One of the best pediatric neurologists in the world
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One of the best pediatric neurologists in the world

Basil Darras is a pediatric neurologist with advanced training and certification in human genetics. He is currently Director of the Division of Clinical Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

His research has focused on the molecular genetics, diagnostics and therapeutics of pediatric neuromuscular diseases.

Basil Darras was born and raised in a village called Kastania, in Samos island, Greece, but he finished school in Athens. His parents were farmers. “I was born and raised in Greece and was strongly influenced by a number of doctors in my family. One of my uncles would let me watch him treat patients and help him give immunizations in schools”, he says.

He received his MD from the University of Athens, Greece. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at the State University of New York at Stonybrook and fellowships in Child Neurology and Medical Genetics at Tufts-New England Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine, respectively.

Through his clinical and research experience, shared in papers, chapters, books and conference presentations, Dr. Darras has influenced clinical care in the field of pediatric neuromuscular diseases both nationally and internationally. He has contributed significantly to the development of methodologies for DNA-based molecular diagnostics of the muscular dystrophies. Further, he has attempted to define the indications for the new diagnostic tests, re-delineate the role of traditional procedures and develop algorithms illustrating the recommended diagnostic approach to the evaluation of children with neuromuscular diseases.

Dr. Darras is also actively working to further research in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMA is a genetic disease that can lead to loss of muscle tone and the complications that go along with that. The condition is usually diagnosed before the age of 3 or 4 and, in the most severe cases, it can be deadly.

“It’s like the equivalent of Lou Gehrig’s disease in children, a very bad disease,” said Dr. Basil Darras.

Darras oversaw the hospital’s clinical trials of Spinraza, now the only drug approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to treat all types of SMA, after exciting results.

“Raising arms and legs and then progressively the child acquired the ability to sit independently, which is a major milestone, something that we’ve never seen before in a baby with Type I SMA,” Darras said.

COMMENTS

  Comments: 9

  1. Arti Tiwari

    Sir my baby is 13 month old now …he is not rolling sitting ,crawling yet.properly.
    He is 30 week premature baby.
    When he was 1 month old then we have gone for his Ultrasound of brain. PVL DIGNOSED.
    I have to take consultation for this.please tell me process to contact to Dr basil.
    Regards,
    Arti,
    Mumbai.


  2. sandaruwan peirs

    Doctor,
    My baby is 5 years old girl,she has adsan sishares,we start the treatments just she is 3 tees old,now her blink is going very little time,now she is having valporate and Colsipam. I what to now doctor is this health issue can solve,please tell me any other better treatment have,


  3. my daughter is 12 years old.she has siezer problem from last 3 years and she is on medication LEMOTRIGINE.her uncle,cousin ad father uncle also had same problem but they were in pakistan village and didnt care and took it seriously thus all couldnt survive.they had other issues as well.I am in canada and my daughter is my love and very intelligent.Please i need your suggesions, advices and treatment to make her fine.Please doctor send me your contact and appointment.where ever are you, i will travel and come for my daughter.
    shumaila
    thanks
    waiting please


  4. Hello
    It has been almost a year since my 4-year-son (22 kg) has been diagnosed with a focal seizure. The doctors gave him Tegretol for the first 3 months but he got a severe allergy to the medicine. later, they prescribed levetiracetam (Epitam) but each month we need to increase the dose. Recently, we took MRI and it was found in the MRI that he has focal cortical dysplasia. His health condition has caused a lot of problems for him like attention deficiency, speech delay (he has only 1-word utterance), behavioral disorder, sleep disorder, and lack of social interaction.
    Please help me if my child needs any further treatment or surgery to help him feel better and have a better life because I live in Iraq and there is no pediatric epileptologist. Regards,


  5. Umar Rahman

    Sir my son is suffering from epilepsy since last three years and he is 4 years old. He is taking a lot of medicine like lamnet tablet . Defakan syrup. Sabril tablet and presium tablet. But the epilepsy attack is not controlled and attack daily many times. Please suggests me the suitable treatment and I am living in Pakistan . Sir how I can share his medical treatment with you.


    • Himangsu paul

      27/12/21
      Sir my son is suffering from epilepsy since last three years and he is 4 years old. He is taking a lot of medicine like lamnet tablet . Encrote syrup & clobazam tablet. But the epilepsy attack is not controlled and attack many times. Please suggests me the suitable treatment and I am living in jamshedpue . Sir how I can share his medical treatment with you


  6. Crystal Hughes

    PLEASE HELP MY BABY NEEDS MORE TIME!
    My 3 week old daughter is currently in Children’s PICU in DC and she has suffered from brain injury. They told me it diagnose of HIE the they said it was Infant Death Syndrome and that she is BD. She is currently on a ventilator, her lungs has healed, her vitals are good, kidneys healed and her heart is pumping on its own. I don’t know how to understand this. To me she is still alive she started moving her hands and lifted her feet, she couched up milk, she sheds tears. They are rushing me to make a decision about life support.


  7. Muhammad Aish Javaid

    Emenent Dr, My Son age 4.3 having issue of global Devolpment delay, He starts walking in the age of 3.4 almost a year back. After giving vigorous physio tharpy sessions. Still unable to speak and compromised sensory and motor skills. Some one advice me for Steam cell tharpy. Kindly did you make intalally any online check up. As we are from Pakistan


  8. Bonnie Gibson

    My granddaughter is suffering withRLS she cannot sleep is seeing spiders in her eyes cannot concentrate she is a extremely smart but her legs will not her sleep if somebody else tells me she has growing pains I’m going to scream she tells she she feels like she living in a dream what can I do to help this child please


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