Dr. Kimberly Hamilton, a board-certified pediatric neurosurgeon, is joining the pediatric neurosurgery team as Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at UNC Health.

Dr. Hamilton grew up in Indianapolis and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a doctor. As a gymnast, she spent a lot of time seeing doctors to help her recover from injuries. When she got to high school, she developed an interest in biology and loved using her hands in art classes, further solidifying her interest in medicine.

During her undergraduate education, Dr. Hamilton spent time shadowing orthopedic surgeons. But when she got to medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Hamilton spent time on other rotations, including general surgery. She knew she wanted to be a surgeon, but no longer felt that orthopedics was the right fit. “During my rotation in general surgery, a fellow told me I just needed to find my anatomy,” said Dr. Hamilton.

Shortly after this conversation, Dr. Hamilton was assigned to a neurosurgery rotation. Three days into the rotation, her classmates could see her passion for neurosurgery. When the rotation ended, Dr. Hamilton knew it, too. She recalls saying, “This can’t be the last day that I see the brain.”

During her neurosurgery residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, WI, Dr. Hamilton again faced a tough decision; choosing a surgical subspecialty. Dr. Hamilton had always loved kids, and she was fascinated by embryology and studying congenital issues and early interventions to care for those patients. Pediatric neurosurgery felt like the right fit.

Dr. Hamilton received another piece of advice that stuck with her during her training and while deciding which subspecialty to pursue. “A fellow told me ‘follow your empathy,’” said Dr. Hamilton. “That is going to make you want to do better, want to research to better your field. So I thought ‘where do I feel that drive to further the field?’ The answer was always pediatrics.”

As she pursued her training, she knew that she had made the right choice. After residency, Dr. Hamilton completed a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

During her residency training, Dr. Hamilton attended many of the pediatric neurosurgery meetings alongside UNC Neurosurgery residents and faculty. She also connected with faculty member Dr. Eldad Hadar who also completed his residency training in Madison, WI. During her chief year of residency, Dr. Hamilton also got to know faculty member Dr. Edward Yap while he completed his fellowship in Madison. When the opportunity opened up at UNC Health, Dr. Hamilton felt that it was meant to be. “UNC feels so similar to where I trained,” said Dr. Hamilton.

When asked what she looks forward to most in her new role at UNC Health, Dr. Hamilton expressed interest in the fetal surgery program and training to do fetal closures with Division Chief and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Children’s Hospital Surgeon-In-Chief, Dr. Scott Elton.

Dr. Hamilton’s educational interests include program building and mentorship in the faculty space. Recognizing a need, she created a national mentorship program for junior faculty. She researched efficacy and efficiency of telemedicine in rural parts of West Virginia.

Dr. Hamilton looks forward to conducting oncology research at UNC Health and expressed enthusiasm over the resources available on campus. She will collaborate on neuro oncology research with pediatric neuro oncologist Dr. David Kram and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, looking into ways to improve quality of life measures and improve outcomes, and how to think about things in a pediatric-specific way. Dr. Hamilton will also have the opportunity to collaborate on neuro oncology research with Division Chief of Neuro Oncology and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Neurosurgery, Dr. Soma Sengupta. “This feels like a very welcoming, collaborative, and supportive space,” said Dr. Hamilton.

This year, in addition to training to do fetal closures, Dr. Hamilton looks forward to working with Dr. Kram to open a multidisciplinary pediatric neuro oncology clinic to streamline ongoing care and management for both young patients and adolescent patients. “If someone is driving four hours and needs to see three different providers and get a scan, we can make that happen in one day,” said Dr. Hamilton.

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Hamilton enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking, knitting, and spending time with her husband and young daughter.

 

Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery