NICKIE ANDESCAVAGE, M.D. Associate Chief of Medical and Academic Affairs, Developing Brain Institute; Attending, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
In January 2024, Nickie Andescavage, M.D., was promoted to Associate Chief of Medical and Academic Affairs of the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) at Children’s National. In her new role, Dr. Andescavage oversees DBI’s clinical and research programs, providing oversight of the medical and clinical care teams of DBI, supporting continuity of care across the prenatal-neonatal continuum, and overseeing the Maternal and Infant Clinical Trials Unit. Immediately prior, she was clinical director and supported coordination of DBI’s prenatal and neonatal intensive care unit
![Nickie Niforatos Andescavage no background Nickie Niforatos Andescavage no background](https://developingbrainresearchlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Nickie-Niforatos-Andescavage-no-background.png)
(NICU) studies, led our community engagement efforts with obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and expanded our clinical research enterprise to a growing number of community NICUs. Dr. Andescavage also is an attending physician in Children’s Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
Dr. Andescavage’s background in neonatology began with early academic interests in the mechanisms of acquired brain injury in premature infants. A subsequent fellowship in fetal medicine provided her additional expertise in fetal brain development, including training in advanced structural imaging techniques. These sophisticated techniques allow for more rigorous study of the development and metabolism of the fetal brain and the more precise detection of injury, as well as the role of placental development on fetal neurodevelopment. She is the Principal Investigator of an active Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development K23 career development grant, recipient of the District of Columbia Center for AIDS Research Pilot Award on advanced placental imaging in pregnant women living with HIV and a Co-Investigator on several research studies on mechanisms of acquired brain injury in the neonatal population.
Address: 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Email: [email protected]
Department: MRI Lab
Research, Education and Innovation Week 2024 awards
Kocher K, Ngwa J, Galla JT, Basu SK, Ottolini K, Andescavage N, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "Early epigenetic biomarkers of accelerated aging in extremely versus very preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (Certificate of Excellence awarded to lead author, Kristen Kocher. Basic Science: Fellow Award.)
Wu Y, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Wisner KL, Kapse K, Araki S, Mastracchio CE, Teramoto H, Kasper ML, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Prenatal SSRI exposure is associated with reduced regional fetal brain growth and cortical folding." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (Certificate of Excellence awarded to lead author, Yao Wu. Clinical research: Career-Level Faculty Award.)
Adon J, Assefa H. Carrillo M, Chafin M, Dampha M, Saleem N, Kang R, Petersen C, Brechot C, Henderson D, Andescavage N, Bassa MM, Keller J, Le HN, Limperopoulos C. "Drivers of maternal wellness in a randomized control trial of perinatal mental health in low resourced Black and African American pregnant women." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (High-scoring poster)
Recent publications & presentations
2024 | September
Jacobwitz M, Kapse K, Ngwa J, De Asis-Cruz J, Wu Y, Govindan R, Donofrio MT, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage A. “In-Vivo Placental Volumes and Placental Growth Trajectories are Abnormal in Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease.” International Federation of Placental Associations 2024 Conference. Montreal, Quebec. September 2024. (NIH travel award)
Jacobwitz M, Kapse K, Ngwa J, Donofrio MT, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage M. “Impaired Feto-Placental Growth in Congenital Heart Disease Detected Prenatally via Quantitative MRI.” International Federation of Placental Associations 2024 Conference. Montreal, Quebec. September 2024.
