Principle Investigator

Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, is the A Ernest and Jane G Stein Professor of Neurology and the head of the Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology at Washington University in St Louis, and the Chief of Neurology at St Louis Children’s Hospital.  She is the Co-Director of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center and the Associate Director of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Science at Washington University. She received MD/PhD degrees at the University of Iowa, followed by Neurology and Neurophysiology fellowship training at Washington University in St Louis.

She has an active neurogenetics research program focused on gene discovery for pediatric musculoskeletal disorders, which has resulted in the identification of new genes for clubfoot, arthrogryposis, and scoliosis. She also co-directs the Precision Medicine Pathway for graduate students and is strongly committed to training a diverse workforce in her clinical division and research laboratory by encouraging the careers of underrepresented minorities, individuals identifying as LGBTQ, and those with disabilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gurnett has facilitated the distribution of biospecimens to researchers from patients with SARS-CoV-2, which supported Washington University’s development of the saliva based test for SARS-CoV-2 at GTAC@MGI.  She also co-leads multiple studies to evaluate and deliver weekly SARS-CoV-2 surveillance testing to staff and students in schools for children with disabilities in St Louis County and Baltimore.