Kristen Park, MD

Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Neurology


FacultyPhoto
Medical School
  • MD, Mayo Medical School (2002)
Undergraduate School
  • BA, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (NC) (1995)
Residencies
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Child Neurology (2007)
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Program, Pediatrics (2004)
Fellowships
  • Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Clinical Neurophysiology, Neurophysiology (2008)
Languages
English
Department
Pediatrics-Neurology

Professional Titles

  • Director, Pediatric Epilepsy Fellowship

Research Interests

Genetic causes of epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorders, and brain malformations

Publications

  • DOI citation available - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2012.03.004
  • C. Shain, S. Ramgopal, I. Parulkar, A. Poduri, and EPGP Investigators. Concordance of Epilepsy in Patients with Polymicrogyria Enrolled in the Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project.
  • J. Weisenberg, L. Thio, R. Fahlstrom, D. Rabinowitz, M. Winawer and EPGP Investigators. Familial Concordance of Status Epilepticus in the Epilepsy Phenome Genome Project
  • M. Madou, C. Yuskaitis, K. Howell, A. Poduri, I. Scheffer, E. Sherr, EPGP Investigators and EPI4K Investigators. Infantile Spasms of Unknown Etiology: Phenotypic Features of a Large Cohort.
  • P. Dugan, O. Devinsky, R Kuzniecky, R. Fahlstrom, and EPGP Investigators. Auras in Generalized Epilepsy.
  • M. Winawer, R. Connors, and EPGP Investigators. Evidence for a Shared Genetic Susceptibility to Migraine and Epilepsy in the Epilepsy Phenome Genome Project.
  • E. Gertsch, K. Chapman, P. Laoprasert, K. Park, K. Knupp, and S. Koh. Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Diazepam for Treatment of Electrical Status Epilepticus During Slow Wave Sleep.
  • J. Millichap, L. Carmant, R. Flamini, F. Kendall, P. Levisohn, X. Ortiz-Gonzalez, K. Park, B. Porter, B. Tran, T. Tsuchida, E. Cooper. Clustering of Mutations in a North American Series Supports a Dominant-Negative Mechanism of KCNQ2 Encephalopathy.
  • Shain, C; Ramgopal, S; Fallil, Z; Alongi, R; Knowlton, R; Poduri, A; and the EPGP Investigators. Polymicrogyria-associated epilepsy: A multicenter phenotypic study from the Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project. Epilepsia. 2013; 54 (8) : 1368-1375
  • Park, KL; Knupp KG; Paolicchi, J (6th Ed.). Seizures, Partial and Generalized. In: Drs. Michael D. Cabana, Paul Brakeman, Megan Curran, Linda A. Dimeglio, W. Christopher Golden, Robert Goldsby, Adam Hartman, Terry Kind, Jenifer L. Lightdale, Camille Sabella, and Ronn Tanel. The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013
  • Laoprasert, P; Koh, S; Knupp, KK; Park, KL. Surgical Outcome and Prognostic Factors in Children with Medically Intractable Epilepsy (MIE) Caused by Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD). American Academy of Neurology 65th Annual Meeting; 3/16/13 - 3/21/13; San Diego, CA.
  • EuroEPINOMICS-RES Consortium; Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project; Epi4K Consortium. De Novo Mutations in Synaptic Transmission Genes Including DNM1 Cause Epileptic Encephalopathies. Am J Hum Genet. 2014; S2 : 383-8.
  • Park, K; Millichap J; Cooper, EC on behalf of the RIKEE network. KCNQ2-deficiency: Clinical spectrum of epilepsy, encephalopathy, and response to ezogabine. American Epilepsy Society; December 5-9, 2014; Seattle, WA.
  • Mefford, Heather; EPGP and Epi4K investigators. CNV analysis from exome data in 349 patients with epileptic encephalopathy. Annals of Neurology.
  • Epilepsy Phenome Genome Project and the Epi4K Consortium. Copy number variant analysis from exome data in 349 patients with epileptic encephalopathy. Annals of Neurology. Volume 78, Issue 2, pages 323–328, August 2015.
