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Faculty

Dr. Leonard Weisman

Leonard E. Weisman, M.D.

Academic Appointments

  • Professor of Pediatrics—Neonatology

Clinical Titles

  • Director, Texas Children's Hospital Perinatal Center

Board Certifications

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Current Positions in Professional Organizations

  • Member, Advisory Board, Ronald McDonald House Houston
  • Member, Perinatal Infections Committee, World Association of Perinatal Medicine
  • Member, Committee on Maternal and Prenatal Health, Texas Medical Association
  • Member, Committee on Fetus and Newborn, Texas Pediatric Society
  • Member, Committee on Legislation, Texas Pediatric Society

Professional History

  • M.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, 1974
  • Pediatric Intern, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora,CO, 1974–1975
  • Pediatric Resident, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, CO, 1975–1977
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellow, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora,CO, 1979–1981

Academic Interests

  • Laboratory studies encompass the: development of DNA vaccines for common perinatal pathogens; effects of neonatal neutrophil, immunoglobulin (parenteral, enteral, or transplacental), polyclonal antibody, monoclonal antibody, antibiotic, antibacterial, or immune modulator  function on common infectious agents (e.g., Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Ureaplasma, respiratory syncytial virus, and fungi) in perinatal animal models.
  • Current clinical studies include: (1) determining  if maternal group B streptococcal colonization increases the neonate's risk for early-onset respiratory distress unrelated to infection (epidemiological multi-center), (2) evaluating the effectiveness of antistaphylococcal antibodies (clinical multi-center), (3) staphylococcal infections (epidemiological single-center and multi-center), (4) ureaplasma infection and the development of chronic lung disease (translational, clinical multi-center), (5)  ureaplasma infection and the development of preterm labor (translational, epidemiological multi-center), (6)  the natural history of ureaplasma colonization/infection in the pregnant woman (epidemiological multi-center, clinical multi-center), (7)  development of a rapid diagnostic process for common perinatal infections.

Recent Publications

  1. Placencia FX, Kong L, Weisman LE. Treatment of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Neonates : Lysostaphin versus Vancomycin. Pediatric Research. 2009 65(4):420-4.
  2. Weisman LE, Thackray HM, Garcia-Prats JA, Nesin M, Schneider JH,  Fretz J, Kokai-Kun J, Mond JJ, Kramer WG, Fischer GW. Phase I/II Double Blind, Placebo Controlled, Dose Escalation, Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates of Pagibaximab (BSYX-A110), an Anti-Staphylococcal Monoclonal Antibody for the Prevention of Staphylococcal Bloodstream Infections. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2009 53(7):2879-86.
  3. Walls SA, Kong L, Leeming HA, Placencia FX, Popek EJ, Weisman LE. Antibiotic Prophylaxis Improves Ureaplasma Associated Lung Disease. Pediatric Research. 2009 66(2):197-201
  4. Weisman LE,Thackray HM, Steinhorn R, Walsh W, Lassiter HA, Dhanireddy R, Brozanski BS, Palmer K, Trautman M, Escobedo M, Meissner CH, Sasidharan P, Fretz J, Kokai-Kun JF, Kramer WG, Fischer GW, Mond JJ. A randomized study of a monoclonal antibody (pagibaximab) to prevent staphylococcal sepsis in premature infants. Pediatrics 2011 (In Press).
  5. Lin FYC, Weisman LE, Azimi P, Young AE, Chang K, Cielo M, Moyer P, Troendle J, Schneerson R, Robbins JB. Limitations of the National Guidelines for Prevention of Perinatal Group B Streptococcal Disease. Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 2011 (In Press).