Fernando Gonzalez, MD

My research is focused on determining how the full-term brain responds to acute injury during the neonatal period, and strategies to enhance neuroplasticity and long-term functional outcomes. My specific research goals are to: (1) clearly define the neuronal subpopulations that are vulnerable to ischemia and critical for neurodevelopment, (2) determine the mechanisms of injury and endogenous repair in the immature brain, and (3) define therapeutic strategies to enhance long-term function. Specifically, I am interested in how the immature brain differs from the adult brain in its response to stroke, and how reparative mechanisms can be enhanced with delayed therapy. Throughout my training, I have had broad exposure to various aspects of central nervous system (CNS) development and repair, including: evaluation and inhibition of pain through direct CNS treatment; the effects of local injury on wound healing and phagocytosis; direct evaluation of behavioral, cognitive, and nociceptive function after injury; pathophysiologic mechanisms of early brain injury; and the effects of exogenous therapy on early brain injury. Of these experiences, the ones I found most compelling were those that linked rigorous basic science at the bench to investigation of human disease. For example, my research on the short-term effects of exogenous erythropoietin treatment on neurogenesis after early rodent stroke prompted a study to determine beneficial treatment strategies that improve long-term functional outcomes. This project showed that prolonged erythropoietin treatment is most effective for long-term behavioral improvement, a finding that informed clinical studies in humans to treat neonatal brain injury. My current research is focused on cell type-specific changes in the peri-infarct cortex, including alterations in cell fate, function, and circuit formation. This will have a significant impact in improving knowledge and identifying novel therapies to treat early injury. It is my clear desire to apply this type of translational approach to the field of neonatal brain injury, thereby unifying my interest in neuroscience and brain development with a goal of improving the care of the newborn.
Education
2019 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
2007 - Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, UCSF
2004 - Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
M.D., 2001 - School of Medicine, Brown University
Sc.B., 1997 - Neuroscience, Brown University
Websites

  1. Morell AS, Monsell SE, Cornet MC, Wisnowski JL, McKinstry RC, Mathur AM, Li Y, Glass HC, Gonzalez FF, Mayock DE, Benninger KL, Van Meurs KP, Lampland AL, Wu TW, Riley D, Mietzsch U, Chalak L, Flibotte J, Weitkamp JH, Ahmad KA, Yanowitz TD, Baserga M, Merhar S, Rao R, Sokol GM, Comstock BA, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, Wu YW. Genetic and Congenital Anomalies in Infants With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Pediatric neurology 2024. PMID: 38518503


  2. Glass HC, Numis AL, Comstock BA, Gonzalez FF, Mietzsch U, Bonifacio SL, Massey S, Thomas C, Natarajan N, Mayock DE, Sokol GM, Van Meurs KP, Ahmad KA, Maitre N, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, Wu YW, Wusthoff CJ. Association of EEG Background and Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Receiving Hypothermia. Neurology 2023. PMID: 37816642


  3. Mietzsch U, Kolnik SE, Wood TR, Natarajan N, Gonzalez FF, Glass H, Mayock DE, Bonifacio SL, Van Meurs K, Comstock BA, Heagerty PJ, Wu TW, Wu YW, Juul SE, HEAL Trial Study Group. Evolution of the Sarnat exam and association with 2-year outcomes in infants with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy: a secondary analysis of the HEAL Trial. Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition 2023. PMID: 38071538


  4. Rao R, Comstock BA, Wu TW, Mietzsch U, Mayock DE, Gonzalez FF, Wood TR, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, Wu YW. Time to Reaching Target Cooling Temperature and Two-Year Outcomes in Infants with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. The Journal of pediatrics 2023. PMID: 38006967


  5. Mietzsch U, Wood TR, Wu TW, Natarajan N, Glass HC, Gonzalez FF, Mayock DE, Comstock BA, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, Wu YW, HEAL Study Group. Early Glycemic State and Outcomes of Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37655394


  6. Gonzalez FF, Voldal E, Comstock BA, Mayock DE, Goodman AM, Cornet MC, Wu TW, Redline RW, Heagerty P, Juul SE, Wu YW. Placental Histologic Abnormalities and 2-Year Outcomes in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Neonatology 2023. PMID: 37742617


  7. Juul SE, Comstock BA, Cornet MC, Gonzalez FF, Mayock DE, Glass HC, Schreiber MD, Heagerty PJ, Wu YW. Safety of High Dose Erythropoietin Used with Therapeutic Hypothermia as Treatment for Newborn Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Secondary Analysis of the HEAL Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37019334


  8. Wu YW, Monsell SE, Glass HC, Wisnowski JL, Mathur AM, McKinstry RC, Bluml S, Gonzalez FF, Comstock BA, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE. How well does neonatal neuroimaging correlate with neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy? Pediatric research 2023. PMID: 36859442


  9. Glass HC, Wusthoff CJ, Comstock BA, Numis AL, Gonzalez FF, Maitre N, Massey SL, Mayock DE, Mietzsch U, Natarajan N, Sokol GM, Bonifacio SL, Van Meurs KP, Thomas C, Ahmad KA, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, Wu YW. Risk of seizures in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy receiving hypothermia plus erythropoietin or placebo. Pediatric research 2022. PMID: 36470964