  • Pardoe, H., Mandelstam, S., Hiess, R., Kuzniecky, R., Jackson, G., Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Inititiative, The EPGP Project Investigators. Quantitative assessment of corpus callosum morphology in periventricular nodular heterotopia. Epilepsy Research. Vol 109; 40-47.
  • Adam Wallace, Victoria Allen, Kristen Park, Kelly Knupp. Infantile Spasms and Injuries of Prematurity: Short-term treatment based response and long-term outcomes. American Epilepsy Society: Annual Meeting December 4-8, 2015 Philadelphia, PA.
  • Winawer, Melodie R.; Shih, Jerry; Beck, Erin S.; EPGP investigators; et. al. Genetic effects on sleep/wake variation of seizures. Epilepsia. 2016; 57 (4) : 557-565.
  • KCNQ2 encephalopathy: Features, mutational hot spots, and ezogabine treatment of 11 patients. Millichap JJ, Park KL, Tsuchida T, Ben-Zeev B, Carmant L, Flamini R, Joshi N, Levisohn PM, Marsh E, Nangia S, Narayanan V, Ortiz-Gonzalez XR, Patterson MC, Pearl PL, Porter B, Ramsey K, McGinnis EL, Taglialatela M, Tracy M, Tran B, Venkatesan C, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC. Neurol Genet. 2016 Aug 22; 2(5)
  • Park K. KCNQ2 Encephalopathy. In: Rare Disease Database. Copyright 2016, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Available at http://www.rarediseases.org
  • Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in KCNQ2 Encephalopathy: Neonatal Non-Epileptic Myoclonus is a Prominent Clinical Feature of Gain-of-Function Variants R201C and R201H
  • Wolff M, Johannesen KM, Hedrich UBS, Masnada S, Rubboli G, Gardella E, Lesca G, Ville D, Milh M, Villard L, Afenjar A, Chantot-Bastaraud S, Mignot C, Lardennois C, Nava C, Schwarz N, Gérard M, Perrin L, Doummar D, Auvin S, Miranda MJ, Hempel M, Brilstra E, Knoers N, Verbeek N, van Kempen M, Braun KP, Mancini G, Biskup S, Hörtnagel K, Döcker M, Bast T, Loddenkemper T, Wong-Kisiel L, Baumeister FM, Fazeli W, Striano P, Dilena R, Fontana E, Zara F, Kurlemann G, Klepper J, Thoene JG, Arndt DH, Deconinck N, Schmitt-Mechelke T, Maier O, Muhle H, Wical B, Finetti C, Brückner R, Pietz J, Golla G, Jillella D, Linnet KM, Charles P, Moog U, Õiglane-Shlik E, Mantovani JF, Park K, Deprez M, Lederer D, Mary S, Scalais E, Selim L, Van Coster R, Lagae L, Nikanorova M, Hjalgrim H, Korenke GC, Trivisano M, Specchio N, Ceulemans B, Dorn T, Helbig KL, Hardies K, Stamberger H, de Jonghe P, Weckhuysen S, Lemke JR, Krägeloh-Mann I, Helbig I, Kluger G, Lerche H, Møller RS. Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity suggest therapeutic implications in SCN2A-related disorders. Brain. 2017 May 1;140(5):1316-1336. PubMed PMID: 28379373
  • Bramswig NC, Lüdecke HJ, Hamdan FF, Altmüller J, Beleggia F, Elcioglu NH, Freyer C, Gerkes EH, Demirkol YK, Knupp KG, Kuechler A, Li Y, Lowenstein DH, Michaud JL, Park K, Stegmann APA, Veenstra-Knol HE, Wieland T, Wollnik B, Engels H, Strom TM, Kleefstra T, Wieczorek D. Heterozygous HNRNPU variants cause early onset epilepsy and severe intellectual disability. Hum Genet. 2017 Jul;136(7):821-834. PubMed PMID: 28393272
  • Application of rare variant transmission disequilibrium tests to epileptic encephalopathy trio sequence data. Eur J Hum Genet. 2017 Jun;25(7):894-899. PubMed PMID: 28513609
  • Mulkey SB, Ben-Zeev B, Nicolai J, Carroll JL, Grønborg S, Jiang YH, Joshi N, Kelly M, Koolen DA, Mikati MA, Park K, Pearl PL, Scheffer IE, Spillmann RC, Taglialatela M, Vieker S, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC, Cilio MR. Neonatal nonepileptic myoclonus is a prominent clinical feature of KCNQ2 gain-of-function variants R201C and R201H. Epilepsia. 2017 Mar;58(3):436-445. PubMed PMID: 28139826
