Lisa Sun, MD

• Associate Program Director, Pediatric Neurology Residency Program
• Director of Clinical Operations, Child Neurology
• Medical Director of Ambulatory Neurosciences

Dr. Sun is an expert in both pediatric neurology and cerebrovascular neurology, with a special interest in pediatric and young adult stroke. She focuses on both acute care of stroke as well as longitudinal management of an array of neurologic conditions that affect children and young adults.

Dr. Sun’s research focuses broadly on pediatric and young adult stroke, with emphasis on discovering the causes, treatments, and prevention of stroke in the young. More specifically, Dr. Sun is investigating novel monitoring and stroke prevention techniques in children with moyamoya disease, which is a rare disease that places affected children and young adults at high risk of stroke. The goal of Dr. Sun's research is to improve outcomes and quality of life of individuals affected by stroke and moyamoya disease. 

In addition to her clinical and research interests, Dr. Sun is the associate program director of the Child Neurology residency program at Johns Hopkins.

After completing medical school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Sun completed her pediatrics and neurology residency training at Johns Hopkins, and subsequently she completed a fellowship in Vascular Neurology/Stroke.

• Pediatric Moyamoya Center
• Pediatric Stroke and Neurovascular Center

• Johns Hopkins Pediatric Moyamoya Center Opens, Johns Hopkins Medicine (Jan. 8, 2025)

Dr. Sun’s research focuses broadly on pediatric and young adult stroke, with emphasis on discovering the causes, treatments, and prevention of stroke in the young. Specifically, Dr. Sun is investigating novel monitoring and stroke prevention techniques in children with moyamoya disease, which is a rare disease that places affected children and young adults at high risk of stroke. The goal of Dr. Sun's research is to improve outcomes and quality of life of individuals affected by stroke and moyamoya disease.

1. Sun LR, Gatti JR, Ahmad SA, Yedavalli V, Ziai W, Gottesman RF, Jordan LC. Transcranial Doppler is associated with future ischemic events in moyamoya arteriopathy. Pediatr Res. 2026 Feb 13. doi: 10.1038/s41390-026-04827-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41688713.
2. Sun LR, Vossough A, Kossorotoff M, Bang OY, Smith E, Phi JH, Dlamini N, Steinberg GK, Lehman LL, Lee S. Moyamoya Across the Lifespan: Current Neurologic Care and Future Directions. Neurology. 2025 Apr 8;104(7):e213484. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213484. Epub 2025 Mar 4. PMID: 40036714.
3. Sun LR, Lee S, Lee-Eng J, Barry M, Galardi MM, Harrar D, Hassanein SM, Rivkin MJ, Torres M, Wilson JL, Amlie-Lefond CM, Guilliams K. Tenecteplase for the Treatment of Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke: A Safety Surveillance Report. Neurology. 2025 Feb 11;104(3):e210310. PMID: 39805054.
4. Sun LR, Gatti JR, Ahmad SA, Burton N, Ziai W, Gottesman RF, Jordan LC. Transcranial Doppler in Childhood Moyamoya: An Underutilized Tool? Pediatr Neurol. 2024 Feb;151:111-114. PMID: 38154237.
5. Gatti JR, Ahmad SA, Gardner Yelton S, DiGiusto M, Leung D, Xu R, Cohen AR, Gottesman RF, Sun LR. Relative anemia and perioperative stroke in children with moyamoya. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2023 Nov 15;33(1):107476. PMID: 37976795.
6. Hill N, Malone L, Sun LR. Stroke in the Developing Brain:  Neurophysiologic Implications of Stroke Timing, Location, and Comorbid Factors. Pediatr Neurol. 2023 Nov;148:37-43. PMID: 37651976.
7. Sun LR, Jordan LC, Smith ER, Aldana PR, Kirschen MP, Guilliams K, Gupta N, Steinberg GK, Fox C, Harrar DB, et al. Pediatric Moyamoya Revascularization Perioperative Care: A Modified Delphi Study. Neurocrit Care. 2023 Jul 20. PMID: 37470933.
8. Sun LR, Lynch JL. Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke. Neurotherapeutics. 2023 April 18:1-22. PMID: 37072548.
9. Gatti JR and Sun LR. Nonischemic Presentations of Pediatric Moyamoya Arteriopathy: A Natural History Study. Stroke. 2022 Jun;53(6): e219-e220. PMID: 35502663.
10. Gardner Yelton SE, Williams MA, Young M, Fields J, Pearl MS, Casella JF, Lawrence CE, Felling RJ, Jackson EM, Robertson C, Scafidi S, Lee JK, Cohen AR, Sun LR. Perioperative Management of Pediatric Patients with Moyamoya Arteriopathy. J Ped Int Care. 2021 July.
11. Sun LR, Harrar D, Drocton G, Castillo-Pinto C, Gailloud P, Pearl MS. Endovascular therapy for acute stroke in children: age and size technical limitations. J Neurointerv Surg. 2021 Apr 8: neurintsurg-2021-017311. doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-017311. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33832970.
12. Sun LR, Linds A, Sharma M, Rafay M, Vadivelu S, Lee S, Brandão LR, Appavu B, Estepp JH, Hukin J, Hassanein SMA, Chan A, Beslow LA. Cancer and Tumor-Associated Childhood Stroke: Results from the International Pediatric Stroke Study. Pediatr Neurol. 2020 Oct; 111:59-65. PMID: 32951663.
13. Sun LR, Harrar D, Drocton G, Castillo-Pinto C, Felling R, Carpenter JL, Wernovsky G, McDougall CG, Gailloud P, Pearl MS. Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke: Considerations in Children. Stroke. 2020 Oct;51(10):3174-3181. PMID: 32912096.
14. Armstrong C, Sun LR. Neurological complications of pediatric cancer. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2020 Jan 13.
15. Sun LR, Felling RJ, Pearl MP. Endovascular mechanical thrombectomy for acute stroke in young children. J Neurointerv Surg. 2019 Jun; 11(6):554-558.

• Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026)

• Guy McKhann Resident Teaching Award, The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology (2016)

• A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award, American Academy of Neurology (2019)

• Frank Ford Faculty Teaching Award, The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology (2023)

• Brain Award for Medical Student Teaching, The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology (2018, 2024)

• Scholarly Concentrations 2025 Excellence in Mentoring Award, Johns Hopkins SoM (2025)

8/3/17     “Pediatric Stroke,” Hospital Punta Pacifica, Panama City, Panama

9/14/18      “Stroke in the Young,” Quintessentials Stroke Conference, Reading, PA

10/26/18    “Stroke in Children and Infants,” Grand Rounds, Drexel University Department of Neurology, Philadelphia, PA

5/27/20    “Pediatric Stroke: Keeping Up with the Times when Time is Brain.” Pediatrics Noon Conference, Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Elmherst Pediatrics, New York, NY

2/4/21      “Stroke in Infants and Children.” Pediatrics Grand Rounds, MetroHealth Department of Pediatrics, Cleveland, OH

7/21/21    “Stroke in Infants and Children.” Neurology Grand Rounds, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL

11/15/21  “The Age Frontier: Mechanical Thrombectomy for Stroke in Childhood.” American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Boston, MA

1/7/22      “Stroke in Infants and Children.” Neurology Grand Rounds, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

4/26/22   “Modifiable Risk Factors for Perioperative Stroke after Moyamoya Revascularization Surgery in a Pediatric Cohort.” International Pediatric Stroke Organization Founding Members Congress, Vienna, Austria

9/20/22    “IPSO Expert Corner: Moyamoya Disease.” International Pediatric Stroke Organization “Expert Corner” webinar 

12/9/22     “Challenges in the Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Stroke.” Keynote Address, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Neuroscience Symposium, New Orleans, LA

1/13/23      “The Future of Pediatric Stroke: The Promise of Precision Care, Innovative Research, and Community Engagement.” Neurosciences Grand Rounds, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

2/28/23      “Updates in the Treatment of Acute Pediatric Stroke.” Pediatric Neurology Grand Rounds, New York University, New York, NY

3/21/23      “Tenecteplase in Pediatric Stroke.” International Pediatric Stroke Organization “Expert Corner” webinar 

3/24/23      “Pediatric Stroke: Updates in Diagnosis and Treatment.” Neurology Grand Rounds, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM

4/29/23      “Emerging Medical Treatments for Pediatric Cerebrovascular Disease.” International Pediatric Stroke Organization Conference, session moderator and panelist

10/7/23      “Stroke and Neurocritical Care: Year in Review.” Child Neurology Society, Vancouver, CA

11/7/23      “TCD in Moyamoya: an Underutilized Tool?” Moyamoya Symposium, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA

12/7/23      “Pediatric Moyamoya Revascularization Perioperative Care.” Pediatric Neurocritical Care Lecture Series. Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

4/19/24      “Stroke in Infants and Children.” 12th Annual Hackensack Meridian Health National Stroke Symposium. Eatontown, NJ

9/13/24      “Moyamoya Arteriopathy: Clinical Features and Medical Management.” Pediatric Neurocritical Care Education Series

9/25/24       “Stroke in Infants and Children” Neurology Grand Rounds, Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE

2/5/25         “Advances and Controversies in Pediatric Moyamoya Disease.” Invited Symposium Moderator, International Stroke Conference, Los Angeles, CA

4/22/25      “Tenecteplase for the Treatment of Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke.” Child Neurology Society Webinar. 

5/2/25        “Moyamoya Disease and Pediatric Stroke: Navigation of the Challenges.” Keynote Speaker, 16th Annual Riverside Stroke Symposium, Newport News, VA

8/15/25      “Pediatric Stroke and Moyamoya Disease.” KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Neurology Lecture Series, Singapore

2/5/26         “Antithrombotic Therapy Beyond Aspirin for Persistent Ischemic Events in Moyamoya” International Stroke Conference 2026, Main Event Hall Presentation, New Orleans, Louisiana

2/20/26       “Stroke in Infants and Children.” Neurology Grand Rounds, Cohen Children’s Hospital,

3/31/26      “Stroke in Infants and Children.” Pediatric Neurology Grand Rounds, New York University, New York, NY

4/17/26      “Pediatric Stroke: Keeping up with the Time when Time is Brain” Neurology Grand Rounds, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

5/28/26      “Current Approaches to Thrombolytics: Tenecteplase versus Alteplase,” International Pediatric Stroke Organization 2026 Congress, Paris, France

• American Heart Association, 2015 – present
• Child Neurology Society
• American Academy of Neurology
• American Academy of Pediatrics

Pediatric Neurology Residency Associate Program Director, 2016 - present

Medical Director of Ambulatory Neurosciences, 2025 - present

Director of Clinical Operations, Pediatric Neurology, 2025 - present