Dr. Daniel Licht is a pediatric neurologist at Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) with specialized expertise in the neurological care of critically ill infants and children. His clinical and research interests focus on the neurologic complications associated with congenital heart disease, pediatric stroke, and congenital malformations such as diaphragmatic hernia. He was a founding member of the pediatric stroke team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and is a recognized expert in the emerging field of fetal neurology—currently the only neurologist performing fetal neurology consults to optimize care before birth.
Dr. Licht’s research centers on how medical care impacts cerebral blood flow and brain oxygen use, using advanced non-invasive imaging techniques such as MRI and optical imaging. He is also leading efforts to assess fetal brain and placental health through imaging, including studies supporting clinical trials of neuroprotective therapies in high-risk fetuses.
Publications:
Andersen KN, Yao S, White BR, Jacobwitz M, Breimann J, Jahnavi J, Schmidt A, Baker WB, Ko TS, Gaynor JW, Vossough A, Xiao R, Licht DJ, Shih EK.: Cerebral Microhemorrhages in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Association With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. J Am Heart Assoc 14: e035359, Feb 2025.
Tyler Kuni, Alana Cianciulli, Richard F Ittenbach, Gabrielle Combs, Isabel Randazzo, Daniel J Licht, Lyla Hampton, Marsha Gerdes, Judy Bernbaum, J William Gaynor, Nancy Burnham: Resilience in Young Adults with Congenital Heart Disease in Relation to Neurodevelopment in the Preschool Period. Journal of Pediatrics. Elsevier, 2025.
Baker WB, Forti RM, Heye P, Heye K, Lynch JM, Yodh AG, Licht DJ, White BR, Hwang M, Ko TS, Kilbaugh TJ.: Modified Beer-Lambert algorithm to measure pulsatile blood flow, critical closing pressure, and intracranial hypertension. Biomed Opt Express 15: 5511-5532, Aug 2024.
Matlis GC, Zhang Q, Benson EJ, Weeks MK, Andersen K, Jahnavi J, Lafontant A, Breimann J, Hallowell T, Lin Y, Licht DJ, Yodh AG, Kilbaugh TJ, Forti RM, White BR, Baker WB, Xiao R, Ko TS.: Chassis-based fiber-coupled optical probe design for reproducible quantitative diffuse optical spectroscopy measurements. PLoS One 19: e0305254, Jul 2024.
Agarwal D, Hunt ML, Sridharan A, Larson AC, Rychik J, Licht DJ, Davey MG, Flake AW, Gaynor JW, Didier RA.: Unique model of chronic hypoxia in fetal lambs demonstrates abnormal contrast-enhanced ultrasound brain perfusion. Pediatr Res Jun 2024.
Gaynor JW, Moldenhauer JS, Zullo EE, Burnham NB, Gerdes M, Bernbaum JC, D’Agostino JA, Linn RL, Klepczynski B, Randazzo I, Gionet G, Choi GH, Karaj A, Russell WW, Zackai EH, Johnson MP, Gebb JS, Soni S, DeBari SE, Szwast AL, Ahrens-Nicklas RC, Drivas TG, Jacobwitz M, Licht DJ, Vossough A, Nicolson SC, Spray TL, Rychik J, Putt ME.: Progesterone for Neurodevelopment in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Defects: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 7: e2412291, May 2024.
Aronowitz DI, Geoffrion TR, Piel S, Morton SR, Starr J, Melchior RW, Gaudio HA, Degani R, Widmann NJ, Weeks MK, Ranieri NR, Benson E, Ko TS, Licht DJ, Hefti M, Gaynor JW, Kilbaugh TJ, Mavroudis CD.: Normoxic Management during Cardiopulmonary Bypass Does Not Reduce Cerebral Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neonatal Swine. Int J Mol Sci 25: 5466, May 2024.
Lee VK, Ceschin R, Reynolds WT, Meyers B, Wallace J, Landsittel D, Joseph HM, Badaly D, Gaynor JW, Licht D, Greene NH, Brady KM, Hunter JV, Chu ZD, Wilde EA, Easley RB, Andropoulos D, Panigrahy A.: Postnatal Brain Trajectories and Maternal Intelligence Predict Childhood Outcomes in Complex CHD. J Clin Med 13: 2922, May 2024.
Aronowitz DI, Geoffrion TR, Piel S, Benson EJ, Morton SR, Starr J, Melchior RW, Gaudio HA, Degani RE, Widmann NJ, Weeks MK, Ko TS, Licht DJ, Hefti M, Gaynor JW, Kilbaugh TJ, Mavroudis CD.: Early Impairment of Cerebral Bioenergetics After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Neonatal Swine. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg Apr 2024.
Reitz JG, Zurakowski D, Kuhn VA, Murnick J, Donofrio MT, d’Udekem Y, Licht D, Kosiorek A, Limperopoulos C, Axt-Fliedner R, Yerebakan C, Carpenter JL.: Brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. JTCVS Open 17: 229-247, Dec 2023.
Board Certifications:
- American Board of Pediatrics
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Fellowship: Epilepsy and Critical Care, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2002-2004)
Fellowship: Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (1999-2002)
House Officer: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (1997-1999)
Medical School: New Jersey Medical School – UMDNJ (1997)
Undergraduate: New York University (1984)
