Marilisa Elrod

Marilisa Elrod is an Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and currently serves as the Chief of the Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics Division and Director of Research for the Department of Pediatrics at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP). A board-certified specialist in Pediatrics and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, her academic journey includes a PhD in Biostatistics and an MD from The Ohio State University, alongside advanced training in statistics and natural sciences at the University of Cambridge as a British Marshall Scholar.

• Education:
  • BA Honors Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge (1996-1998)
  • MA University of Cambridge (2002)
  • BS Honors Mathematics, US Naval Academy (1992-1996)
  • MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine (1998-2005)
  • MS Statistics, The Ohio State University (1999-2002)
  • PhD Biostatistics, The Ohio State University (1999-2005)
  • Pediatric Residency, Naval Medical Center San Diego (2010-2012)
  • Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship, Madigan Army Medical Center (2012-2015)

Research interests focus on sleep disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the impact of military relocations on child development, and access to behavioral therapies for ASD. Her work integrates biostatistical methodologies with clinical pediatric research, emphasizing neurodevelopmental outcomes and military-relevant health challenges.

Key contributions include pioneering sleep disorder studies in ASD populations, comparative analyses of sleep patterns, and translational research on decompression sickness in undersea medicine. She also explores pharmacological impacts on cognitive function in military personnel.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Madigan Foundation Fellows Research Manuscript Award (2015)
  • British Marshall Scholarship
  • Ohio State University Distinguished University Fellowship (2000)
  • Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Graduate (1996)
  • USA-Today Academic All-American (2nd Team, 1996)

Currently, she leads the Institutional Review Board and Pediatric Department Research Committee at NMCP. Her career spans submarine medicine (qualified with "dolphins" in 2008), diving medical officer training, and academic leadership in developmental pediatrics.