Daniel Combs, MD

Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Assistant Director, Scholarly Projects

Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine

Additional Contact Info:

Michaela Todd

Administrative assistant

520-626-7780

Education:

University of Arizona, 2011 (M.D.)
University of Arizona Pediatrics, 2012 (Internship)
University of Arizona Pediatrics, 2014 (Residency)
University of Arizona Sleep Medicine, 2015 (Fellowship)

Major Areas of Research Interest:

My primary area of research is in the neurocognitive and quality of life effects of sleep apnea in children with congenital heart disease. Our research has shown that children with congenital heart disease are at very high risk of sleep apnea, and that this is associated with IQ impairment. Our current research involves quantitative measurement of neurocognition and quality of life, as well as development of treatment strategies that may improve cognition in children with congenital heart disease.
Other areas of research include exploring family preferences for treatment of sleep apnea in children, which will lead to improved clinical trial approaches for this disorder. Through collaboration with other investigators, we are also exploring the relationship between sleep and outcomes in traumatic brain injury in children, as well as sleep and asthma outcomes in children.

Student Opportunities Through Research:

Students will be able to gain hands on clinical experience working with children with congenital heart disease and other conditions. Additionally, students will be trained in neurocognitive assessment of children and be able to independently perform assessments of children. Students will also learn about conduct of research, including regulatory issues, ethical issues and practical issues related to conducting clinical research.

Due to the impact of sleep and sleep disorders on outcomes in all areas of pediatrics, interested students may be able to develop sleep-related projects tailored to their interests (for example, impact of sleep on ICU outcomes in children).

Selected Publications:

Combs D, Goodwin JL, Quan SF, Morgan WJ, Parthasarathy S. Modified Stop-Bang Tool For Screening Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Community-Dwelling Adolescent Children. PLOS One 2015.

Combs D, Goodwin JL, Quan SF, Morgan WJ, Parthasarathy S. Longitudinal Differences in Sleep Duration in Hispanic and Caucasian Children. Sleep Medicine. 2015 Jun 29. PMID: 26299467

Buterbaugh J, Wynstra C, Provencio N, Combs D, Gilbert M, Parthasarathy S. Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Young Subjects with Sleep Apnea. SLEEP. 2015 Feb 1;38(2):241-50. PMID 25409111.

Combs D, Shetty S and Parthasarathy S. Advances in PAP treatment modalities for hypoventilation syndromes. Sleep Medicine Clinics. Sept 2014; 9(3):315-325. PMID 25346650

Combs D, Rice SA and Kopp LM. Incidence of delirium in children with cancer. Pediatr. Blood Cancer. 61(11):2094-5. Nov 2014. PMID 24938869.

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