Assoc. Prof. Damjan Osredkar, MD, PhD
Head of the Department of Pediatric Neurology at the University Children’s Hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
I am interested in clinical work and research in the field of pediatric neurology, particularly neuromuscular diseases, rare diseases and neuroprotection after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Finding new ways to help patients and possibly cure them of their diseases motivates our team and myself.
Research Interests
- Rare diseases (CTNNB1 Syndrome, SAS / SATB2, SYNGAP1, PIK3CA)
- Neuromuscular diseases
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Novel treatment options
- Neonatal and child neurology
- Hypoxia, ischemia, hypoxic-ischemic brain and heart injury
- Neuroprotective treatment
- Hypothermia treatment
- Brain energy metabolism
- Stroke
- Brain-machine interface
- Neuroimaging
- Electroencephalography (Conventional and amplitude-integrated)
- Neural enhancement
Positions Held
- 2015 – Present: Head of the Pediatric Neurology Department, University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2020 – Present: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2007 – Present: Physician, Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2012 – 2014: Postdoctoral Fellow & Guest Researcher, University of Oslo, Norway
- 2013 – 2014: Guest Pediatric Neurologist, Oslo University Hospital (Rikshospitalet), Norway
- 2007 – 2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- 2003 – 2004: Guest Researcher, UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Education
- 2007: Specialization in Pediatrics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2006: PhD, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2003: MSc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 1999: MD, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Awards / Grants
- 2023: Acknowledgments of the Medical Association of Slovenia – Working Group for Managing Screen Time in Children and Adolescents
- 2009: UCSF Great People Award
- 2007: Fulbright Scholarship
- 2006: Best Thesis Award “Futurum”, Ad Futura
- 2003: Huygens Grant (Funded by Dutch Government)
- 2001: Educational Grant (International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA)
- 1997: Prešern’s Prize for Student Research, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
Founder / Cofounder
- 2017 – Present: Hop na Grad – A fundraising event supporting children at University Children’s Hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2011 – 2015: Lublana – A website promoting local communities, social connections, and art in Ljubljana
- 2006: Medeno Srce – A platform for exchanging study materials among medical students at the University of Ljubljana
Memberships
- 2011 – Present: European Neonatal Brain Club
- 2008 – Present: Society for Neuroscience
- 2006 – Present: Sinapsa – Slovenian Neuroscience Association (Founding Member)
Projects
Ongoing Projects
- 2022 – Million Microbiomes from Humans Project (Collaborator)
- 2022 – SERAPTA MIS51ON study (Principal Investigator of the Slovenian site)
- 2022 – PTC Stride registry: Long Term Observational Study of Translarna Safety and Effectiveness in Usual Care (PTC124 GD 025o DMD) (Principal Investigator of the Slovenian site)
- 2021 – Genotype-phenotype Correlations in Children and Adults With CTNNB1 Mutation (Gen-Phe CTNNB1) (Principal Investigator)
- 2021 – ActiMyo® device: Monitoring of daily activity levels of patients with neuromuscular diseases (Principal Investigator of the Slovenian site)
- 2019 – Collaboration in European centralised registry of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (Research project; Principal Investigator together with Blaž Kortinik)
- 2012 – Applied and Basic Physiology and Pathophysiology in Medicine, Slovenian Research Agency (Collaborator; Principal Investigator: Dušan Šuput)
- 2009 – SCPE-NET: Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe, EU Programme HEATLH – EAHC (Collaborator; Head Coordinator: Javier de la Cruz, Spain)
Completed Projects
- 2016 – 2018 Cardio-respiratory responses during hypoxic exercise in individuals born prematurely, Slovenian Research Agency (Research project; Principal Investigator)
- 2009 – 2012 Health risks of mercury on early development, Slovenian Research Agency (Collaborator; Principal Investigator: David Neubauer, Slovenia)
- 2009 – 2013 Metabolic and in-born factors of reproductive health, Slovenian Research Agency (Collaborator; Principal Investigator: Živa Novak Antolič, Slovenia)
- 2009 – 2011 NOTE: On-Line Training in Neonatology, European Lifelong Learning Programme – Leonardo da Vinci Actions (Collaborator; Head Coordinator: Mike Hall, UK)
- 2008 – 2011 nEUroped: European Network for Rare Paediatric Neurological Diseases (Collaborator; Head Coordinator: Tsveta Schyns, Austria)
- 2007 – 2011 RESPECT: Relating Expectations and Needs to Participation and Empowerment of Children in Clinical Trials, European Framework 7 (Collaborator; Head Coordinator: Francis P Crawley, UK)
- 2007 – 2009 COST B27: Electric Neuronal Oscillations and Cognition (Coordinator of the project in Slovenia and member of the managing committee in Brussels, Belgium)
- 2006 – 2008 Neuroprotective treatment after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, Slovenian Research Agency (Postdoctoral research project)
- 2004 – 2007 Follow-up of children with developmental risk factors, Slovenian Research Agency (Collaborator)
- 2000 – 2005 Young Research Scientist Grant, Slovenian Research Agency
Selected Publications
- Newborn screening programs for spinal muscular atrophy worldwide in 2023.
Vrščaj E, Dangouloff T, Osredkar D, Servais L; SMA NBS World Study Group.
J Neuromuscul Dis. 2024 Nov;11(6):1180-1189. doi: 10.1177/22143602241288095. - Paving the way toward treatment solutions for CTNNB1 syndrome: a patient organization perspective.
Miroševič Š, Khandelwal S, Amerson E, Parks E, Parks M, Cochran L, González Hernández A, Ferraro M, Lisowski L, Perez-Iturralde A, Chung W, Jacob MH, Žakelj N, Lainšček D, Forstnerič V, Sušjan P, Maruna M, Jerala R, Osredkar D.
Ther Adv Rare Dis. 2025 Feb 12;6:26330040251318355. doi: 10.1177/26330040251318355. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec. - Plant-derived cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity in children and adolescents with severe cerebral palsy: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Stefanović M, Osredkar D, Rener-Primec Z, Peterlin J, Laptoš T, Neubauer D.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2024 Nov 26;54:18-24. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2024.11.007. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39626543 - Uncovering early predictors of cerebral palsy through the application of machine learning: a case-control study.
Rapuc S, Stres B, Verdenik I, Lučovnik M, Osredkar D.
BMJ Paediatr Open. 2024 Aug 30;8(1):e002800. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002800.PMID: 39214549 - Correlation between Phenotype and Genotype in CTNNB1 Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Miroševič Š, Khandelwal S, Sušjan P, Žakelj N, Gosar D, Forstnerič V, Lainšček D, Jerala R, Osredkar D.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 19;23(20):12564. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012564.PMID: 36293418 - Prognostic Value of Various Diagnostic Methods for Long-Term Outcome of Newborns After Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated With Hypothermia.
Troha Gergeli A, Škofljanec A, Neubauer D, Paro Panjan D, Kodrič J, Osredkar D.
Front Pediatr. 2022 Apr 7;10:856615. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.856615. eCollection 2022.PMID: 35463898 - Children and young adults with spinal muscular atrophy treated with nusinersen.
Osredkar D, Jílková M, Butenko T, Loboda T, Golli T, Fuchsová P, Rohlenová M, Haberlova J.
Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2021 Jan;30:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2020.11.004. Epub 2020 Dec 4.PMID: 33307321
For a full list of publications, visit PubMed.
