Ellen van der Plas

Ellen van der Plas, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. She holds a tenure-track position and leads federally-funded research on brain development in pediatric cancer survivors. Her work focuses on neurocognitive outcomes in children with chronic illnesses like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and sickle cell disease.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience from University of Iowa (Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

Research Interests: Her interdisciplinary research integrates neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, and neurochemical biomarkers to study how chronic illnesses disrupt brain development. Key areas include:

• Chemotherapy-induced neurocognitive impairments
• Brain volume changes in pediatric cancer survivors
• Biomarker development for Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy
• Impact of chronic kidney disease on neurodevelopment

Leadership & Awards:

• Recipient of R37 funding from the National Cancer Institute
• Silo Leader, Children’s Oncology Group Long Term Follow-up Neurocognitive/Psychosocial Task Force
• Working Group Leader, International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group

Research Vision: Dr. van der Plas is establishing a developmental neurocognitive research hub to improve pediatric neuroimaging methodologies. She emphasizes integrating Child Life specialists into clinical research to enhance data reliability in young children.