Jessica Wallisch was born and raised in Kansas where she completed her undergraduate studies in biology and gerontology at Kansas State University followed by medical school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.  During medical school she was introduced to research in the lab of Dr. Carl Weiner studying chronic fetal hypoxemia and reactive oxygen species.  She subsequently moved to Pittsburgh to complete her residency training in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.   She stayed in Pittsburgh to pursue Pediatric Critical Care fellowship training, during which she developed a clinical interest in neurocritical care that sparked her interest in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and brain injury after cardiac arrest.  Jessica is currently a post-doctoral scholar in the T32 Research Fellowship in Pediatric Neurointensive Care and Resuscitation program where her research is focused on cerebral edema following TBI and cardiac arrest.  When not at work, Jessica enjoys cooking, baking, and trying new restaurants with her husband John.

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

UNDERGRADUATE:

2003 – 2007                                         Kansas State University                                                    Bachelor of Science

Manhattan, KS                                                                     Biology, Gerontology

 

GRADUATE:

 

2007 – 2011                                         University of Kansas                                                         Doctor of Medicine

                                                                Kansas City, KS                                                  

 

POSTGRADUATE:

 

2011 – 2014                                         Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC                 Pediatric Residency

Pittsburgh, PA

Dena Hofkosh, MD

 

2014 – present                                     Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC                 Pediatric Critical Care

Pittsburgh, PA                                                                      Fellowship

Melinda Hamilton, MD, MSc

 

2016 – present                                    Safar Center for Resuscitation Research                      NIH T32 Post-doctoral

University of Pittsburgh                                                    Scholar

Patrick M. Kochanek, MD

 

 

HONORS

 

2003                                       State of Kansas Governor’s Scholar

 

2003 – 2007                         Kansas State Foundation Scholar

 

2004                                       National Society of Collegiate Scholars

 

2010                                       University of Kansas School of Medicine

Academic Societies Service to the Kansas City Community and Beyond Award

 

2011                                       Russell F. Holcomb, Jr., MD Memorial Award

 

2014                                       Mark A. Sperling Resident Research Award

 

2016                                       SCCM Star Research Achievement Award

 

2016                                       University of Pittsburgh Department of Critical Care Medicine Fink Scholar Day

Best Abstract in Translational Science

 

2016                                       Safar Symposium Best Abstract in CCM

 

2017                                       SCCM Research Snapshot Gold Award

CURRENT RESEARCH

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

 

  • Cerebral edema following severe traumatic brain injury and asphyxial cardiac arrest
  • Inhibition of aquaporin-4 mediated cerebral edema
  • Inflammasomes and inflammation-mediated secondary injury following traumatic brain injury

 

GRANTS:

 

NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein T32 Training Award                                                                                   July 2016 – June 2018

NIH T32HD040686 Pediatric Neurointensive Care and Resuscitation Research

Role: Postdoctoral scholar (PI: Patrick M. Kochanek)

 

Ann E. Thompson Fellow Scholarship Award                                                                                        July 2016 – present

“Aquaporin-4 mediated cerebral edema following pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest”

Role: Primary Investigator

 

Laerdal Foundation                                                                                                                                 January 2017- present

“Aquaporin-4 mediated cerebral edema after pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest in rats”

Role: Primary Investigator

 

PUBLICATIONS

PEER-REVIEWED MANUSCRIPTS:

  1. Jha RM, Puccio A, Chou SH, Chang CCH, Wallisch J, Molyneaux BJ, Zusman B, Shutter LA, Poloyac SM, Janesko-Feldman KL, Okonkwo DO, Kochanek PM. “Sulfonylurea Receptor-1: A Novel Biomarker for Cerebral Edema in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.” Critical Care Medicine, Nov 2016, Epub ahead of print.
  2. Jha RM, Puccio A, Okonkwo D, Zusman BE, Park S, Wallisch J, Empey PE, Shutter LA, Clark RSB, Kochanek PM, Conley YP. “ABCC8 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are associated with Cerebral Edema in Severe TBI.” Neurocritical Care,Sept 2016, Epub ahead of print.
  3. Wallisch JS, Simon DW, Bayir H, Bell MJ, Kochanek PM, Clark RS. “Cerebrospinal Fluid NLRP3 is Increased after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Infants and Children.” Neurocritical Care, Feb 2017, Epub ahead of print.

BOOK CHAPTERS:

  1. Kochanek PM, Bell MJ, Bayir H, Jackson TC, Wallisch JS, Forbes MJ, Ruppel R, Adelson PD, Clark RSB.  Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Infants and Children.  In: Fuhrman and Zimmerman’s Pediatric Critical Care, 5thEdition, Elsevier, 2016.
  2. Wallisch JS, Bell MJ, Foster K. Accidental Traumatic Brain Injury IN Pediatric Neurosurgery. DiRocco, Pang, Rutka eds. Springer Publishing, 2017 [in press].

EDITORIALS:

  1. Wallisch JS, Pang D, Carcillo JA, Aneja RK. “Implementation of Guidelines to Treat Pediatric Sepsis: Cookbook Medicine or the Force Awakens!” Pediatric Critical Care Medicine2016, 17(9): 884-885.
  2. Wallisch JS,Kochanek PM. “A ‘Meta-morphosis’ in our approach to treatment is not likely to result from a Meta-analysis of the use of therapeutic hypothermia in severe TBI.” Critical Care Medicine. Accepted for publication Nov 2016.

