Catherine Mazzola, MD, FAANS Pediatric Neurosurgeon

I will never forget the Thursday of the Paramus Eastbrook School bus accident. Our team at NJPNI was just about to start our Thursday “lunch and learn”, when Dr. Louis Difazio called me. Lou is the Chief of the Trauma Team at Morristown and a great friend. He told me there was a bus accident and about 24 children were being transported to Morristown Emergency Room. While he was talking, I called my colleagues together, and we headed across the street. We were there within ten minutes, and the Trauma Bay was filled with pediatric patients, nurses, physicians, and surgeons. There were four children with serious head trauma that we cared for that day. We train for polytrauma events, but thankfully, we seldom must deal with multiple pediatric trauma patients at once.

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Laura Natoli, RN, BS, MS, APN, RNFA Advanced Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

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Tatiana Sikorskyj, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Tatiana has been with the New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute for 9 years and has continued to be a major asset for our patients! After graduating in January 2012 from Rutgers University College of Nursing with her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Degree, Tatiana became certified as a Registered Nurse First Assist in 2013. She has grown her surgical skills throughout her career and loves to assist our surgeons in the operating room. Tatiana is NJPNI's Clinical Manager, who manages our nursing team as well as maintains a high volume of patients!

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Tatiana is a mom of two beautiful children. She enjoys, hiking, skiing, traveling and exploring new places. She is an active member of Plast, a non-profit Ukrainian scouting organization, where she mentors youth and volunteers in the summer camp clinic.

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Laura Natoli, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

In January 2012, Laura graduated from Seton Hall University College of Nursing with her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. She started her nursing career at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center working as a registered nurse in Telemetry and the Intensive Care Unit until she pursued her interest in pediatrics. Laura served as a member of St. Joseph’s Nurse Practice Council for 4 years and organized their first Children’s Hospital Bone Marrow Donation Drive, “Will You Marrow Me?”

In January 2017, Laura graduated from Seton Hall University College of Nursing with her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Master’s degree. Later that year she joined the NJPNI team! Laura is a Registered Nurse First Assistant and enjoys assisting all of our surgeons in the operating room and providing a more comprehensive quality of care to her patients.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Laura is involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Be the Match Bone Marrow National Donor Program, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She enjoys spending summers down the shore with her family and friends.

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Dawn Milligan, LPN

Dawn Milligan, LPN received her nursing diploma from Passaic County Technical Institute where she graduated as valedictorian. Dawn worked for over six years for a family practice where she helped care for pediatric patients with acute issues as well as following their growth and development. She also spent a number of years in other areas of nursing, working as a charge nurse and also managing and directing long term care and adult day care facilities.

Dawn has been with NJPNI for 10 years! She has advanced pediatric neurosurgical knowledge and helps onboard many of our new clinical staff and summer interns. Dawn is the clinic coordinator for our NJ Craniofacial Team, who are a group of specialists from a variety of disciplines that meet one Friday a month. Dawn has pursued her love of patient and staff education over the years by instructing Lamaze and CPR classes and conducting in-services for staff members. Dawn’s love and dedication to pediatrics is evident by the service she provides to the children and families under her care.

Sumana Gadiraju

"Sumana Gadiraju is a rising senior at Rutgers University-Camden majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. Through this internship, she hopes to combine her interest in neuroscience and her passion for working with children. As an aspiring physician, Sumana is eager to gain insight into the medical field, particularly in pediatrics, during this experience."

Shareef Syed

"I'm a rising junior at New Jersey Institute of Technology pursuing a B.S. in Biology. On campus I'm involved in Biomedical Engineering and Historical Research, the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, and the Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity. Through this internship, I hope to gain a solid understanding of how a team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, nurses, and therapists provide treatment for the pediatric population suffering from neurological disorders. I aspire to become a practicing physician and to eventually mentor students aspiring to become health care professionals."

Brandon Block

"I’m a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania, with a double major in Biology and Classical Studies. This summer, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to gain clinical experience in the field of pediatric neurosurgery, as well as to further develop my research interests and skills. Following graduation, I’ll be attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai through their early assurance pipeline program."