Tanuja Chitnis, M.D.
MS Neurologist
Dr. Chitnis is the Director of the Partners Pediatric MS Center at the MGH for Children and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. She also sees adult patients with MS at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (see the site for the Adult MS Center). She completed her medical training at the University of Toronto Medical School, her Neurology residency at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, and a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chitnis has had a longstanding interest in Pediatric MS. She is also the past Chair of of the International Pediatric MS Study Group (2010-2018). She has authored over 250 publications and reviews related to multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, and MOG-antibody associated diseases. She is actively involved in several research projects to help to better understand and treat MS in children including leading the first clinical trial for pediatric MS.
Ellen O’Donnell, Ph.D.
Child Neuropsychologist
Ellen O’Donnell, Ph.D. is a Staff Psychologist in the MGH Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in neuropsychological and academic assessment with children and adolescents with medical illness and has been the Pediatric Neuropsychologist for the Partners Pediatric MS Center since 2009. She is actively involved in research to better understand cognitive and school outcomes in children with Pediatric MS. She is also interested in developing interventions for children affected by both medical illness and learning disabilities. Dr. O’Donnell received her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Clark University and completedher pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at MGH. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and health care provider in the State of Massachusetts.
Katia Canenguez, Ph.D., Ed.M.
PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGIST
Katia is a post-doctoral psychology fellow in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a bi-cultural/bi-lingual (Spanish speaking) clinician/researcher interested in health/mental health disparities and providing integrative pediatric health care. Dr. Canenguez received her B.A. from Boston College, Ed.M. from Harvard University, Ph.D. form University of Massachusetts, Boston and completed her pre-doctoral internship at MGH. Her role at the Partners Pediatric MS Center is to provide clinical assessment, psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic services to pediatric MS patients and their families. In addition, Dr. Canenguez coordinates school consultation to ensure the appropriate academic programs are implemented for each c
Tracy Popkin, R.N., CPN Pediatric Nurse
Tracy Popkin is a pediatric nurse at the Partners Pediatric MS Center at the MGH for Children. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of New Hampshire, Durham. Her role in the Partners Pediatric MS Center is to provide ongoing support to the center’s patients and their families, including education on medications.
Talia Feldman Clinical Research Coordinator
Talia Feldman is a research coordinator at the Partners Pediatric MS Center at MGH. Talia received her B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience, with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Northeastern University. In her role as a research coordinator, she assists in recruiting patients for various research studies, as well as in ongoing study procedures.
GINA FORCHELLI, PH.D., NCSP PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Gina Forchelli is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist at the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) within the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She is the Director of Postdoctoral Training at LEAP and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Forchelli specializes in pediatric neuropsychological, psychological, and educational assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults with complex neurodevelopmental, psychological, and behavioral concerns. She has completed training across multiple settings including an outpatient trauma-based clinic, residential therapeutic school, public school, and post-secondary/college settings. She has been with the Partners Pediatric MS Center since January 2021.Her research and clinical interests aim to facilitate understanding across providers on supporting and advocating for the needs of children/adolescents with highly complex cognitive, medical, academic, and social-emotional needs.
Dr. Forchelli received a dual B.A.in psychology and music at Muhlenberg College. She completed her M.Ed. in School Psychology at Teachers College-Columbia University. Before returning to complete her Ph.D., she worked as a school psychology intern within the White Plains School District in NY. Her Ph.D. was completed at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her postdoctoral training in pediatric neuropsychological assessment at the LEAP at MGH.
Sandra Jimenez, M.D. Clinical Fellow
Sandra is a clinical fellow at the Pediatric MS Center at MGH. She completed her medical education at Universidad El Bosque – Escuela Colombiana de Medicina in Bogotá, Colombia and internship and residency in Neurology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA. Her clinical interests are Pediatric MS and Leukodystophies. She also completes rotations at Boston Children’s Hospital and the adult Partners MS Center Brigham and Women’s Hospital.