  • De novo variants in the alternative exon 5 of SCN8A cause epileptic encephalopathy Epilepsy Genetics Initiative GENETICS in MEDICINE (2017) doi:10.1038/gim.2017.100 Published online 02 October 2017
  • Helbig I, Riggs ER, Barry CA, Klein KM, Dyment D, Thaxton C, Sadikovic B, Sands TT, Wagnon JL, Liaquat K, Cilio MR, Mirzaa G, Park K, Axeen E, Butler E, Bardakjian TM, Striano P, Poduri A, Siegert RK, Grant AR, Helbig KL, Mefford HC. The ClinGen Epilepsy Gene Curation Expert Panel-Bridging the divide between clinical domain knowledge and formal gene curation criteria. Hum Mutat. 2018 Nov;39(11):1476-1484. PubMed PMID: 30311377
  • Hsieh TC, Mensah MA, Pantel JT, Aguilar D, Bar O, Bayat A, Becerra-Solano L, Bentzen HB, Biskup S, Borisov O, Braaten O, Ciaccio C, Coutelier M, Cremer K, Danyel M, Daschkey S, Eden HD, Devriendt K, Wilson S, Douzgou S, Ðukic D, Ehmke N, Fauth C, Fischer-Zirnsak B, Fleischer N, Gabriel H, Graul-Neumann L, Gripp KW, Gurovich Y, Gusina A, Haddad N, Hajjir N, Hanani Y, Hertzberg J, Hoertnagel K, Howell J, Ivanovski I, Kaindl A, Kamphans T, Kamphausen S, Karimov C, Kathom H, Keryan A, Knaus A, Köhler S, Kornak U, Lavrov A, Leitheiser M, Lyon GJ, Mangold E, Reina PM, Carrascal AM, Mitter D, Herrador LM, Nadav G, Nöthen M, Orrico A, Ott CE, Park K, Peterlin B, Pölsler L, Raas-Rothschild A, Randolph L, Revencu N, Fagerberg CR, Robinson PN, Rosnev S, Rudnik S, Rudolf G, Schatz U, Schossig A, Schubach M, Shanoon O, Sheridan E, Smirin-Yosef P, Spielmann M, Suk EK, Sznajer Y, Thiel CT, Thiel G, Verloes A, Vrecar I, Wahl D, Weber I, Winter K, Wisniewska M, Wollnik B, Yeung MW, Zhao M, Zhu N, Zschocke J, Mundlos S, Horn D, Krawitz PM. PEDIA: prioritization of exome data by image analysis. Genet Med. 2019 Jun 5. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31164752
  • The Epilepsy Genetics Initiative: Systematic reanalysis of diagnostic exomes increases yield. Epilepsia. 2019 May;60(5):797-806. PubMed PMID: 30951195
  • Pellinen J, Tafuro E, Yang A, Price D, Friedman D, Holmes M, Barnard S, Detyniecki K, Hegde M, Hixson J, Haut S, Kälviäinen R, French J. Focal nonmotor versus motor seizures: The impact on diagnostic delay in focal epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2020 Dec;61(12):2643-2652. PubMed PMID: 33078409
  • Pellinen J, Tafuro E, Baehr A, Barnard S, Holmes M, French J. The Impact of Clinical Seizure Characteristics on Recognition and Treatment of New-onset Focal Epilepsy in Emergency Departments. Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Aug 18. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32810323
  • Manuscript title: Kinetically stabilizing mutations in beta tubulins create isotype-specific brain malformations Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, section Membrane Traffic Article type: Original Research Authors: Kristen Park, Katelyn Hoff, Linnea Wethekam, Nicholas Stence, Margarita Saenz, Jeffrey Moore Manuscript ID: 765992
  • Diverse genetic causes of polymicrogyria with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2021 Apr;62(4):973-983. PubMed PMID: 33818783
  • Joseph Symonds, Katherine Elliott, Stewart MacLeod, Cyril Mignot, Arnaud Isapof, Boris Keren, Yuri Zarate, Kristen Park, Margarita Saenz, Kathleen Brown, Shelagh Joss, Mary Callaghan, Julian Knight, Sameer Zuberi. Ribosomal polymerase disorders: an important cause of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with myoclonic seizures. 14th European Paediatric Neurology Society Congress Abstract no: EPNS21-419
  • American Journal of Medical Genetics: Part A. Taylor, James, Spiller, Michael, Ranguin, Kara, Vitobello, Antonio, Cappuccio, Gerarda, Brunetti-Pierri, Nicola, Willems, Marjolaine, Isidor, Bertrand, Park, Kristen, Balasubramanian, M. Expanding the phenotype of HNRNPU-related neurodevelopmental disorder with emphasis on seizure phenotype and review of literature. American Journal of Medical Genetics: Part A. Manuscript ID: 21-0983
