Charina Ramirez, M.D.

Pediatrics - Gastroenterology
Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Pediatric Liver Disease

Biography

Charina Marie Ramirez, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She serves as the Director of the Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease Clinic at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Medical Director of Pediatrics at Children’s Health Specialty Center in Park Cities. She specializes in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition.

She is also the Co-Course Director of the Gastrointestinal System at UT Southwestern Medical School and serves as a Faculty Advisor for pediatric residents.

Dr. Ramirez earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She completed a residency in pediatrics at UT Southwestern, where she also received advanced training through a three-year fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. During her fellowship training, she was awarded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation fellowship grant.

Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2010.

Dr. Ramirez’s research interests include metabolic associated fatty liver disease, cystic fibrosis liver disease, and Niemann-Pick type C disease. She is a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases; the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition; and the Texas Medical Association.

Education & Training

Fellowship - UT Southwestern/Children's Medical Center (2007-2010), Pediatric Gastroenterology
Medical School - University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (1999-2003)
Internship - Children's Medical Center Dallas (2003-2004), Pediatrics
Residency - Children's Medical Center Dallas (2004-2006), Pediatric Medicine

Professional Associations & Affiliations

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
Texas Medical Association

Honors & Awards

D Magazine Best Doctor 2022
D Magazine Best Pediatric Specialist 2019-2021

Books & Publications

Publications
- Delineation of metabolic responses of Npc1^-/-nih mice lacking the cholesterol-esterifying enzyme SOAT2 to acute treatment with 2-hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin.
  Ramirez CM, Taylor AM, Lopez AM, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Steroids 2020 Dec 164 108725
- Ontogenesis and Modulation of Intestinal Unesterified Cholesterol Sequestration in a Mouse Model of Niemann-Pick C1 Disease.
  Lopez AM, Ramirez CM, Taylor AM, Jones RD, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Digestive diseases and sciences 2019 Jul
- Lysosomal Acid Lipase Activity: A Tool for the Detection and Management of Fatty Liver Disease?
  Ramirez CM, Lopez AM, Turley SD EBioMedicine 2015 Jul 2 7 638-9
- Systemic administration of 2-hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin to symptomatic Npc1-deficient mice slows cholesterol sequestration in the major organs and improves liver function.
  Lopez AM, Terpack SJ, Posey KS, Liu B, Ramirez CM, Turley SD Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology 2014 Aug
- Impact of the loss of caveolin-1 on lung mass and cholesterol metabolism in mice with and without the lysosomal cholesterol transporter, Niemann-Pick type C1.
  Mundy DI, Lopez AM, Posey KS, Chuang JC, Ramirez CM, Scherer PE, Turley SD Biochimica et biophysica acta 2014 Apr
- Ontogenic changes in lung cholesterol metabolism, lipid content, and histology in mice with Niemann-Pick type C disease.
  Ramirez CM, Lopez AM, Le LQ, Posey KS, Weinberg AG, Turley SD Biochimica et biophysica acta 2014 Jan 1841 1 54-61
- Frequency of the Cholesteryl ester storage disease common LIPA E8SJM mutation (c.894g>a) in various racial and ethnic groups.
  Scott SA, Liu B, Nazarenko I, Martis S, Kozlitina J, Yang Y, Ramirez C, Kasai Y, Hyatt T, Peter I, Desnick RJ Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2013 Feb
- Unesterified cholesterol accumulation in late endosomes/lysosomes causes neurodegeneration and is prevented by driving cholesterol export from this compartment.
  Aqul A, Liu B, Ramirez CM, Pieper AA, Estill SJ, Burns DK, Liu B, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Dietschy JM The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2011 Jun 31 25 9404-13
- Quantitative role of LAL, NPC2, and NPC1 in lysosomal cholesterol processing defined by genetic and pharmacological manipulations.
  Ramirez CM, Liu B, Aqul A, Taylor AM, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Dietschy JM Journal of lipid research 2011 Apr 52 4 688-98
- Weekly cyclodextrin administration normalizes cholesterol metabolism in nearly every organ of the Niemann-Pick type C1 mouse and markedly prolongs life.
  Ramirez CM, Liu B, Taylor AM, Repa JJ, Burns DK, Weinberg AG, Turley SD, Dietschy JM Pediatric research 2010 Oct 68 4 309-15
- Cyclodextrin overcomes the transport defect in nearly every organ of NPC1 mice leading to excretion of sequestered cholesterol as bile acid.
  Liu B, Ramirez CM, Miller AM, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Dietschy JM Journal of lipid research 2010 May 51 5 933-44
- Persistence of herpes simplex virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of neonates with herpes simplex virus encephalitis.
  Mejías A, Bustos R, Ardura MI, Ramírez C, Sánchez PJ Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2009 Apr 29 4 290-6

Research

Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Pediatrics (Evaluation in Primary Care Setting, Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diet, Evaluation in Primary Care Setting, Genetics of Fatty Liver Disease, Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Liver Disease in Pediatrics, and Niemann-Pick Type C Disease)

Clinical Focus

Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Pediatric Liver Disease
Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease
Rare Metabolic Liver Diseases
Niemann-Pick Type C Disease
Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency
Peroxisomal Disorder and Zellweger Spectrum Disorder
Bile Acid Synthesis Defect

Links

New Patient Appointment or 469-497-2505