  10. Wu YW, Comstock BA, Gonzalez FF, Mayock DE, Goodman AM, Maitre NL, Chang T, Van Meurs KP, Lampland AL, Bendel-Stenzel E, Mathur AM, Wu TW, Riley D, Mietzsch U, Chalak L, Flibotte J, Weitkamp JH, Ahmad KA, Yanowitz TD, Baserga M, Poindexter BB, Rogers EE, Lowe JR, Kuban KCK, O'Shea TM, Wisnowski JL, McKinstry RC, Bluml S, Bonifacio S, Benninger KL, Rao R, Smyser CD, Sokol GM, Merhar S, Schreiber MD, Glass HC, Heagerty PJ, Juul SE, HEAL Consortium. Trial of Erythropoietin for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in Newborns. The New England journal of medicine 2022. PMID: 35830641


  11. Nguyen V, Ameri K, Huynh K, Fredkin M, Grona R, Larpthaveesarp A, Gonzalez F, Yeghiazarians Y. Interleukin-15 modulates the response of cortical neurons to ischemia. Molecular and cellular neurosciences 2021. PMID: 34343628


  12. Burns AM, Moore DJ, Forster CS, Powell W, Thammasitboon S, Hostetter MK, Weiss P, Boyer D, Ward MA, Blankenburg R, Heyman MB, Rassbach CE, McPhillips H, French A, Nguyen S, Byrne BJ, Parsons DW, Gonzalez F, Nowalk AJ, Ho J, Kumar S, Orange JS, Ackerman KG. Physician-Scientist Training & Programming in Pediatric Residency Programs: A National Survey. The Journal of pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34280401


  13. Davidson JO, Gonzalez F, Gressens P, Gunn AJ, Newborn Brain Society Guidelines and Publications Committee. Update on mechanisms of the pathophysiology of neonatal encephalopathy. Seminars in fetal & neonatal medicine 2021. PMID: 34274259


  14. Chalak L, Redline RW, Goodman AM, Juul SE, Chang T, Yanowitz TD, Maitre N, Mayock DE, Lampland AL, Bendel-Stenzel E, Riley D, Mathur AM, Rao R, Van Meurs KP, Wu TW, Gonzalez FF, Flibotte J, Mietzsch U, Sokol GM, Ahmad KA, Baserga M, Weitkamp JH, Poindexter BB, Comstock BA, Wu YW. Acute and Chronic Placental Abnormalities in a Multicenter Cohort of Newborn Infants with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. The Journal of pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34144032


  15. Nguyen V, Chavali M, Larpthaveesarp A, Kodali S, Gonzalez G, Franklin RJM, Rowitch DH, Gonzalez F. Neuroprotective effects of Sonic hedgehog agonist SAG in a rat model of neonatal stroke. Pediatric research 2021. PMID: 33654279


  16. Forster CS, Nguyen ST, Powell WT, Moore DJ, Ho J, Heyman MB, Wenger TL, Gonzalez F, Hostetter M, Nowalk A, Rassbach CE, Boyer D, Weiss P, Blankenburg RL, Orange JS, Ackerman KG, Burns AM, National Pediatric Physician-Scientist Collaborative Workgroup. Perspectives from the Society for Pediatric Research: advice on sustaining science and mentoring during COVID-19. Pediatric research 2021. PMID: 33469179


  17. Larpthaveesarp A, Pathipati P, Ostrin S, Rajah A, Ferriero D, Gonzalez FF. Enhanced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells or Erythropoietin Provide Long-Term Functional Benefit After Neonatal Stroke. Stroke 2020. PMID: 33349013


  18. Sun H, Gonzalez F, McQuillen PS. Caffeine Restores Background EEG Activity Independent of Infarct Reduction after Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury. Developmental neuroscience 2020. PMID: 32810862


  19. McKinsey GL, Lizama CO, Keown-Lang AE, Niu A, Santander N, Larpthaveesarp A, Chee E, Gonzalez FF, Arnold TD. A new genetic strategy for targeting microglia in development and disease. eLife 2020. PMID: 32573436


  20. Gonzalez FF, Heyman MB. Whither pediatric physician-scientist training in the COVID-19 era. Pediatric research 2020. PMID: 32575111


  21. Gonzalez FF. Neuroprotection Strategies for Term Encephalopathy. Seminars in pediatric neurology 2019. PMID: 31813519


  22. Wu YW, Goodman AM, Chang T, Mulkey SB, Gonzalez FF, Mayock DE, Juul SE, Mathur AM, Van Meurs K, McKinstry RC, Redline RW. Placental pathology and neonatal brain MRI in a randomized trial of erythropoietin for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Pediatric research 2019. PMID: 31261373


  23. Soul JS, Pressler R, Allen M, Boylan G, Rabe H, Portman R, Hardy P, Zohar S, Romero K, Tseng B, Bhatt-Mehta V, Hahn C, Denne S, Auvin S, Vinks A, Lantos J, Marlow N, Davis JM, International Neonatal Consortium. Recommendations for the design of therapeutic trials for neonatal seizures. Pediatric research 2018. PMID: 30584262


