NCCS Fellowship

Stollery Neonatal Neurology and Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care (NCCS) Fellowship

Overview

The Stollery Neonatal Neurology and Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care Program is a collaborative initiative between the Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Neurology at the University of Alberta. Multidisciplinary team members from Neonatology, Pediatric Neurology, Diagnostic Imaging, Neurosurgery and nursing contribute to a comprehensive clinical care, research, training, and education experience. We are closely collaborating with Calgary Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care Program. This prestigious fellowship will be awarded to candidates with strong interest and drive towards developing a career in neonatal neurology or neonatal neuro-critical care.

The neonatal brain is susceptible to injury throughout the fetal period, at the time of transition from fetal to neonatal life and during acute illness and NICU hospitalization. Neonatal brain injury may have a lifelong impact on the infants and the entire family. The goal of the Neonatal Neurology and Neonatal Neuro-critical Care Program is to develop and implement evidence-based clinical approaches focused on the brain protection, including multimodal neuromonitoring for critically ill neonates, and develop guidelines and protocols to either prevent brain injury, or remodel and rehabilitate the injured neonatal brain through multidisciplinary collaborative services.

The Neonatal Neurology and Neuro-Critical Care (NNCC) program is a consultation model with expertise in neonatology, neonatal neurology, neurophysiology, neurosurgery and brain imaging. The team is responsible for developing and implementing guidelines, protocols, quality improvement (QI) projects, educational and training programs, clinical consultative management, and long-term follow up after hospital discharge. The service focuses on high-risk term and preterm newborns or those who sustain prenatal or postnatal brain injury such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), CNS infections, neonatal stroke, unexplained seizures, brain malformation, and neonates with critical congenital heart diseases or on ECMO.

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Training Experience

The NNCC Fellowship Program is an educational collaboration between the Divisions of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine and Pediatric Neurology in the Department of Pediatrics at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and University of Alberta. The Program goals are to enable trainees to enhance their knowledge in neonatal neurology, acquire skills in diagnosis of the common neonatal brain injuries, provide evidence-based treatment and implement neuroprotection strategies. The training program includes exposure to neonatal Neurophysiology (EEG/aEEG), Neuroimaging (Brain MRI and cranial ultrasound), and attendance at long term outcome clinics (Baby Brain Clinic, Northern Neonatal follow clinic, Stroke and Brain malformation clinic). The training and exposure can be personalized based on the applicant’s interest and career goals. The fellows may focus on the neonatal neurology in general, or specifically focus on neonatal neuro-critical care. The trainees will have opportunities to learn more about the impact of critical congenital heart disease on the brain.

In collaboration with University of Calgary Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care Program, the trainees will have the opportunity to learn to perform Neonatal cranial ultrasonography.

This Fellowship is an optional 3 rd year for Canadian trainees who have completed two years of residency training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, trainees who completed Pediatric Neurology residency and wish to gain additional skills in Neonatal Neurology or Neonatal Neuro-critical Care. International Neonatal-Perinatal-Medicine or Pediatric Neurology graduates with funding from their sponsoring institution/government are invited to apply. International applicants without external funding maybe eligible to compete for the internal funding available to our program.

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Additional Information

View the full description of the fellowship program including details of the structure and organization and clinical requirements. 

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