Heather Fullerton, MD, MAS, is a pediatric vascular neurologist whose research focuses on the role of infection as a trigger for childhood stroke. After training in child neurology and vascular neurology, she obtained a master's degree in clinical research at UCSF in 2005. She is now the chief of the UCSF Division of Child Neurology and medical director of the Pediatric Brain Center at Benioff Children's Hospital. She leads a robust research program in childhood stroke with grant funding from the NIH and American Heart Association (AHA). Since 2009, she has been the principal investigator of the NIH-funded prospective international study, “The Vascular Effects of Infection in Pediatric Stroke” (VIPS). The original VIPS study, completed in 2016, enrolled more than 700 children at 37 hospitals around the globe and established that common childhood infections can trigger arterial ischemic stroke, while vaccinations reduce stroke risk. The continuation of this study, VIPS II, will examine specific pathogens and the host immune response in children with stroke.  She serves as the director of the AHA/Bugher Foundation Center of Excellence in Pediatric Hemorrhagic Stroke Research. Dr. Fullerton also serves as the founding president of the International Pediatric Stroke Organization (IPSO), a 501c3 non-profit professional organization of providers of any discipline involved in the care of children with cerebrovascular disease. Incorporated in 2019, IPSO has members from over 30 countries on 6 continents. Its mission is to improve the lives of children worldwide with cerebrovascular disease through research, education, clinical care, and advocacy. 

Learn more about Dr. Fullerton here.