Dr. Pedro Roa Sánchez
Professional profile
Dr. Pedro Roa Sánchez is a neurologist with extensive clinical and scientific experience, recognized for his work in rare neurological diseases, particularly pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). He has been the principal investigator of the PKAN-CEDIMAT project since 2008 and has dedicated more than two decades to the early diagnosis, clinical care, and prevention of this condition in high-risk populations in the Dominican Republic.
Trained as a physician and neurologist at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, he has served as an attending neurologist at Salvador B. Gautier Hospital and as a university professor of neurology. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and a former president of the Dominican Society of Neurology and Neurosurgery. His work has been supported by international collaborations and numerous scientific publications.
Education
Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD)
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
General medical training with emphasis on clinical and scientific foundations for the practice of neurology.
Salvador Bienvenido Gautier Hospital – UASD
Neurology Residency
Specialized training in the diagnosis and management of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system.
Assistant neurologist for over 20 years.
Research and scientific contribution
Dr. Roa has dedicated more than two decades to clinical research on pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), contributing to the understanding of its diagnosis, evolution, and treatment, especially in high-risk populations in the Dominican Republic.
Featured publications
Evaluation of the “Eye of the Tiger” Sign Using Quantitative Susceptibility Imaging.
ACR Journal of Radiology: Medical Imaging, 2017; 2:7–11.
Long-Term Magnetic Resonance Imaging Follow-Up in Patients with Pantothenate Kinase–Associated Neurodegeneration: Changes in Cerebral Gray and White Matter.
Journal of Movement Disorders, 2021; 14(2):148–152.
A Potential Phosphopantothenate Replacement Therapy in Two Patients with Pantothenate Kinase–Associated Neurodegeneration.
International Journal of Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs, 2017; 2(2):1006–1012.
Motor Activation in Patients with Pantothenate Kinase–Associated Neurodegeneration: A Functional MRI Study.
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 2012; 18(9):1007–1010.
Missense PANK2 Mutation Without the “Eye of the Tiger” Sign: MRI Findings in a Large PKAN Cohort.
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2012; 35(4):788–794.