Dr. Vanderver conducts translational research on leukodystrophies and leukoencephalopathies in order to refine clinical diagnostic tools and accelerate the development of therapeutic treatments.

Along with her team of researchers, Dr. Vanderver aims to define novel homogeneous groups of patients with previously unclassified leukodystrophies and to uncover the genetic causes of these disorders; establish the molecular disease mechanisms in selected known leukodystrophies; assess the validity of advanced genetic sequencing techniques in the diagnosis of these disorders; and develop the next generation of therapeutic clinical trials through natural history and biomarker discovery studies.

She is also Program Director of CHOP's Leukodystrophy Center of Excellence (LCE), which is focused on creating new standards of care for children with leukodystrophies by advancing leukodystrophy gene discovery, creating new therapies, and supporting and advocating for patients and their families.

In parallel with this strong clinical program, Dr. Vanderver's preclinical and clinical research projects aim to discover molecular therapeutics that target the genetics of leukodystrophy subtypes. In addition to her clinical and research efforts, Dr. Vanderver leads the Global Leukodystrophy Initiative, an advocacy group that includes parents, clinicians, and researchers, to raise disease awareness and ensure that patients receive appropriate social and medical support.

Candidature en Médecine, Facultés Universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix Namur, Belgium 1991-1994    

Medical Doctorate, Universite Catholique de Louvain Brussels, Belgium, 1994-1998

Transitional Year Residency, Frankford Hospital, Temple University, 1998-1999
    
Pediatric Residency (PL-1 and PL-2), A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Thomas Jefferson University, 1999-2001
    
Child Neurology Fellowship, Children’s National Medical Center, 2001-2004

Biochemical Genetics Fellowship, National Human Genome Research Institute/National Institutes of Health, 2006-200

Program Director, Leukodystrophy Center of Excellence

Attending Physician

Jacob A. Kamens Endowed Chair in Neurologic Disorders and Translational Neurotherapeutics

Associate Professor of Neurology, Children's National Health System, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Fellowship Selection Committee - Department of Neurology, Children’s National, 2005-2016    

Individualized Professional Agreement and Special Volunteer status - National Human Genome Research Institute/National Institutes of Health - Principal Investigator of “Leukodystrophies of Unknown Cause”, 2008-2016    

Safety Initiative - Department of Neurology - assessed safety of reporting of lab results for the Department of Neurology, Children’s National, 2009-2010    

Biochemical Laboratory - reading of biochemical laboratory tests, Children’s National, 2008-2012    

Pediatric Residency Selection Committee- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s National, 2009-2011    

Consultation in the Undiagnosed Disease Program - National Human Genome Research Institute/National Institutes of Health, 2009-2016    

Scientific Advisory Board – European Leukodystrophy Association, 2016-     

Medical and Scientific Advisory Board – United Leukodystrophy Foundation, 2017-

Journal Reviewer - ad hoc reviews in the field of leukodystrophy for Neurology, Journal of Pediatric Neurology, Clinical Autonomic Research, Pediatric Neurology, Orphanet, Brain, American Journal of Human Genetics and others, Ongoing     

Cellular and Molecular Biology of Glia Study Section at the Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 2018-   

Outstanding Junior Member Award of the Child Neurology Society, 2003

Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), National Institutes of Health, 2013

Murdoch Children's Research Institute Visiting Fellows Award, Royal Children's Hospital of Melbourne, Australia, 2015

Global Leukodystrophy Initiative

Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network