Pediatric neurosurgeon Robert Kellogg, MD, joined Duke Children’s in May 2025 to treat children with a full range of pediatric neurological disorders, including hydrocephalus, tethered spinal cord, pediatric brain tumors, Chiari malformation, craniosynostosis, plagiocephaly, congenital disorders of the brain and spine, dystonia, epilepsy, and fetal neurosurgery. 

This Q&A discusses Kellogg’s areas of expertise, innovative approaches to care, and the high level of coordination and care provided at Duke.

You’re widely recognized for your expertise in pediatric neurosurgery. What first inspired you to specialize in this field, and what continues to motivate your work with children and their families?

I was drawn to pediatric neurosurgery because of the longitudinal relationships it fosters; you often follow a child and their family for many years rather than treating someone once and never seeing them again. I value being the primary surgical provider and relate to concerned parents, as a parent myself. I try to make their experience as good as possible, even when the prognosis is difficult. In pediatrics, we manage a broad range of conditions. Over time, I’ve specialized in a few unique practice areas, including epilepsy and cerebral palsy (CP) care, where we manage tone, place baclofen pumps, and perform selective dorsal rhizotomies.

What are some of the most advanced or innovative procedures you specialize in, and how do they improve outcomes for young patients?

We’re expanding our CP and spasticity program by re-establishing a multidisciplinary clinic to evaluate and comprehensively treat children with CP and related conditions. I have published work on the use of a baclofen pump catheter in the brain as a safe and beneficial option. Our approach is individualized. We select techniques and technologies based on what will most effectively reduce spasticity and improve each child’s function.

What makes this program uniquely equipped to handle complex cases compared to other centers?

Coming to Duke presented a great opportunity — I worked with Dr. Stephanie Greene at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and appreciate the collaborative environment and level of experience the pediatric neurosurgery team brings to Duke. As a premier academic medical center, our team can bring in experts in nearly every pediatric specialty to provide a high level of care, including clinical trials and innovative treatments. Growing access to pediatric resources and the vision to create NC Children’s are exciting efforts to be a part of. I’m eager to help develop services that meet the complex neurosurgical needs of children in North Carolina and of those who travel to see us. 

How do you work with pediatricians, neurologists, and other referring physicians to ensure patients receive seamless, coordinated care?

We routinely collaborate with many pediatric providers, and even plastic surgeons and adult spine surgeons, on complicated cases. Those partnerships have been positive and productive. We also conduct clinical research and maintain databases on Chiari malformation to collect retrospective and prospective data to inform decisions. Some children with conditions like Chiari can be managed conservatively and monitored. Our data-driven, multidisciplinary approach helps determine who needs surgery and who can safely be observed.

How does your hospital support patients beyond North Carolina to make the experience as smooth as possible?

Many people seek Duke for highly specialized treatment. I have some patients traveling from Pittsburgh to see me at Duke now. Our team is always open to helping patients to the best of our ability, accommodating families traveling for second opinions or treatment planning. 

What emerging technologies or research developments are you most excited about, and how do you see them shaping the future of care?

I’m most excited about rebuilding the CP program here so that children don’t have to travel long distances for exceptional, comprehensive surgical care, management, and rehabilitation. Postoperative rehabilitation is critical for CP, as well as coordinated care from multiple specialists. Building local capacity for CP evaluation, surgery, and rehab is an important focus moving forward.