LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced the appointment of Jonathan D. Santoro, M.D., as Chief of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute, expanding the leadership of a nationally recognized pediatric neuroscience program.
Dr. Santoro, a pediatric neurologist and physician-scientist, previously served as Director of Neuroimmunology at the hospital and led the neurology division as interim chief during a national search. In his new role, he will guide department-wide clinical care across inpatient and outpatient settings, advance clinical trials and basic and translational research, oversee education and faculty development, and help direct long-term strategic growth.
The Neurological Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides care for children with complex brain and nervous system disorders. Its pediatric neurology and neurosurgery program is ranked No. 10 nationally for 2025–26 by U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Santoro will serve as co-director of the institute alongside Mark D. Krieger, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at CHLA.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Santoro in his new leadership roles,” said Alan S. Wayne, M.D., Pediatrician-in-Chief, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Dr. Santoro’s expertise in pediatric neuroimmunology, his National Institutes of Health-funded research program, and his proven mentorship and leadership will strengthen our neuroscience programs and enhance care for individuals with neurologic conditions.”
Dr. Santoro is widely recognized for his work in pediatric neuroimmunology and immune-mediated neurologic disorders. He is a leading authority on Down syndrome regression disorder and serves as co-principal investigator of the first NIH-funded clinical trial evaluating targeted therapies for the condition. He also holds an academic appointment as Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Since joining Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2019, Dr. Santoro has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, served on editorial boards for leading medical journals, and frequently speaks at national and international conferences. His work has influenced clinical practice and research priorities nationwide and has earned multiple teaching, research, and leadership awards.
Dr. Santoro earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and medical degrees from Tulane University in New Orleans. He completed pediatrics and child neurology residencies at Stanford University, followed by a neuroimmunology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
If you want this tightened to a shorter wire brief or expanded slightly to emphasize rankings or research funding, I can adjust it without changing any quotes or credentials.
