Robert Dietz, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Neonatology


FacultyPhoto
Medical School
  • MD, University of New Mexico School of Medicine (2010)
Graduate School
  • PhD, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (2010)
Undergraduate School
  • BS, University of New Mexico (NM) (2003)
Residency
  • University of Chicago/Comer Children's Hospital Program, Pediatrics (2013)
Fellowships
  • University of Colorado (Children's Hospital Colorado) Program, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (2016)
Languages
English
Department
Pediatrics-Neonatology

Professional Titles

  • Faculty, Neuronal Injury Program

Recognitions

  • Member, Gold Humanism Honor Society (2014)
  • Young Investigator Award, Perinatal Research Society (2016)
  • Associate Member Paper Prize, Perinatal Research Society (2017)

Publications

  • Dietz RM, Deng G, Orfila JE, Hui X, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. Therapeutic hypothermia protects against ischemia-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity following juvenile cardiac arrest in sex-dependent manner. Neuroscience. 2016 Jun 14;325:132-41. PubMed PMID: 27033251
  • Shimizu T, Dietz RM, Cruz-Torres I, Strnad F, Garske AK, Moreno M, Venna VR, Quillinan N, Herson PS. Extended therapeutic window of a novel peptide inhibitor of TRPM2 channels following focal cerebral ischemia. Exp Neurol. 2016 Sep;283(Pt A):151-6. PubMed PMID: 27317297
  • Dietz RM, Wright CJ. 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Hypothermia and the Resuscitation of Asphyxiated Fetal Rhesus Monkeys. J Pediatr. 2016 Jan;168:87. PubMed PMID: 26719178
  • Dietz RM, Stewart MS, Fuller EN, Paugh HC, Morelli JG, Wright R. An unusual presentation of dermatophytosis in a premature infant. J Pediatr. 2014 Nov;165(5):1063.e1. PubMed PMID: 25129642
  • Stewart MS, Dietz RM, Landman MP, Moulton SL, Wright CJ. Abdominal radiograph with intravesical air and possible small bowel atresia. J Pediatr. 2014 May;164(5):1238-1238.e1. PubMed PMID: 24472230
  • Carter RE, Aiba I, Dietz RM, Sheline CT, Shuttleworth CW. Spreading depression and related events are significant sources of neuronal Zn2 release and accumulation. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2011 Apr;31(4):1073-84. PubMed PMID: 20978516
  • Dietz RM, Weiss JH, Shuttleworth CW. Contributions of Ca2 and Zn2 to spreading depression-like events and neuronal injury. J Neurochem. 2009 May;109 Suppl 1:145-52. PubMed PMID: 19393021
  • Dietz RM, Weiss JH, Shuttleworth CW. Zn2 influx is critical for some forms of spreading depression in brain slices. J Neurosci. 2008 Aug 6;28(32):8014-24. PubMed PMID: 18685026
  • Paulsen ME, Dietz RM. Antenatal magnesium for preterm delivery reduces risk of cerebral palsy among surviving very preterm infants. Acta Paediatr. 2017 Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29083069
  • Joksimovic SM, Eggan P, Izumi Y, Joksimovic SL, Tesic V, Dietz RM, Orfila JE, DiGruccio MR, Herson PS, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Zorumski CF, Todorovic SM. The role of T-type calcium channels in the subiculum: to burst or not to burst?. J Physiol. 2017 Oct 1;595(19):6327-6348. PubMed PMID: 28744923
  • Deng G, Orfila JE, Dietz RM, Moreno-Garcia M, Rodgers KM, Coultrap SJ, Quillinan N, Traystman RJ, Bayer KU, Herson PS. Autonomous CaMKII Activity as a Drug Target for Histological and Functional Neuroprotection after Resuscitation from Cardiac Arrest. Cell Rep. 2017 Jan 31;18(5):1109-1117. PubMed PMID: 28147268
  • Dietz RM and Wright CJ. Oxidative Stress Diseases Unique to the Perinatal Period: A Window into the Developing Innate Immune Response. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. Accepted for Publication.
  • Dietz RM, Kiedrowski L, Shuttleworth CW. Contribution of Na( )/Ca(2 ) exchange to excessive Ca(2 ) loading in dendrites and somata of CA1 neurons in acute slice. Hippocampus. 2007;17(11):1049-59. PubMed PMID: 17598158
  • Mercier RC, Dietz RM, Mazzola JL, Bayer AS, Yeaman MR. Beneficial influence of platelets on antibiotic efficacy in an in vitro model of Staphylococcus aureus-induced endocarditis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2004 Jul;48(7):2551-7. PubMed PMID: 15215108
  • Orfila JE, Grewel H, Dietz RM, Strnad F, Shimizu T, Schroeder C, Moreno M, Bernard TJ, Qillinan N, Macklin WB, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. Inhibition of tonic GABAergic signaling enhances functional recovery following experimental ischemic stroke. J Cerebral Bl Flow & Met. Accepted for publication.
  • Clevenger AC, Hoon K, Salcedo E, Yonchek JC, Rodgers KM, Orfila JE, Dietz RM, Quillinan N, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. Endogenous sex steroids dampen neuroinflammation and improve outcome of traumatic brain injury in mice. J Mol Neurosci. 2018 Mar;64(3):410-420.