ABSTRACTS/PRESENTATIONS:

  1. Sauber J, Dong YF, Hou W, Weiner CP. “Neuroprotective Mechanism of N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Inhibitory Effect on Fetal Brain Inflammatory Response during Chronic Hypoxia.” Oral presentation at the 56thAnnual Society for Gynecologic Investigation Meeting, Glasgow, UK, Reproductive Sciences, March 2009, (16) Supplement 3.
  2. Sauber J, Dong YF, Hou W, Weiner CP. “Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome Trigger by Chronic Hypoxemia via Reactive Oxygen Species.” Oral presentation at the University of Kansas Student Research Forum, Kansas City, KS, April 2009.
  3. Wallisch J, Wallisch W, Shamsi K. “Is There a Correlation Between Parent Weight Loss and Child Weight Loss and Maintenance After Participating in Healthy Hawks, a Family-Based Weight Loss Program at the University of Kansas?” Poster presentation at the University of Kansas Health of the Public Forum, Kansas City, KS, Feb 2011.
  4. Wallisch J, May C, Kuhnlein M, Maurer S. “Improving Communication at End of Life.” Oral presentation at Quality Week, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 2013.
  5. Wallisch J, Hamilton M, May C, Kuhnlein M, Maurer S. “Improving End of Life Communication Through Medical Education.”  Poster presentation at Society of Critical Care Medicine 43rdCritical Care Congress, San Francisco, CA, Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2013, (41) 12.
  6. Simon DW, Wallisch J, Bell MJ, Bayir H, Aneja RK, Janesko-Feldman K, Kochanek PM, Clark RS. “Increased CSF NLRP3 but not NLRP1 after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.” Poster presentation and Student Competition Finalist at the 32ndAnnual National Neurotrauma Symposium, San Francisco, CA, Journal of Neurotrauma, June 2014, (31) 12.
  7. Jha RM, Puccio A, Chou SH, Chang CCH, Wallisch J, Molyneaux BJ, Zusman B, Shutter LA, Poloyac SM, Feldman KA, Okonkwo DO, Kochanek PM. “Sulfonylurea Receptor-1 as a Potential Biomarker for Cerebral Edema in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.” Poster presentation at the 13thAnnual Neurocritical Care Society Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ, Neurocritical Care, Oct 2015, (23) Supplement 1.
  8. Wallisch J,Jha R, Vagni V, Feldman K, Dixon C, Farr G, Kochanek P. “Effect of the Novel Aquaporin-4 Antagonist AER-271 in Combined TBI plus Hemorrhagic Shock in Mice.” Star Research Award and Oral presentation at Society of Critical Care Medicine 45th Critical Care Congress, Orlando, FL, Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2015, (43) 12.
  9. Byrd C, Wallisch J, Jha R, Vagni V, Wisniewski S, Ma L, Hsia C, Kochanek P. “Polynitroxylated-Pegylated Hemoglobin as an Ultra-Small Volume Resuscitation Therapy.” In-Training Award and Oral presentation at Society of Critical Care Medicine 45thCritical Care Congress, Orlando, FL, Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2015, (43) 12.
  10. Jha R, Molyneaux B, Jackson T, Wallisch J, Vagni V, Poloyac S, Dixon C, Kochanek P. “Glibenclamide Reduces Diffuse Cerebral Edema in a Combined Model of Traumatic Brain Injury and Shock.” Poster presentation at Society of Critical Care Medicine 45thCritical Care Congress, Orlando, FL, Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2015, (43) 12.
  11. Jha R, Puccio A, Chou S, Chang CC, Wallisch J, Molyneaux B, Zusman B, Shutter L, Poloyac S, Janesko-Feldman K, Okonkwo D, Kochanek P. “Sulfonylurea Receptor-1 as a Novel Biomarker for Cerebral Edema in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.” Oral presentation at American Academy of Neurology 68thAnnual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Neurology 2016; 78 (Meeting Abstracts): S46.001.
  12. Wallisch J, Hong Y, Xiecheng M, Empey P, Poloyac S, Feldman K, Kochanek PM, Dixon CE. “Evaluation of AER-271 in the Controlled Cortical Impact Model of Traumatic Brain Injury: An OBTT Consortium Study.” Poster presentation at the 34thNational Neurotrauma Symposium, June 2016.  Journal of Neurotrauma, June 2016, 33(13): A-61.
  13. Jha R, Okonkwo D, Puccio A, Zusman, B, Park S, Wallisch J, Empey P, Shutter L, Clark R, Kochanek P, Conley Y. “ABCC8 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Are Associated with Cerebral Edema in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.”  Poster presentation at the 34thNational Neurotrauma Symposium, June 2016.  Journal of Neurotrauma, June 2016, 33(13): A-41.
  14. Wallisch JS, Jha RM, Farr GW, McGuirk PR, Pelletier MF, Jackson TC, Kochanek PM, Manole MD. “Aquaporin-4 inhibitor AER-271 blocks early cerebral edema in pediatric rat asphyxial cardiac arrest.” Presented at Society of Critical Care Medicine 45thCritical Care Congress, Honolulu, HI. Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2016, 44(12): 255.
  15. Jha RM, Puccio A, Okonkwo DO, Zusman BE, Wallisch J, Shutter LA, Kochanek PM, Conley YP. “ABCC8 tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms correlate with edema and outcome in traumatic brain injury.” Presented at Society of Critical Care Medicine 45thCritical Care Congress, Honolulu, HI. Critical Care Medicine, Dec 2016, 44(12): 260.