2024 | June
Weiner S, Wu Y, Kapse K, Vozar T, Cheng JJ, Murnick J, Henderson D, Teramoto H, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. "Prenatal maternal psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and newborn brain development." JAMA Network Open. 2024 Jun 3;7(6):e2417924. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17924. PMID: 38900424
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38900424
2024 | April
Damera SR, De Asis-Cruz J, Cook KM, Kapse K, Spoehr E, Murnick J, Basu S, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "Regional homogeneity as a marker of sensory cortex dysmaturity in preterm infants." iScience. 2024 Apr 4;27(5):109662. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109662. PMID: 38665205; PMCID: PMC11043889
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38665205/
Pishghadam M, Kapse K, Ngwa JS, Henderson D, Limperopoulos C, Niforatos-Andescavage N. "Non-invasive placental perfusion imaging in pregnant women exposed to COVID-19." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Pishghadam M, Haizler-Cohen L, Kapse K, Limperopoulos C, Niforatos-Andescavage N. "T2* weighted placental magnetic resonance imaging: a biomarker of placental dysfunction in pregnant." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Hui S, Kapse K, Kasper M, Saulino P, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. "Brain metabolite concentrations in neonates of diabetic mothers." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Hui S, Andescavage N, Ngwa J, Kapse K, Kasper M, Saulino P, Limperopoulos C. "Brain metabolite concentrations in neonates with congenital heart disease before and after cardiac surgery." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Watson TT, Ottolini K, Basu S, Kapse K, Murnick J, Andescavage N, du Plessis A, Saulino P, Limperopoulos C. "Timing and growth failure in very premature infants and implications for brain development." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Bond S, Henderson D, Small-Lewis M, Andescavage N, Le HN, Limperopoulos C. "Mommy&Me Virtual Mommy Meet-Ups: building kinship, boosting resilience and restoring balance for Black moms." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (High-scoring poster)
Kocher K, Ngwa J, Andescavage N, Henderson D, Limperopoulos C. "Prenatal exposure to COVID-19 pandemic is linked with epigenetic age acceleration in newborns." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Reze C, Andescavage NN, Basu S, Galla J, Limperopoulos C, Wu Y. "Sex differences in pituitary gland volume in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Andescavage N, Liggett M, McCants C, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "The effects of intrauterine programming: Prenatal COVID exposure and offspring outcomes." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Ottolini KM, Andescavage N, Basu SK, Kapse K, Watson T, Murnick J, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "Type of intravenous lipid emulsion affects very preterm brain development." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Cook KM, De Asis-Cruz J, Andescavage N, Saulino P, Basu SK, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Greater exposure to opioid pain medications in the NICU is associated with hyperconnectivity of the thalamus and cerebellum in infants born prematurely." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Kim JH, De Asis-Cruz J, Andescavage NN, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "Disrupted functional brain networks in neonates with congenital heart disease." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Ngwa JS, Govindan R, Galla J, Kapse K, Basu S, Andescavage N, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "The impact of conventional and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation on heart rate metrics in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Weiner S, Wu Y, Vozar T, Ngwa JS, Kapse K, Henderson D, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "It's all in the timing: effects of maternal anxiety on neurodevelopment." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Diribe C, Petersen C, Brechot C, Ngwa J, Andescavage N, Henderson D, Saleem N, Bassa M, Keller J, Le H, Limperopoulos C. "Elevated maternal mental distress in low-resourced Black and African American pregnant women in DC." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Jacobwitz M, Kapse K, Ngwa J, De Asis-Cruz J, Govindan R, Donofrio MT, Wessel D, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. "In-vivo placental volumes and placental growth trajectories are abnormal in fetuses with congenital heart disease." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Basu S, Hui SCN, Kapse K, Galla J, Andescavage N, Murnick J, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Cerebellar GABA and glutamate concentrations at term-age predicts cognitive deficits in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Spurney G, Gala J, Basu S, Ottolini K, Andescavage N, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "High prevalence of low dietary intake of choline in mothers of preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Damera S, De Asis-Cruz J, Cook KM, Kapse K, Spoehr E, Basu SK, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "Regional homogeneity tracks sensory cortex dysmaturity and predicts future risk of autism in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Rich C, Kapse K, Ngwa J, Galla JT, Basu S, Ottolini K, Andescavage N, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. "Altered regional cerebral blood flow in preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Cruz J, Kim JH, Cook KM, Teramoto H, Mastracchio CE, Kapse KJ, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "Associations between fetal hippocampal functional connectivity and maternal psychopathology." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Cruz JD, Cook KM, Kim JH, Kasper ML, Saulino P, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "Fetal cortical thickness and structural brain connectivity changes associated with in utero exposure to SSRIs." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