  • Gould EA, Busquet N, Shepard D, Dietz RM, Herson PS, Simoes de Souza FM, George NM, Restropo D, Macklin WB. Mild Myelin Disruption Elicits Early Alteration in Behavior and Proliferation in the Subventricular Zone. eLife. 2018 Feb 13;7.
  • Dietz RM, Orfila JE, Rodgers KM, Patsos OP, Deng G, Chalmers N, Quillinan N, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. Juvenile cerebral ischemia reveals age-dependent BDNF-TrkB signaling changes: Novel mechanism of recovery and therapeutic intervention. J Cerebral Bl Flow & Met
  • Orfila JE, McKinnon N, Moreno M, Deng G, Chalmers N, Dietz RM, Herson PS, Quillinan N. Cardiac Arrest Induces Ischemic Long-Term Potentiation of Hippocampal CA1 Neurons That Occludes Physiological Long-Term Potentiation. Neural Plasticity. 2018 Apr 26;2018:9275239.
  • Dingman AL, Rodgers KM, Dietz RM, Hickey SP, Frazier AP, Yonchek JP, Traystman RJ, Macklin WB, Herson, PS. Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Proliferation and Cell Fate After White Matter Stroke in Juvenile and Adult Mice. Dev Neurosci.
  • Paulsen ME and Dietz RM. Antenatal magnesium for preterm delivery reduces risk of cerebral palsy among surviving very preterm infants. Acta Paediatr. 2018 Jan;107(1):175.
  • Paulsen ME and Dietz RM. Evidence Based Commentary on Crowther CA, Middleton PF, Voysey M, Askie L, Duley L, Pryde PG, et al. Assessing the neuroprotective benefits for babies of antenatal magnesium sulphate: An individual participant data meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2017;14:e1002398. Journal of Pediatrics. 2018
  • Bourque SL and Dietz RM. Does late therapeutic hypothermia reduce risk of death or disability? Acta Paediatr. 2018 Jun;107(6):1103.
  • Stein Y, Dietz RM. Nasal high-flow therapy for Newborn infants in special care nurseries. Acta Paediatr. 2019 Dec;108(12):2307. PubMed PMID: 31475753
  • Dietz RM, Cruz-Torres I, Orfila JE, Patsos OP, Shimizu K, Chalmers N, Deng G, Tiemeier E, Quillinan N, Herson PS. Reversal of Global Ischemia-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction by Delayed Inhibition of TRPM2 Ion Channels. Transl Stroke Res. 2019 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31250378
  • Dietz RM, Cruz-Torres I, Orfila JE, Patsos OP, Shimizu K, Chalmers N, Deng G, Tiemeier E, Quillinan N, Herson PS. Reversal of Global Ischemia-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction by Delayed Inhibition of TRPM2 Ion Channels. Transl Stroke Res. 2019 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31250378
  • Dingman AL, Rodgers KM, Dietz RM, Hickey SP, Frazier AP, Clevenger AC, Yonchek JC, Traystman RJ, Macklin WB, Herson PS. Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Fate after White Matter Stroke in Juvenile and Adult Mice. Dev Neurosci. 2019 Mar 12;:1-16. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30861520
  • Orfila JE, Dietz RM, Rodgers KM, Dingman A, Patsos OP, Cruz-Torres I, Grewal H, Strnad F, Schroeder C, Herson PS. Experimental pediatric stroke shows age-specific recovery of cognition and role of hippocampal Nogo-A receptor signaling. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2019 Feb 14;:271678X19828581. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30762478
  • Hippensteel JA, Anderson BJ, Orfila JE, McMurtry SA, Dietz RM, Su G, Ford JA, Oshima K, Yang Y, Zhang F, Han X, Yu Y, Liu J, Linhardt RJ, Meyer NJ, Herson PS, Schmidt EP. Circulating heparan sulfate fragments mediate septic cognitive dysfunction. J Clin Invest. 2019 Apr 1;129(4):1779-1784. PubMed PMID: 30720464
  • Bourque SL, Dietz RM. Late initiation of therapeutic hypothermia: not the new standard of care. Acta Paediatr. 2019 Apr;108(4):770. PubMed PMID: 30506752
  • Orfila JE, Grewal H, Dietz RM, Strnad F, Shimizu T, Moreno M, Schroeder C, Yonchek J, Rodgers KM, Dingman A, Bernard TJ, Quillinan N, Macklin WB, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. Delayed inhibition of tonic inhibition enhances functional recovery following experimental ischemic stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2019 Jun;39(6):1005-1014. PubMed PMID: 29283314
  • Manzella FM, Joksimovic SM, Orfila JE, Fine BR, Dietz RM, Sampath D, Fiedler HK, Tesic V, Atluri N, Raol YH, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Herson PS, Todorovic SM. Neonatal Ketamine Alters High-Frequency Oscillations and Synaptic Plasticity in the Subiculum But Does not Affect Sleep Macrostructure in Adolescent Rats. Front Syst Neurosci. 2020;14:26. PubMed PMID: 32528257
  • White A, Mukherjee P, Stremming J, Sherlock LG, Reynolds RM, Smith D, Asturias EJ, Grover TR, Dietz RM. Neonates Hospitalized with Community-Acquired SARS-CoV-2 in a Colorado Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Neonatology. 2020 Jun 4;:1-5. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32498065
