Children’s National Hospital appoints Sinan Turnacioglu, MD, as division chief of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics and Neurogenetics

Children’s National Hospital has appointed Sinan Turnacioglu, MD, as chief of the Division of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics and Neurogenetics, recognizing his longstanding leadership in clinical care, education and innovation for children with complex neurodevelopmental conditions. He assumes the role after serving as interim chief.

“It is an honor to lead this outstanding division and continue advancing care for children and families with neurodevelopmental and neurogenetic conditions,” said Dr. Turnacioglu. “I look forward to building on our team’s expertise, expanding access to high-quality services and deepening our commitment to compassionate, family-centered care.”

Dr. Turnacioglu earned his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and completed his pediatrics residency at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He later completed fellowship training in neurodevelopmental disabilities and the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program at Children’s National, where he has helped expand specialized care for children with autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, neurofibromatosis and other rare genetic and neurodevelopmental conditions.

In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Turnacioglu has advanced research and innovation in autism, Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome and virtual reality-based interventions. He has served as a co-investigator on federally funded research, principal investigator for industry-sponsored clinical trials, holds several U.S. patents related to virtual reality applications for autism spectrum disorder and has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on neurodevelopmental disabilities, metabolic disorders, autism intervention research and pediatric neurology.

“Dr. Turnacioglu brings deep clinical expertise, a strong commitment to families and a clear vision for the future of neurodevelopmental care,” said Robert Keating, MD, senior vice president of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Center and division chief of Neurosurgery at Children’s National. “His leadership will help strengthen our ability to deliver innovative, multidisciplinary care for children with complex developmental and genetic conditions.”