Join us for the second webinar in our series entitled “Genetic Causes of CP” next Wednesday, April 29 at 8 pm ET to learn more about genetics and cerebral palsy (CP). Dr. Bhooma Aravamuthan who runs the CP and Mobility Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital will describe the importance of genetic testing in CP. She will be joined by Rachel Hopper, mother to Rosie, who has a rare genetic form of CP. Dr. Bhooma will interview Ms. Hopper to learn about the twists and turns in her diagnostic odyssey with her daughter.

If you attended our first webinar in February, you heard Dr. Jennifer Bain explain the science behind why genetics matters in cerebral palsy. Now, we are taking that conversation a step further — from “what is genetic CP?” to “what should we actually do about it, and for whom?”

The answer, according to our next featured clinician, is simple: she believes it should be everyone with CP or suspected of having CP.

If you have been following the CP Research Network for a while, Dr. Bhooma is likely a familiar name. Known affectionately as “Dr. Bhooma” by her patients and families, she is a pediatric neurologist, movement disorders specialist, and neuroscientist — and one of the most dedicated physician-researchers in the CP community.

Dr. Bhooma is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she also serves as Chief of the Section of Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Movement Disorders and as Medical and Research Director of the Cerebral Palsy and Mobility Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

She co-leads the CP Research Network’s Dystonia Research and Quality Improvement Workgroups. Her research has been recognized with both the 2022 Child Neurology Society Philip R. Dodge Young Investigator Award and the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Jon Stolk Award in Movement Disorders Research.

Most of her work with the CPRN community has focused on dystonia — helping families and clinicians recognize and treat the involuntary muscle contractions that affect the majority of people with CP. But for this webinar, Dr. Bhooma is bringing her expertise to bear on a question that is just as important and urgently underserved: the role of genetic testing in CP care. She is part of a committee of the American Academy of Neurology which is embarking on developing a guideline for genetic testing in CP.

Dr. Bhooma will make three key points that, taken together, represent a shift in how we should think about genetic testing in cerebral palsy. They may challenge some assumptions you have heard before — even from your own doctors.

1. 1. Everyone with CP should get genetic testing.

Not just those with an “unusual” presentation. Not just those whose cause of CP is unclear. Everyone. This is a strong and intentional position, and Dr. Bhooma will explain the evidence and reasoning behind it.

1. 1. Not just any genetic test — whole genome or whole exome sequencing.

There is a significant difference between the various types of genetic tests available. Dr. Bhooma will help you understand why the most comprehensive forms of testing — whole genome sequencing and whole exome sequencing — are the ones most likely to yield meaningful answers, and why smaller, targeted panels may miss important findings.

1. 1. Finding a genetic cause makes a difference — across the lifespan.

This isn’t just about satisfying curiosity or completing a checklist. A genetic diagnosis can change how a person’s CP is managed medically, open doors to clinical trials and emerging therapies, connect families with gene-specific support organizations, and influence how clinicians think about care from childhood through adulthood. The impact is real, practical, and lasting.

This webinar will be interesting for both members of the community and clinicians who treat people with CP. Registration is free and a recording of the webinar will be posted on our website and YouTube channel within 24 hours.

Missed Webinar #1? You can watch the recording of Dr. Jennifer Bain’s presentation on the genetic causes of CP on our YouTube channel. And stay tuned — this series continues every other month through December 2026.
Click here to see Genetic Causes of CP Part 2