chief for Education and Training in the Division of Human Genetics at CHOP and directs the clinical genetics training program.
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Read More about Nicole M. Engelhardt, MS, LCGCNicole M. Engelhardt, MS, LCGC
Nicole M. Engelhardt, MS, LCGC
Genetic Counselor, Metabolic Disease Program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Nicole Engelhardt, MS, LCGC is a genetic counselor with the Division of Human Genetics at CHOP. Nicole works closely with Dr. Cuddapah and sees a range of patients, particularly those with genetic metabolic disease. She has a particular interest in Williams Syndrome and has been a key member of the CHOP WS team for several years. She greatly enjoys working with WS families and seeing her patients grow and thrive by helping shape the clinic’s multidisciplinary component and coordinating clinic days. Being a genetic counselor allows Nicole to care for the whole person, and she is excited for what the ACE for WS will be able to do for families.
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Read More about Stacey Drant, MDStacey Drant, MD
Stacey Drant, MD
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Drant is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and a pediatric cardiologist at CHOP. She is the Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Connective Tissue Disorder Clinic at CHOP and internationally known for her expertise in Marfan syndrome and related genetic vascular conditions. Dr. Drant is very experienced in treating the cardiovascular complications of Williams Syndrome. She is an expert in non-invasive imaging of the heart and cardiovascular system. Dr. Drant has specialized in caring for patients with connective tissue disorders over the entirety of her 20 year career. In addition, she is an expert in ‘lifestyle medicine’ and performs clinical trials of lifestyle-based interventions in patients with genetic vascular conditions. Although a pediatrician by training, Dr. Drant is very experienced in caring for adults with genetic vascular conditions.
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Read More about Vaneeta Bamba, MDVaneeta Bamba, MD
Vaneeta Bamba, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Perelman School of Medicine
Vaneeta Bamba, MD is a pediatric endocrinologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bamba is also the Medical Director of the Diagnostic and Research Growth Center and Director of the Turner Syndrome Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She has expertise in early and delayed puberty, growth hormone deficiency, hypercholesterolemia/lipid disorders, disorders of growth and puberty, Turner syndrome, short stature, ovarian failure, and 22q deletion syndrome. Dr. Bamba is the leader of the multidisciplinary Wellness in Growth and Spirit (WinGS) Program, which is an interdisciplinary clinical program from girls with Turner syndrome. In 2022, Dr. Bamba was selected as a Main Line Today Top Doc for Pediatric Endocrinology. Dr. Bamba received her MD from Louisiana State University, completed residency at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine and completed her fellowship at CHOP.
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Read More about Mary Pipan, MDMary Pipan, MD
Mary Pipan, MD
Behavioral Pediatrician and Director of the Trisomy 21 Program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Mary Pipan, MD, is a developmental behavioral pediatrician and Director of the Trisomy 21 Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Pipanalso has over 20 years of experience in providing care for other complex neurogenetic syndromes including children and young adults with Williams syndrome. Dr. Pipan received her MD from University of Virginia School of Medicine, completed an internship and residency at the University of Minnesota, and completed a fellowship in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at CHOP.
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Read More about Sherri Shubin Cohen, MD, MPHSherri Shubin Cohen, MD, MPH
Sherri Shubin Cohen, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
Medical Director, Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Sherri S. Cohen, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is also board certified in public health and general preventive medicine. Dr. Cohen is the Director of the Nutrition Fellowship Program at CHOP and the Medical Director of the Martha Escoll Lubeck Feeding and Swallowing Center, where she oversees a team of 30 clinicians and staff that treat feeding and swallowing disorders, malnutrition, and nutritional disorders. Dr. Cohen has expertise in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, as well as public health and preventive medicine.
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Read More about Brielle Gehringer, MSGCBrielle Gehringer, MSGC
Brielle Gehringer, MSGC
Clinical Research Coordinator, Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE)
Brielle Gehringer, MS, CGC, is the inaugural Kim Family Fellow in William Syndrome. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with her Bachelors in 2018 and her Masters in Genetic Counseling in 2023. During that time, Brielle also worked as a clinical research coordinator of the ASPE Study at Penn, a genetic study of autism spectrum disorder.