Reze C, Andescavage NN, Basu S, Galla J, Limperopoulos C, Wu Y. "Sex differences in pituitary gland volume in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
2024 | January
Andescavage N, Lu YC, Wu Y, Kapse K, Keller J, Von Kohorn I, Afifi A, Vezina G, Henderson D, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and early newborn brain development." Cereb Cortex. 2024 Jan 31;34(2):bhae041. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae041. PMID: 38385890
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38385890/
2023 | November
Cook KM, De Asis-Cruz J, Kim JH, Basu SK, Andescavage N, Murnick J, Spoehr E, Liggett M, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Experience of early-life pain in premature infants is associated with atypical cerebellar development and later neurodevelopmental deficits. BMC Med. 2023 Nov 14;21(1):435. doi: 10.1186/s12916-023-03141-w. PMID: 37957651
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37957651/
Basu SK, Kapse KJ, Murnick J, Pradhan S, Spoehr E, Zhang A, Andescavage N, Nino G, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Impact of bronchopulmonary dysplasia on brain GABA concentrations in preterm infants: Prospective cohort study. Early Hum Dev. 2023 Nov;186:105860. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105860. Epub 2023 Sep 21. PMID: 37757548
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37757548/
2023 | October
Kocher K, Bhattacharya S, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Almalvez M, Henderson D, Vilain E, Limperopoulos C, Délot EC. Genome-wide neonatal epigenetic changes associated with maternal exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Med Genomics. 2023 Oct 30;16(1):268. doi: 10.1186/s12920-023-01707-4. PMID: 37899449
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37899449/
Andescavage NN, Pradhan S, Gimovsky AC, Kapse K, Donofrio MT, Cheng JJ, Sharker Y, Wessel D, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Brain Metabolism in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023 Oct 17;82(16):1614-1623. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2023.08.013. PMID: 37821172
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37821172/
De Asis-Cruz J, Andescavage N, Donofrio MT, Vezina G, Wessel D, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. Disrupted Functional Brain Connectome in the Fetus With Congenital Heart Disease. Circ Res. 2023 Oct 12. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323276. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37823309
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37823309/
2023 | May
Saeed H, Lu YC, Andescavage N, Kapse K, Andersen NR, Lopez C, Quistorff J, Barnett S, Henderson D, Bulas D, Limperopoulos C. Influence of maternal psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic on placental morphometry and texture. Sci Rep. 2023 May 10;13(1):7374. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33343-4. PMID: 37164993; PMCID: PMC10172401
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37164993/
2023 | April
Andescavage N, Bullen T, Liggett M, Barnett SD, Kapse A, Kapse K, Ahmadzia H, Vezina G, Quistorff J, Lopez C, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. Impaired in vivo feto-placental development is associated with neonatal neurobehavioral outcomes. Pediatr Res. 2023 Apr;93(5):1276-1284. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02340-0. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36335267; PMCID: PMC10147575
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36335267/
Lundberg RS, Basu SK, Andescavage N, Pradhan S, Ottolini KM, Kapse KJ, Limperopoulos C. Early parenteral lipid intake improves cerebellar neurometabolism in preterm infants. Children’s National Hospital 13th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2023. (Award-winning poster: Clinical research: Fellows/residents)
2022 | April
Wu Y, Espinosa KM, Barnett SD, Kapse A, Quistorff JL, Lopez C, Andescavage N, Pradhan S, Lu YC, Kapse K, Henderson D, Vezina G, Wessel D, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Association of elevated maternal psychological distress, altered fetal brain, and offspring cognitive and social-emotional outcomes at 18 months. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e229244. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.9244. PMID: 35486403; PMCID: PMC9055453
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35486403/
2022 | January
Largent A, De Asis-Cruz J, Kapse K, Barnett SD, Murnick J, Basu S, Andersen N, Norman S, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. Automatic brain segmentation in preterm infants with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus using 3D Bayesian U-Net. Hum Brain Mapp. 2022 Jan 13. doi: 10.1002/hbm.25762. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35023255
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35023255/