  • Stein Y, Dietz RM. Nasal high-flow therapy for Newborn infants in special care nurseries. Acta Paediatr. 2019 Dec;108(12):2307. PubMed PMID: 31475753
  • Dietz RM, Cruz-Torres I, Orfila JE, Patsos OP, Shimizu K, Chalmers N, Deng G, Tiemeier E, Quillinan N, Herson PS. Reversal of Global Ischemia-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction by Delayed Inhibition of TRPM2 Ion Channels. Transl Stroke Res. 2020 Apr;11(2):254-266. PubMed PMID: 31250378
  • Dietz RM, Orfila JE, Chalmers N, Minjarez C, Vigil J, Deng G, Quillinan N, Herson PS. Functional restoration following global cerebral ischemia in juvenile mice following inhibition of transient receptor potential-M2 (TRPM2) ion channels. Neural plasticity. 2021.
  • Manzella FM, Joksimovic SM, Orfila JE, Dietz RM, Sampath D, Fiedler H, Tesic V, Atluri N, Yogendra HR, Jevtovic-Tedorovic V, Herson PS, Todorovic SM. Neonatal ketamine anesthesia alters high frequency oscillations and synaptic plasticity in the subiculum but does not affect sleep architecture in adolescent rats. Frontiers in Neuroscience.
  • Dietz RM, Dingman AL, Herson PS. Cerebral Ischemia in the Developing Brain. J Cereb Bl Flow Metab 2022. PMID: 35765984.
  • Welter K, Ross E, Dietz RM. Dexmedetomidine versus morphine for neonates with encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. Acta Paediatr. 2022
  • Moreno M, Minjarez C, Vigil J, Orfila JE, Schmidt R, Burch A, Carter DJ, Kubesh M, Yonchek J, Dietz RM, Quillinan N. Differences in hippocampal plasticity and memory outcomes in anterior versus posterior cerebellar stroke. Neurobiol Dis. 2022 Jun 15;168:105701. PubMed PMID: 35337949
  • Dietz RM, Dingman AL, Herson PS. Cerebral ischemia in the developing brain. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2022 Oct;42(10):1777-1796. PubMed PMID: 35765984
  • Moreno M, Minjarez C, Vigil J, Orfila JE, Schmidt R, Burch A, Carter DJ, Kubesh M, Yonchek J, Dietz RM, Quillinan N. Differences in hippocampal plasticity and memory outcomes in anterior versus posterior cerebellar stroke. Neurobiol Dis. 2022 Jun 15;168:105701. PubMed PMID: 35337949
  • Turner MJ and Dietz RM. Potential Adjuncts to Therapeutic Hypothermia to Mitigate Multiorgan Injury in Perinatal Hypoxia-Ischemia. NeoReviews. Dec 1 2023
  • Dietz RM, Gonzalez FF. Neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: is ROSC enough?. Pediatr Res. 2024 Jul 24. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39048670
  • Turner MJ, Dietz RM. Potential Adjuncts to Therapeutic Hypothermia to Mitigate Multiorgan Injury in Perinatal Hypoxia-Ischemia. Neoreviews. 2023 Dec 1;24(12):e771-e782. PubMed PMID: 38036441
  • Fine-Raquet B, Manzella FM, Joksimovic SM, Dietz RM, Orfila JE, Sampath D, Tesic V, Atluri N, Covey DF, Raol YH, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Herson PS, Todorovic SM. Neonatal exposure to a neuroactive steroid alters low-frequency oscillations in the subiculum. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2023 Apr;248(7):578-587. PubMed PMID: 37309730

Professional Memberships

  • International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, Member
  • Society for Pediatric Research, Member
  • Western Society for Pediatric Research, Member
  • American Heart Association, Member
  • Society for Neuroscience, Member
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Member
  • American Physician Scientist Association, Member

Practice Locations

Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-777-1234

UCHealth Anschutz Inpatient Pavilion - Anschutz Medical Campus
12605 E. 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-0000

UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital
1500 Park Central Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
720-516-1000

Hospital Affiliation
  • Children's Hospital Colorado

Center Affiliations

Specialty Information

Specialties
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Board Certification (2022)
  • Board Certified - Pediatrics, Board Certification (2013)
  • Board Certified - Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Board Certification (2022)
Conditions & Treatments
  • Critical Care
  • Brain and Nervous System
  • Brain and Nervous System - Hydrocephalus
  • Brain and Nervous System - Stroke
  • Brain and Nervous System - Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injuries
  • Pregnancy and Reproduction - Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Pregnancy and Reproduction
Clinical Interests
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Neonatal Stroke Acquired Brain Injury

Public Speaking
Yes
I have spoken at national and international conferences on ischemia in the developing brain.