John R. Kestle,M.D.

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Academic Bio

I am currently the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Utah. My research career has always been clinical. I trained at McMaster University in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Since the beginning of my career, I have been the Principal Investigator in a number of multicenter clinical trials in pediatric hydrocephalus and have trained 7 Pediatric Neurosurgery residents in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics (MPH training). In 2006, I co-founded the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN). Although our previous trials had received peer reviewed funding (including the Medical Research Council of Canada when I practiced there), a research goal of mine had been to develop a collaborative network with infrastructure funding. We founded the HCRN in 2006, developed a philanthropic base to get us started, received NIH funding (RC1NS068943-01) in 2009 and currently have 14 investigators, 7 centers and 6 Network protocols running. My role has been development of the Network, recruitment of centers and investigators and mentoring of young investigators. Continued development of clinical research in the neurosciences, especially in hydrocephalus remains my highest academic priority. The development of a similar network to investigate adult hydrocephalus has my strongest support. In fact I have agreed to help develop the adult network and have shared our initial development plan, database and operating procedures with the principal applicant and his colleagues for this purpose.