About Us: Staff and Champion Contact Info

John Phillips, MD

John Phillips, MD

jpphillips@salud.unm.edu

Board Certified in Neurology and Pediatrics

Personal Profile

Dr. Phillips is a physician with 20 years experience caring for children and adults with developmental disabilities. He has special expertise in cerebral palsy and other developmental brain disorders, is an expert in spasticity management including botulinum injections, has been medical director of several spasticity and cerebral palsy clinics, and was the Director of Rehabilitation at Carrie Tingley Hospital for 5 years. Dr Phillips is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at UNM. He has active research interests in neurorehabilitation and neuroimaging, and has directed a number of research teams investigating traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy in studies funded locally as well as by the National Institutes of Health.

In a recent study Dr Phillips investigated the effect of medication (amphetamine) on recovery from brain injury, using magnetic resonance imaging to study neurochemical changes in the brain. Dr Phillips has also conducted studies investigating the effect of intensive weight supported treadmill training and constraint therapy in cerebral palsy, using functional magnetic resonance imaging to study cortical reorganization, as well as diffusion tensor imaging to study fiber tracts in response to these therapies.

Dr Phillips has a longstanding commitment to the care of people with developmental disabilities throughout the lifespan, both from a scientific as well as an ethical perspective, which is why he enjoys being part of the Continuum of Care team. In his spare time, he volunteers his time to help care for children in Russian orphanages. His long-term goals are twofold: 1) to push the boundaries of research for people with developmental disabilities, using cutting-edge neuroimaging methods and working with multidisciplinary teams, to maximize neuroplasticity for congenital and acquired brain disease, and 2) to live in a society where all people, of all abilities, are supported in their passions and valued for their unique contributions.

Education and Training

Professional Experience

Membership in Professional Organizations

Publications

1 . Strouse JH, Phillips JP: Teaching about AIDS: A Challenge to Educators.   Educational Leadership.   1987; 44:76-80.

2. Phillips JP , Lockman LA, Shipiro E, blazer B, Krivit W: Cerebrospinal fluid findings in 18 children with adrenoleukodystrophy: Correlation between measures of cytokines, IgG production, and disease severity.   Pediatric Neurol. 1994; 10:289-294.

Azzarelli B, Caldemeyer KS, Phillips JP , DeMeyer WE: Hypoxic-Ischemic encephalopathy in areas of primary myeliation: A neuroimaging and PET study.   Pediatr Neurol. 1996; 14(2):108-116.

3. Phillips JP , Garg BP: Progressive spasticity in an infant.   Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. 1996; 3(3):202-206.

4. Phillips JP, Kincaid, JC, Garg BP:   Acute motor axonal neuropathy in childhood: Clinical and MRI findings.   Pediatr Neurol. 1997; 16:152-155.

5. Phillips JP , Wilson G: Fragile X Syndrome. Indian J Pediatrics. 1997; 64:573-583.

Patel H, Boaz JC, Phillips JP , Garg BP: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in children.   Pediatr Neurol. 1998; 19(4):302-307.

6. Phillips JP , Warner L, Lupski J, Garg BP:   Congenital hypomyelination neuropathy: Two children with long term follow-up, genetic analysis and literature review.   Pediatr Neurol.   1999; 20:226-232.

7. Phillips JP, Devier D, Feeney D: Rehabilitation Pharmacology. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2003;18(4):342-356.

8. Phillips JP, Sullivan KJ, Burtner PA, Caprihan A, Provost B, Bernitsky-Beddingfield A: Ankle Dorsiflexion fMRI in Children with Cerebral Palsy Undergoing Intensive Body Weight Support Treadmill Training--A Feasibility Study. Submitted for publication to Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology.

9 . Phillips JP : Cerebral Palsy, in HealthSmart (publication of the University of New Mexico Hospital), Feburary 2004.

10. Phillips JP : Complication of anticonvulsant drugs and the ketogenic diet.   In Iatrogenic Neurology , Biller J (ed). Butterworth-Heinemann, 1988.

11. Phillips JP : Pediatric Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury.   In Neurological Therapeutics, Principles and Practice, Noseworthy J (ed). Martin Dunitz Publishing, 2003.

12. Phillips JP : Pediatric Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury.   Updated chapter for second edition of Neurological Therapeutics, Principles and Practice, Noseworthy J (ed). In print.

13 . Weers DC, Yeo RA, Phillips JP, Campbell RC, Petropoulos H, Jung RE, Kernen S, Brown A, Hart B, Brooks WM. Neurometabolic abnormalities in pediatric traumatic brain injury: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy study. Brain, in press.

Selected Presentations

1. Phillips JP. Neuroplasticity in Rehabilitation , Plenary address to Russia/US Joint Conference on Pediatric Rehabilitation: Focus on Children in Institutions, Moscow, Russia, 10-14-02

2. Phillips JP. National Faculty, Professional Postgraduate Services: Management of Spasticity in Children with Cerebral Palsy . Lectures given in Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, 2001.

3. Gormley M , Phillips JP. Spasticity Management . Instructional course at the Russia/US Joint Conference on Pediatric Rehabilitation: Focus on Children in Institutions, Moscow, Russia, October 13, 2002.

4. Phillips JP , Koch P. Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training for the Pediatric Patient . Invited speaker for instructional course presented at the American Physical Therapy Association national conference, Nashville, Tennessee, February 4, 2004.

5 . Phillips JP. Russian Orphans and Feral Children: environment and the developing brain . New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association, annual conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 11-12-04

6. Phillips JP. Alternative Treatment in Medicine and Evidence Based Practice. Special Education Graduate Colloquium, UNM Dept of Education, 3-29-05.

7. Phillips JP. Current Issues and Advances in Diagnosis and Management of Young Children with Cerebral Palsy . Invited speaker for Contemporary Forums national conference: The Young Child with Special Needs. Las Vegas, Nevada, May 6, 2005.

8 . Phillips JP, Campbell RC, Miller M, Caring for Children with Special Needs: From Science to Society , Institute for Education Specialists, Kazan, Tartarstan, Russia, 6-16-05.

9. Phillips JP. Brain Reorganization in Congenital Hemiplegia . UNM Department of Neurology Grand Rounds, 10-21-05.

10. Phillips JP. Traumatic Brain Injury in Children . Invited speaker for Physical Therapy Doctoral Program, University of Utah, 11-21-05.