Susan Swedo facts for kids
Susan Swedo is a scientist who studies children's health and brain conditions. She is known for her research into how certain infections might affect the brain. From 1998, she led a special branch at the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that focused on children's brain development.
In 1994, Dr. Swedo was a main author on a paper about a condition called PANDAS. This idea suggests that some children's sudden obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorders, like Tourette syndrome, might be linked to a type of Group A streptococcal infection. She retired from NIMH in 2019 and now works with the PANDAS Physician Network.
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About Susan Swedo
Her Early Life and Education
Susan Swedo was born in 1955. She earned her first degree from Augustana College in 1977. She then went to medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, finishing in 1980.
Dr. Swedo completed her training in pediatrics (children's medicine) at Children’s Memorial Hospital. This hospital is part of the McGaw Medical Center at Northwestern University. After her training, she became the head of the Adolescent Medicine division at Northwestern until 1986.
Working at NIMH
In 1986, Dr. Swedo joined the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). She worked in a lab that studied child psychiatry. There, she researched new ways to treat childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with medicines. She became a permanent researcher at NIMH in 1992.
In 1994, she was made the head of the Behavioral Pediatrics section. From 1995 to 1998, she also helped lead the scientific research for NIMH. In 1998, she became the Chief of the Pediatrics and Developmental Neuropsychiatry Branch (PDN) at NIMH. At PDN, Dr. Swedo studied the causes and treatments for brain conditions in children. These included OCD, anxiety disorders, and autistic spectrum disorders.
Dr. Swedo was also part of the group that created the DSM-5. This is a book that helps doctors understand and diagnose mental health conditions. It was updated in 2013.
Dr. Swedo has received several important awards for her work. These include awards from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
What is PANDAS?
In 1994, Dr. Swedo was a lead author on a paper that described Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections, or PANDAS. The idea behind PANDAS is similar to rheumatic fever. It suggests that the body's immune system might mistakenly attack parts of the brain. This could happen after a strep infection and lead to sudden changes in behavior. These changes might include repetitive actions or tics.
The PANDAS idea is still being studied by many scientists. It is a topic where more research is needed to fully understand it.
Research on Autism
In 2006, Dr. Swedo started a study about a treatment called chelation therapy. Some people believed this therapy could help with autism. This idea was based on a belief that a mercury-containing preservative, once used in some vaccines, was linked to autism.
The study was designed to compare a chelator medicine called DMSA with a fake medicine (placebo). Researchers planned to check the social and language skills of the children after twelve weeks. However, the study was stopped early in February 2007. This happened because new information showed that DMSA could cause risks. Studies in animals showed it could lead to lasting brain and emotional problems. Because of these safety concerns, the study was halted.
