Clinical Interests: Neonatal Neurocritical Care and Transport – Dr. Mietzsch has a longstanding special interest in neonates with congenital or acquired brain injury and strives to provide the best available care to these patients. Dr. Mietzsch’s clinical and research focus is in neonatal neurocritical care with emphasis on bringing together a multidisciplinary team to provide optimal treatment. This is based on the latest evidence, use of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies during transport, hospital stay and beyond.

Scholarly Focus: Quality improvement research that evaluates the impact of a neonatal neurocritical care program on short and long‐term outcome of neonates with congenital or acquired brain injury. Furthermore, she serves as the content expert for neurology for the AAP Section of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Quality Metrics Initiative. Clinical research activities include investigation of thermoregulatory disturbances in neonates with hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy as well as participation as Co‐Pi in multicenter trials to improve the outcome and quality of life for babies with brain injury, and pharmacologic interventions for neonatal seizures. Furthermore, she serves as an active member in several focus groups related to neonatal neurocritical care within the Children’s Hospital National consortium (CHNC).

Research Funding:

2015‐2020       Impact of Neonatal Neurocritical Care Service Line, Riley Children’s Foundation. Role: PI  at Indiana University until 10/2018, now Co‐PI, Total Award: $227,000

2016‐2023 High‐Dose Erythropoietin in Asphyxia and Encephalopathy (HEAL), NINDS. Role: Site PI Indiana University until 10/18, now Co‐Site PI, Total Award: $101,300

2018‐2020 HEAL‐EEG – Neurophysiologic measures of Epo treatment for hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), NINDS. Role: Site PI Indiana University School of Medicine, Total Award: $23,428

Administration/Education Roles: Dr. Mietzsch currently serves as the Medical Director of the NeuroNICU at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Educational responsibilities include training pediatricians, neonatologists, neurologists, neonatal advanced practitioners, nursing staff, and the neonatal critical care transport team.