Michelle Monje
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Neurology & Neurological Sciences
- Member, Child Health Research Institute
- Member, Bio-X
- Assistant Professor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery
- Assistant Professor (By courtesy), Pediatrics
Key Documents
Contact Information
-
Clinical Offices
Pediatric Neurology Division 300 Pasteur Dr A343 MC 5235 Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 723-6841 Fax (650) 725-7459Practices at Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 736-0885Alternate Contact Julie Ng Tel Work 650 736 0885Not for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Overview
Clinical Focus
- Neurology
Honors and Awards
- Peter A. Steck Memorial Award, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (2011)
- K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2010 - 2015)
- Young Investigator Award, Hagerty Foundation for Glioma Research (2006)
Professional Education
| Internship: | Stanford University CA (06/30/2005) |
| Residency: | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA USA (06/30/2008) |
| Fellowship: | Stanford University - Dept of Neurology, CA USA (06/30/2010) |
| Medical Education: | Stanford University CA (06/13/2004) |
| Residency: | Massachusetts General Hospital MA (06/30/2008) |
| Board Certification: | Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (2008) |
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Internet Links
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Much of brain development occurs after birth. Maturation of complex neural circuitry necessary for high-level cognitive and motor functions occurs throughout childhood and young adulthood. Central to the process of developing or strengthening a functional neural circuit is the generation of new glial cells for neuronal support, synapse formation and myelination. In some brain regions, such as the hippocampus, new neuron production occurs throughout postnatal life and is believed to subserve normal memory function.
The Monje Lab studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment. This includes microenvironmental influences on neural precursor cell fate choice in normal neurodevelopment and in disease states. Areas of emphasis include neuronal instruction of gliogenesis, cellular contributions to the neurogenic and gliogenic signaling microenvironment, molecular determinants of neural precursor cell fate, and the role of neural precursor cells in oncogenesis and repair mechanisms. As a practicing neurologist and Neuro-oncologist, Dr Monje is particularly interested in the roles for neural precursor cell function and dysfunction in the origins of pediatric brain tumors and the consequences of cancer treatment. As a paradigm of pediatric gliogenesis, we have been focusing on brainstem tumors, whose spatial and temporal specificity bespeak an underlying developmental cause.
Clinical Trials
- Not Recruiting Methylphenidate HCl or Modafinil in Treating Young Patients With Excessive Daytime Sleepiness After Cancer Therapy
- Recruiting Phase I Rindopepimut After Conventional Radiation in Children w/ Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas
- Recruiting Chemotherapy Followed by Radiation Therapy in Treating Younger Patients With Newly Diagnosed Localized Central Nervous System Germ Cell Tumors
- Not Recruiting Bevacizumab and Lapatinib in Children With Recurrent or Refractory Ependymoma
Publications
- Hedgehog-responsive candidate cell of origin for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; (11): 4453-8
- Impaired human hippocampal neurogenesis after treatment for central nervous system malignancies. Ann Neurol. 2007; (5): 515-20
- Inflammatory blockade restores adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Science. 2003; (5651): 1760-5
- Irradiation induces neural precursor-cell dysfunction. Nat Med. 2002; (9): 955-62
- Functional and structural differences in the hippocampus associated with memory deficits in adult survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013; (2): 293-300
- Cognitive side effects of cancer therapy demonstrate a functional role for adult neurogenesis. Behav Brain Res. 2012; (2): 376-9
Help