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 Site-PI and 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) and as a member of the committee for Research and Quality Improvement of the Newborn Brain Society. She has been invited to the medical advisory board of Hope for HIE.

Research Funding:

2022-current   Feasibility Assessment for neonatal Headcap, Ceribell LLC, Role Site PI; total amount  awarded: $35,937.

2021-2022    Phenobarbital for Neonatal Seizures, NEMA Research for Hickma Pharmaceuticals.Role: Site PI; Total amount awarded: $491,039 – study terminated early by sponsor.

2022-2023  HEAL Temperature – Association between impaired temperature regulation during therapeutic hypothermia and long-term outcome in neonates with moderate                                      to severe HIE; University of Washington, Division of Neonatology Biomedical Research Grant; Role: PI; Total amount awarded: $ 5,980.

2020-2023   NICU Follow Up Database, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington  Department of Pediatrics and Division of Neonatology, Role: PI (shared with Dr German), Total amount awarded: $ 505,656.

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

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.