  24. Cornet MC, Pasupuleti A, Fang A, Gonzalez F, Shimotake T, Ferriero DM, Glass HC, Cilio MR. Predictive value of early EEG for seizures in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. Pediatric research 2018. PMID: 29895836


  25. Juul SE, Comstock BA, Heagerty PJ, Mayock DE, Goodman AM, Hauge S, Gonzalez F, Wu YW. High-Dose Erythropoietin for Asphyxia and Encephalopathy (HEAL): A Randomized Controlled Trial - Background, Aims, and Study Protocol. Neonatology 2018. PMID: 29514165


  26. Larpthaveesarp A, Gonzalez FF. Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model of Neonatal Stroke in P10 Rats. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 2017. PMID: 28518065


  27. Wu YW, Mathur AM, Chang T, McKinstry RC, Mulkey SB, Mayock DE, Van Meurs KP, Rogers EE, Gonzalez FF, Comstock BA, Juul SE, Msall ME, Bonifacio SL, Glass HC, Massaro AN, Dong L, Tan KW, Heagerty PJ, Ballard RA. High-Dose Erythropoietin and Hypothermia for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Phase II Trial. Pediatrics 2016. PMID: 27244862


  28. Larpthaveesarp A, Georgevits M, Ferriero DM, Gonzalez FF. Delayed erythropoietin therapy improves histological and behavioral outcomes after transient neonatal stroke. Neurobiology of disease 2016. PMID: 27142685


  29. Larpthaveesarp A, Ferriero DM, Gonzalez FF. Growth factors for the treatment of ischemic brain injury (growth factor treatment). Brain sciences 2015. PMID: 25942688


  30. Wu YW, Gonzalez FF. Erythropoietin: a novel therapy for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy? Developmental medicine and child neurology 2015. PMID: 25800490


  31. van Velthoven CT, Gonzalez F, Vexler ZS, Ferriero DM. Stem cells for neonatal stroke- the future is here. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience 2014. PMID: 25120432


  32. Gonzalez FF, Larpthaveesarp A, McQuillen P, Derugin N, Wendland M, Spadafora R, Ferriero DM. Erythropoietin increases neurogenesis and oligodendrogliosis of subventricular zone precursor cells after neonatal stroke. Stroke 2013. PMID: 23391775


  33. Xiong T, Gonzalez F, Mu DZ. An overview of risk factors for poor neurodevelopmental outcome associated with prematurity. World journal of pediatrics : WJP 2012. PMID: 23151855


  34. Fang AY, Gonzalez FF, Sheldon RA, Ferriero DM. Effects of combination therapy using hypothermia and erythropoietin in a rat model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Pediatric research 2012. PMID: 23085817


  35. Wu YW, Bauer LA, Ballard RA, Ferriero DM, Glidden DV, Mayock DE, Chang T, Durand DJ, Song D, Bonifacio SL, Gonzalez FF, Glass HC, Juul SE. Erythropoietin for neuroprotection in neonatal encephalopathy: safety and pharmacokinetics. Pediatrics 2012. PMID: 23008465


  36. Gonzalez FF, Fang A, Ferriero DM. Is erythropoietin the answer? Pediatric research 2011. PMID: 21150548


  37. Wang H, Tang J, Xiong Y, Li X, Gonzalez F, Mu D. Neonatal community-acquired pneumonia: pathogens and treatment. Journal of paediatrics and child health 2010. PMID: 20796185


  38. Spadafora R, Gonzalez FF, Derugin N, Wendland M, Ferriero D, McQuillen P. Altered fate of subventricular zone progenitor cells and reduced neurogenesis following neonatal stroke. Developmental neuroscience 2010. PMID: 20453463


  39. Gonzalez FF, Ferriero DM. Neuroprotection in the newborn infant. Clinics in perinatology 2009. PMID: 19944839


  40. Gonzalez FF, Abel R, Almli CR, Mu D, Wendland M, Ferriero DM. Erythropoietin sustains cognitive function and brain volume after neonatal stroke. Developmental neuroscience 2009. PMID: 19672069


  41. Gonzalez FF, Ferriero DM. Therapeutics for neonatal brain injury. Pharmacology & therapeutics 2008. PMID: 18718848


  42. Gonzalez FF, McQuillen P, Mu D, Chang Y, Wendland M, Vexler Z, Ferriero DM. Erythropoietin enhances long-term neuroprotection and neurogenesis in neonatal stroke. Developmental neuroscience 2007. PMID: 17762200


  43. Gonzalez FF, Miller SP. Does perinatal asphyxia impair cognitive function without cerebral palsy? Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition 2006. PMID: 17056843


  44. Guo TZ, Reid K, Davies MF, Nacif-Coelho C, Rabin BC, Gonzalez F, Maze M. Chronic desipramine treatment desensitizes the rat to anesthetic and antinociceptive effects of the alpha2-adrenergic agonist dexmedetomidine. Anesthesiology 1998. PMID: 9637658