Timothy Brei

Brei was born in Fremont, Nebraska in 1956 and was diagnosed with spina bifida.[2] During this time, prenatal ultrasound had not been invented, so Brei's diagnosis came as a surprise to his parents.[3]

Brei grew up in rural Nebraska.[3] With no cure for spina bifida in the 1950s and limited medical interventions, Brei's parents fostered independence from an early age.[2][3] At the age of four, Brei began playing piano. Later, he attended school at a two-room schoolhouse in rural Nebraska.[3] In high school, he participated in musical activities such as all-state choir and all-state band.[2][3] With Brei's academic success, he received scholarship support to attend Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.[3]

At Midland University, Brei was involved in various extracurriculars such as the touring choir and decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a physician.[3] At this time, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had not been passed and very few people with disabilities were accepted into medical school.[3][2] Brei was initially not accepted into medical school and began a graduate program in Biology at the University of Nebraska.[3][2] The following year, Brei was accepted into medical school at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, where he became a doctor of medicine in 1984.[3][4] Subsequently, he completed residency at the University of Nebraska in 1987 and a fellowship in developmental pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 1989.[3][4][2]

Brei spent 24 years at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he was an associate professor of clinical pediatrics.[2] In 2013, Brei joined the developmental pediatrics team at Seattle Children's Hospital as a professor of neurodevelopmental pediatrics.[5] Simultaneously, he also serves as a medical director for the Spina Bifida Association of America.[3] Brei has received numerous awards, including being named to the Best Doctors in America list multiple times.[5] In his honor, the Spina Bifida Association of America has established the Timothy Brei, MD, Outstanding Healthcare Professional Award.[1]

Brei's research is focused on clinical outcomes for children with spina bifida.[6][7][8][9] He has also served as guest editor for the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (JPRM), participating in releasing "Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida."[10] Brei is also a member of the AAP Council on Children with Disabilities Executive Committee.[11]

In addition to his work in the United States, Brei has also taught Chinese doctors how to holistically treat babies with spina bifida at Suzhou Children's Hospital.[12]

Seattle Children's Hospital, where Brei is a professor of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics

Brei has also been quoted for his expertise many times in the media, including in US News.[13][14][15][16]

• Brei, Timothy J.; Walker, William O. (2018-09-01). "Perspectives on Surgical Care and Outcomes in Spina Bifida". Pediatrics. 142 (3). doi:10.1542/peds.2018-1985. ISSN 0031-4005. PMID 30158198.[6]
• Sawin, Kathleen J.; Brei, Timothy J. (2012). "Health risk behaviors in spina bifida: the need for clinical and policy action". Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 54 (11): 974–975. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2012.04415.x. ISSN 1469-8749.[7]
• Fletcher, Jack M.; Brei, Timothy J. (2010). "Introduction: Spina bifida—A multidisciplinary perspective". Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews. 16 (1): 1–5. doi:10.1002/ddrr.101. ISSN 1940-5529. PMC 3046545. PMID 20419765.[8]
• Sawin, Kathleen J.; Brei, Timothy J.; Buran, Constance F.; Fastenau, Philip S. (2002-09-01). "Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Adolescents with Spina Bifida". Journal of Holistic Nursing. 20 (3): 279–304. doi:10.1177/089801010202000307. ISSN 0898-0101.[9]