Behavioral Team
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Read More about Edward S. (Ted) Brodkin, MDEdward S. (Ted) Brodkin, MD
Edward S. (Ted) Brodkin, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine
Edward (Ted) Brodkin, MD is a psychiatrist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry with tenure at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder and director of the Adult Autism Spectrum Program at Penn Medicine and co-director of the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence. He has had more than 20 years of experience in working with adolescents and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. His research and clinical interests have focused on the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders, social behavior development, mental health issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, and improving social functioning and quality of life across the transition to adulthood and the entire lifespan. He has extensive, unique experience in research recruitment of participants with genetically -defined neurodevelopmental disorders and in quantitative behavioral phenotyping, experience that he will apply to the Armellino Williams Center of Excellence. He has led a team and developed a productive, efficient recruitment and phenotyping platform in the ASPE project, a platform that he will bring to the Armellino Center. He has also developed treatment and support programs for social functioning and emotion regulation that he will offer to adolescents and adults with Williams syndrome in the Armellino Center. Ted has been collaborating closely with Dan Rader and Maria Fasolino over the past several years on the ASPE project, and Ted has been working closely with Dan and Maria in organizing the Armellino WS Behavioral Health Team. Ted will direct and coordinate the ACE for WS Behavioral Health Team.
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Read More about Julia Katz, MDJulia Katz, MD
Julia Katz, MD
Julia Katz, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed her psychiatry residency training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. She has had a long-standing interest in developmental disabilities and genetic conditions, and has participated in research on autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities throughout her education and training at U Penn, UNC, Mt. Sinai, and Brown University. In the ACE for WS, Dr. Katz will provide psychopharmacology treatment to children and adolescents.
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Read More about Shazia A. Savul, MDShazia A. Savul, MD
Shazia A. Savul, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine
Shazia A. Savul MD is a psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in clinical care of child, adolescent, and adult patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders. She is board certified in adult, child and adolescent and addiction psychiatry, and currently sees patients for psychiatry medication management at both Penn Medicine (adult patients) and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) (child and adolescent patients). Dr. Savul’s extensive experience in medication treatment of both children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders, including mental health issues relevant to WS (e.g., anxiety) is unique at Penn and CHOP. Dr. Savul has collaborated with Dr. Brodkin for many years in treatment of adolescents and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. In the ACE for WS, Dr. Savul will provide psychopharmacology treatment to children, adolescents, and adults.
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Read More about Arianna K. Stefanatos, PhDArianna K. Stefanatos, PhD
Arianna K. Stefanatos, PhD
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Arianna K. Stefanatos, PhD is a pediatric neuropsychologist with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Metabolic Disease Program at CHOP. She has extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment of children with Williams syndrome through her work in the CHOP Williams syndrome clinical program. At CHOP and, prior to that at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, she has also developed expertise in neuropsychological assessment of children with metabolic disease, mitochondrial disease, lysosomal storage disorders, congenital disorders of glycosylation, Noonan syndrome, and leukodystrophy. She is experienced in working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and is involved in various research projects focused on characterizing cognitive profiles of children with genetic conditions and exploring potential treatment interventions (e.g., clinical trials). In the ACE for WS, Dr. Stefanatos will provide neuropsychological assessment for children, adolescents, and adults with WS.
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Read More about Julie Worley, PhD, BCBAJulie Worley, PhD, BCBA
Julie Worley, PhD, BCBA
Assistant Professor, Perelman School of Medicine
Julie Worley, PhD, BCBA is a clinical psychologist, board-certified behavior analyst, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Worley has devoted her career to improving care for children, adolescents, and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She has extensive experience in assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders, including previous work at Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University, the Center for Autism Research at CHOP, and adult developmental and behavioral centers across multiple states. Currently, she is the Director of Philly AIMS (Autism Instructional Methods Support), where she leads a school-based consultation team dedicated to increasing the use of evidence-based practices to support students with ASD. Her professional interests include increasing community access to evidence-based interventions and assessments for individuals with developmental disabilities. In the ACE for WS, Dr. Worley will provide psychological assessments and will develop psychological / behavioral treatment plans for adults with WS.
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Read More about Benjamin (Ben) Yerys, PhDBenjamin (Ben) Yerys, PhD
Benjamin (Ben) Yerys, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine
Ben Yerys, PhD is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He is the Director of the Partnership with Autistics for Successfully Supporting Adult Goals and Experiences (PASSAGE) Program at the Center for Autism Research at CHOP, which seeks to improve outcomes in patients as they transition out of high school and into adulthood. He has more than 15 years of experience in research and clinical care focused on autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety, as well as some experience in working with children with Williams syndrome. He is an expert in psychological assessment, diagnosis, and cognitive-behavioral treatments to reduce anxiety and cognitive rigidity in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. Ben has worked with Ted over many years at Penn and CHOP. Ben also leads a team of clinical psychology postdoctoral fellows at CHOP who are focused on transition to adulthood in neurodevelopmental disorders. In the ACE for WS, Dr. Yerys and his team will provide assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with WS.
