Wen-Hann Tan, BMBS
| Department | Genetics |
 |
| Hospital Title | Attending Physician | |
| Academic Title | Instructor in Pediatrics | |
| Phone | 617-355-4697 | |
| Fax | ||
| Wen-Hann Tan | ||
| Location |
300 Longwood Avenue Division of Genetics, Hunnewell 5 Boston, MA 02115 |
Research Overview
We are studying patients with Angelman syndrome (AS), a developmental disorder that affects movement, speech and social behavior, and investigating interventions that could potentially improve the care of patients with this condition.
AS is caused by a deficiency of a maternally-expressed gene and is manifested at birth. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to, functionally severe developmental delay, speech impairments, movement or balance problems, and behavioral uniqueness, including a combination of frequent laughter or smiling, apparent happy demeanor, easily excitable personality, hand flapping movements and short attention span.
Current Projects:
Characterization of Angelman syndrome
We are conducting an observational study, following children with AS over 5 to 10 years to gain a better understanding of disease progression and the clinical features of AS's four molecular subclasses. The study will also attempt to establish genotype-phenotype correlations, which might aid in clinical care of AS patients.
To learn more, please click here.
A trial of levodopa in Angelman syndrome
Levodopa is a drug commonly used in adults with Parkinson disease to control tremors and involuntary movements. Levodopa is not FDA-approved for use in children, but many children have used this drug for a variety of medical conditions over the last 30 years. Parents who put their children with AS on levodopa have reported improvements in cognition and abnormal movements, but the drug has not been rigorously studied in AS. Therefore, the goal of this study is to understand the efficacy of levodopa in these children.
To learn more, please click here.
About Wen-Hann Tan
Wen-Hann Tan is an attending physician at Boston Children's Hospital and an Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He received his MD from the University of Nottingham Medical School (UK). He completed his internship in internal medicine, surgery and pediatrics at the University Hospital in Nottingham. He completed residencies in general pediatrics at West Suffolk Hospital and Addenbrooke's Hospital (East Anglia, UK), and in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. He subsequently completed a fellowship in clinical genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is board-certified in clinical genetics and general pediatrics.
Key Publications
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Gentile JK et al. A neurodevelopmental survey of Angelman syndrome with genotype-phenotype correlations. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2010 Sep; 31(7):592-601.
- Tan WH et al. Angelman syndrome: Mutations influence features in early childood. Am J Med Genet 2010 (accepted).
To see a complete list of Dr. Tan's publications in PubMed, click here.