  • Camp CR, Vlachos A, Klöckner C, Krey I, Banke TG, Shariatzadeh N, Ruggiero SM, Galer P, Park KL, Caccavano A, Kimmel S, Yuan X, Yuan H, Helbig I, Benke TA, Lemke JR, Pelkey KA, McBain CJ, Traynelis SF. Loss of Grin2a causes a transient delay in the electrophysiological maturation of hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons. Commun Biol. 2023 Sep 19;6(1):952. PubMed PMID: 37723282
  • Picketts D, Mirzaa G, Yan K, Relator R, Timpano S, Yalcin B, Collins S, Ziegler A, Pao E, Oyama N, Brischoux-Boucher E, Piard J, Monaghan K, Sacoto MG, Dobyns W, Park K, Fernández-Mayoralas D, Fernández-Jaén A, Jayakar P, Brusco A, Antona V, Giorgio E, Kvarnung M, Isidor B, Conrad S, Cogné B, Deb W, Stuurman KE, Sterbova K, Smal N, Weckhuysen S, Oegema R, Innes M, Latsko M, Ben-Omran T, Yeh R, Kruer M, Bakhtiari S, Papavasiliou A, Moutton S, Nambot S, Chanprasert S, Paolucci S, Miller K, Burton B, Kim K, O'Heir E, Bruwer Z, Donald K, Kleefstra T, Goldstein A, Angle B, Bontempo K, Miny P, Joset P, Demurger F, Hobson E, Pang L, Carpenter L, Li D, Bonneau D, Sadikovic B. Pathogenic variants in SMARCA1 cause an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder modulated by NURF complex composition. Res Sq. 2023 Sep 29. PubMed PMID: 37841849
  • XiangWei W, Perszyk RE, Liu N, Xu Y, Bhattacharya S, Shaulsky GH, Smith-Hicks C, Fatemi A, Fry AE, Chandler K, Wang T, Vogt J, Cohen JS, Paciorkowski AR, Poduri A, Zhang Y, Wang S, Wang Y, Zhai Q, Fang F, Leng J, Garber K, Myers SJ, Jauss RT, Park KL, Benke TA, Lemke JR, Yuan H, Jiang Y, Traynelis SF. Clinical and functional consequences of GRIA variants in patients with neurological diseases. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2023 Nov 3;80(11):345. PubMed PMID: 37921875
  • Shelkowitz E, Stence NV, Neuberger I, Park KL, Saenz MS, Pao E, Oyama N, Friedman SD, Shaw DWW, Mirzaa GM. Variants in PTEN Are Associated With a Diverse Spectrum of Cortical Dysplasia. Pediatr Neurol. 2023 Oct;147:154-162. PubMed PMID: 37619436
  • Langhammer F, Maroofian R, Badar R, Gregor A, Rochman M, Ratliff JB, Koopmans M, Herget T, Hempel M, Kortüm F, Heron D, Mignot C, Keren B, Brooks S, Botti C, Ben-Zeev B, Argilli E, Sherr EH, Gowda VK, Srinivasan VM, Bakhtiari S, Kruer MC, Salih MA, Kuechler A, Muller EA, Blocker K, Kuismin O, Park KL, Kochhar A, Brown K, Ramanathan S, Clark RD, Elgizouli M, Melikishvili G, Tabatadze N, Stark Z, Mirzaa GM, Ong J, Grasshoff U, Bevot A, von Wintzingerode L, Jamra RA, Hennig Y, Goldenberg P, Al Alam C, Charif M, Boulouiz R, Bellaoui M, Amrani R, Al Mutairi F, Tamim AM, Abdulwahab F, Alkuraya FS, Khouj EM, Alvi JR, Sultan T, Hashemi N, Karimiani EG, Ashrafzadeh F, Imannezhad S, Efthymiou S, Houlden H, Sticht H, Zweier C. Genotype-phenotype correlations in RHOBTB2-associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Genet Med. 2023 Aug;25(8):100885. PubMed PMID: 37165955
  • Kanner AM, Saporta AS, Kim DH, Barry JJ, Altalib H, Omotola H, Jette N, O'Brien TJ, Nadkarni S, Winawer MR, Sperling M, French JA, Abou-Khalil B, Alldredge B, Bebin M, Cascino GD, Cole AJ, Cook MJ, Detyniecki K, Devinsky O, Dlugos D, Faught E, Ficker D, Fields M, Gidal B, Gelfand M, Glynn S, Halford JJ, Haut S, Hegde M, Holmes MG, Kalviainen R, Kang J, Klein P, Knowlton RC, Krishnamurthy K, Kuzniecky R, Kwan P, Lowenstein DH, Marcuse L, Meador KJ, Mintzer S, Pardoe HR, Park K, Penovich P, Singh RK, Somerville E, Szabo CA, Szaflarski JP, Lin Thio KL, Trinka E, Burneo JG. Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Suicidality in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Focal Epilepsy: An Analysis of a Complex Comorbidity. Neurology. 2023 Mar 14;100(11):e1123-e1134. PubMed PMID: 36539302

