Division of Pediatric Neuroscience

Meet the Physicians at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Division of Pediatric Neuroscience

Director of Clinical GeneticsPaul Benke, MD, PhD
Director of Clinical Genetics

Dr. Benke is the Director of Clinical Genetics at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. He received his medical degree from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine and his pediatric residency and doctorate degree in biochemical genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

After completing postdoctoral fellowships with the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research and the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD), he joined the University of Miami School of Medicine. From 1977 to 2006, he served as director of clinical genetics at the Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami School of Medicine.

Dr. Benke is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric clinical genetics and biochemical genetics. He has published articles extensively on metabolic disorders, new genetic disorders and clinical genetics, and the molecular definition of genetic disorders in a variety of medical journals. Current projects include a new genetic approach to study children with developmental delay and autism using a technique called microarrays (where DNA is bound to Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes to reveal small duplications and deletions) and new approaches to treating genetic disorders. He is listed in America's Top Doctors and Top American Men/Women in Science.

Publications

Books Chapters or Monographs

  1. Mangos, J.A., McSherry, N.R., Benke, P.J. and Spock, A.: Studies on the Pathogenesis of Cystic Fibrosis: The Isoproterenol Treated Rat as an Experimental Model. In: D. Lawson, ed., 5th International Cystic Fibrosis Conference,  p. 25-36, 1969.
  2. Benke, P.J. and  Herrick, N.: Azaguanine-Resistance.  In:  Watts, R.W.E., et al. eds, Gout II, Recent Studies.   MSS Information Corp.  New York, 1974.
  3. Benke, P.J.: Uric  Acid Nephropathy.  In:  Pediatric Nephrology, Strauss, J., ed. Current Concepts in Diagnosis and Management 2:125-129, 1975.  Symposia Specialists, Miami, Florida.
  4. Benke, P.J.: Biochemistry of Cystic Fibrosis: In:  Cystic Fibrosis: Projections into the Future.  Mangos, J. and Talamo, R. eds. Proceedings of the Israeli International Conference, 1976.  Symposia Specialists, Miami, Florida. p. 157-164.
  5. Benke, P.J.: Nutritional Disorders in Metabolic Disease: Purine and Pyrmidine Metabolism, In:  M. Rechcigl, Jr. ed., CRC Handbook of Nutrition, CRC Press, Cleveland, Ohio, 1978.
  6. Benke, P.J.: Studies on the Biochemical Pathology of Mammalian  Hypoxanthine_Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase Mutations.  Ph.D. Thesis, University Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., 1978.
  7. Benke, P.J.: Epithelial Cell  Culture from Amniotic Fluid for Pre-Natal Diagnosis.  Epithelial  Cell Culture.  Birth Defects Original Article Series, In:  Danes, B., Cox, R. and Douglas, W.H.J., eds., 16(2): 155-160, 1980.
  8. Crampton, D., Benke, P.J.  and Braunstein, J.: Genetics, Development and Behavior.  In:  R. Toister and J. Braunstein, eds. The Medical Application of the Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, Yearbook Medical Publishers, 1981.
  9. Benke, P.J., Feuer, A.E., Fojaco,  R., Misiewicz, J. and Carlin, M.E.: Syndromes with associated renal anomalies.  In:  Strauss, J., ed. Pediatric Nephrology, Volume 11,  Miami, Symposia specialists, 1985. p135-146  
  10. Benke, P.J.  Down Syndrome: The Five Minute consultant. Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia
    (1995-update yearly to 2004).
  11. Benke, P.J. Molecular, metabolic and immune evidence suggests that systemic autoimmune disease
    is antigen mediated. Medical Hypotheses 47:337-346, 1996
  12. Frye, R.E., Benke P.J.;  Pyruvate Carboxylase Deficiency.In Emedicine. http://www.emedicine.com/ cgi-shl/foxwebexe/preview@d:em/ga 2002.
  13. Frye, R.E., Benke P.J.; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Deficiency. In  Emedicine. http://www.emedicine.com/ cgi-shl/foxwebexe/preview@d:em/ga 2002.
  14. Frye, R.E., Benke, P.J.; Hyerammonemia-Hyperornithinemia-Homocitrullinemia Syndrome. http://author.emedicine.com/ped- /topic1058.htm.  2003.

For more information about the Pediatric Neuroscience Center, call Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at (954) 265-2358.

For referral to a physician for your child, please call Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Physician Referral Service toll-free at (866) JDCH-DOC. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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