Elizabeth (Liza) Pulcine

Associate Program Director, Paediatric Neurology Residency Training Program 

Project Investigator, SickKids Research Institute

Educational and Fellowship Director, Paediatric Stroke Program

Dr. Liza Pulcine is a paediatric neurologist who specializes in caring for neonates, children and adolescents with stroke. Her clinical care and research focuses on all aspects of childhood stroke including etiology, diagnosis, early treatment, prevention and rehabilitation.

Dr. Pulcine belongs to the International Pediatric Stroke Organization (IPSO), the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American Heart Association (AHA), Child Neurology Society (CNS), Canadian Association of Child Neurology (CACN), and the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA).

Research

Dr. Pulcine’s research focuses on all aspects of childhood stroke including etiology, diagnosis, early treatment, prevention and rehabilitation.

Dr. Pulcine completed her Master of Science degree studying the safety of antithrombotic therapy in children with congenital and acquired heart disease and stroke. Her research focuses on stroke prevention and management of cardioembolic stroke in children, including those supported with ventricular assist devices.

Dr. Pulcine is also interested in neurorehabilitation research. Her goal is to develop a cost-effective, home-based, virtual reality treatment therapy for pediatric arterial ischemic stroke survivors.

Education and experience

• 2019–Present: Staff Physician, Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2017–2019: Clinician Investigator Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2017–2019: Masters in Medical Science, M.Sc., Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2017–2019: Paediatric Stroke Fellowship, Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2012–2017: Paediatric Neurology Residency Program, FRCPC, Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 2008–2012: Doctorate in Medicine, MD, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 2004–2008: Honours Bachelor of Science, HB.Sc., Trinity College, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Pulcine E, Seed M, Brandão LR, Slim M, Palasamudram S, Shroff M, Moharir M, deVeber G, Dlamini N. Hemorrhagic transformation and stroke recurrence in children with cardiac disease receiving antithrombotic therapy for secondary stroke prevention. J Thromb Haemost. 2021 Jun 21.
2. Kaseka ML, Slim M, Muthusami P, Dirks P, Westmacott R, Moharir M, MacGregor D, Pulcine E, deVeber G, Dlamini N. Distinct clinical and radiographic phenotypes in pediatric moyamoya patients. Pediatric Neurology. July 2021;18-26.
3. Gorodetsky C, Pulcine E, Krishnan P, Singh J, Moharir M, MacGregor D, Dhathal I, deVeber G, Dlamini N. Childhood arterial ischemic stroke due to mineralizing angiopathy: An 18-year single-center experience. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.  2021 May 6. 
4. Pulcine E, deVeber G. Neurologic complications of pediatric congenital heart diease.  Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 2021;177:1-3. 
5. Sherman V, Martino R, Bhathal I, DeVeber G, Dlamini N, MacGregor D, Pulcine E, Beal DS, Thorpe KE, Moharir M. Swallowing, oral motor, motor speech, and language impairments following acue pediatric ischemic stroke. Stroke. April 2021;52(4):1309-1318.