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In addition to his work as a pediatric neurosurgeon, David Hersh, MD, dedicates time to research. “I am humbled our relatively young specialty has come a long way in a brief period of time, yet there is still so much we don’t yet understand about the brain,” says Dr. Hersh. “Continuing to ask questions and perform research is critical. One of my favorite parts of my job is building relationships with my individual patients and their families, but I also realize that research is a way for me to help even larger numbers of patients for years to come.”

Currently, Dr. Hersh is investigating bone flap resorption following cranioplasty. “Children with a severe traumatic brain injury sometimes require a large portion of the skull to be removed in order to create more room for the brain while it is swollen,” explains Dr. Hersh. “Eventually this piece of bone is replaced, but many pediatric patients experience significant resorption of the bone over time, leaving the underlying brain unprotected.” In collaboration with Dr. Yusuf Khan at UCONN Health, Dr. Hersh is working on strategies to prevent the resorption process and avoid a patient’s need for further surgery.