On Friday, March 13, Max Wiznitzer, M.D., delivered the eighth annual Lillian Pardo, M.D. Pediatric Neurology Lecture to an audience of members of the University of Kansas Department of Neurology gathered online and in person.  

Wiznitzer is board certified in pediatrics, neurology with a special qualification in child neurology, and neurodevelopmental disabilities, and he is a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His research interests include autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. His presentation explored research about how social factors have led to vaccine hesitancy throughout history, with particular attention to claims about a correlation between vaccines and autism. Wiznitzer provided a systematic review of the available scientific research on the subject, which offers no evidence to support claims that vaccines cause autism in children or adults. Wiznitzer concluded his lecture with resources that could help physicians engage with patients on the subject of vaccination. 

Department Chair Gary Gronseth, M.D., introduced Dr. Wiznitzer before the presentation. Afterward, Pardo, professor emerita in pediatrics and neurology, presented Wiznitzer with a commemorative plaque. Pardo and her husband, Manuel P. Pardo, M.D., established the lectureship as a way to inspire and educate future generations of trainees and faculty at KU Medical Center.