On a quest to bolster the state's commitment to children's health, Governor Greg Abbott has made strategic appointments to the Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Advisory Council, a body tasked with guiding Texas through the complexities of PANS research and treatments. Dr. Sophia Rahman and Dr. Stefani Reinold are the latest additions, while 12 others, including Brandon Brock, DNP, Ph.D., and Kara Chasteen, have been reappointed to terms ending in 2027, as reported on the Texas Governor's website.
Their varied expertise spans medicine, education, and community engagement, their collective experience poised to advance understanding of PANS, Governor Abbott lays trust in this diverse panel, Dr. Rahman comes from an internal medicine background, widely respected and bringing her insight as a physician celebrated in D Magazine as one of Dallas and Collin Counties' best since 2020, while Dr. Reinold blends her psychiatry expertise with public health acumen, additionally holding the position of president on the Dripping Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees.
The reappointed members of the advisory council bring diverse expertise to their roles. Brock, a nurse and Global Clinical Research Scholar from Harvard Medical School, contributes clinical experience. Summer Gainey, Ph.D., is a board-certified behavior analyst-doctoral with a focus on autism and developmental disabilities. Sarah Garrett, a psychotherapist and CEO of the Phoenix Center, also serves on the council, bringing her professional perspective to its deliberations.
