Brenda Banwell is the Director of the Department of Pediatrics, as well as Pediatrician-in-Chief and Co-Director of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, where she helps manage the hospital’s many clinical and research centers.

Dr. Banwell is a renowned expert in the research and treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroimmune disorders. She specializes in and studies the use of neuroimaging to assess the clinical and cognitive impact of the conditions, as well as the function of the immune system in children with these disorders. She also created a standardized clinical care algorithm and clinical database in order to evaluate the clinical impact of MS. Dr. Banwell has published more than 300 manuscripts in high impact journals, along with over 25 book chapters. In addition, she has over 200 national and international invited lectureships and visiting professorships.

An advocate for pediatric multiple sclerosis needs and research, Dr. Banwell serves as past-chair of the International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study Group, the International Medical and Scientific Board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, and the Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody–associated Disease (MOGAD) International Research Consortium. She also is chair of the pediatric committee of the National Institutes of Health NeuroNEXT program, which conducts studies on treatments for neurological diseases through academic, private and industry collaborations.

Dr. Banwell earned her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario. She later completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Western Ontario-Children's Hospital of Western Ontario and a second residency in pediatric neurology at University of Toronto – The Hospital for Sick Children. Her residencies were followed by a fellowship in neuromuscular research at Mayo Clinic.