Hilla Ben-Pazi, MD
Pediatric Movement Disorders
Neuropediatric Unit
Shaare Zedek Medical Center,
P.O.B. 3235, Jerusalem
Israel 91031
Tel: (972)2-6555345
Fax: (972)2-6555672
email: Benpazi@gmail.com
Senior Physician at the Neuropediatric Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center and a lecturer at Hebrew University- Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem. Specialized in pediatrics (Hadassah), pediatric neurology (Shaare Zedek) and pediatric movement disorders (Stanford University).
Research fields:
- Motor oscillatory abnormalities in neurological disorders: Parkinson’s disease, ADHD and poor penmanship.
- Increased neuronal connectivity in ADHD- a functional MRI study
- Neuroimmunological underpinnings of neuropsychiatric autoimmune disorders
Clinical based research:
At our multidisciplinary clinic for cerebral palsy and movement disorders we face diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that drive our research. One challenge is diagnosing individuals with cerebral palsy. We recently detected high rates of genetic abnormalities in groups of children in certain populations providing options for familial planning and prevention. We also conduct research examining the efficacy of pharmacological treatments. We found that GPS recordings are reliable outcome measures of participation in disabled children. Another project studies the effect of medical clowns on the painful procedures. We found that clown care reduces pain in children undergoing Botulinum toxin injections.
Networking:
Clinical research studies should be done in collaborative multidisciplinary international groups. Therefore I am an active member of the NIH Childhood Motor Group Taskforce and international workgroup for deep brain stimulation in CP.
Current Endeavour:
Telemedicine: Creating a convenient, accessible, professional personalized interface to improve medical care for underserved populations and overburdened caregivers. Recording variable and reliable medical data for extracting complex population based information.
Personal:
Living in a small town in the Ella Valley (along with a husband, four children and a dog) demands constant involvement in community activities and local causes. For now, our foremost regional struggle is to prevent the planned oil shale production in our beautiful rural area. I enjoy sports in nature with my family, backpacking, running, cycling and yoga.