Professional Memberships

  • Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, Member, Board of Directors
  • American Epilepsy Society, Member

Practice Locations

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

Hospital Affiliation
  • Children's Hospital Colorado

Specialty Information

Specialties
  • Child Neurology, Board Certification (2008)
  • Clinical Neurophysiology, Board Certification (2011)
  • Epilepsy, Board Certification (2013)
Conditions & Treatments
  • Brain and Nervous System - Epilepsy
  • Brain and Nervous System
Care Philosophy
Child neurology is simultaneously a challenging and rewarding field. The brain is a complex and unique organ and its organization and output are what make us each unique and human. Unfortunately, these same characteristics often make the consequences of neurologic disease devastating for patients and families, especially when it affects children. Trained as a pediatric epileptologist, I diagnose and treat patients with this common neurologic disorder every day. Seventy percent of my patients have intractable epilepsy (failure of 2-3 standard medications). In this situation, there are no right answers and the treatment of children becomes a team effort. Into the fight against this disease, parents bring their exquisite knowledge of their child, desire to obtain the best quality of life, and unfailing hope. I bring clinical knowledge, best practices, diagnostic tools, and an armamentarium of treatments. Unfortunately, the latter does not come without costs nor are the options always benign. There are a lot of tears in my clinic but each day I try to find something positive on which to focus. Sometimes the victories are small – a smile from a healthy baby and relieved parents who thought his twitching at night was seizure activity – and sometimes they are life changing – seizure freedom after an invasive operation. I remember that my job is to provide information and guidance for a situation that has too many unknowns for both sides. I try to practice medicine rationally, teaching families and patients as I go about why tests are ordered, how medications work, and the biologic basis of their disease. Ultimately, I respect the families with whom I work and strive to support them in whatever decisions we make together.

Personal Interests
I am a member of the Cherry Creek Chorale and play several musical instruments.

Volunteer Activities
I completed the Avon 39 in 2017 (New York, NY).

Public Speaking
Yes
I have spoken about a variety of epilepsy educational topics.