David N. Franz, MD

David N. Franz, MD, is professor of pediatrics and neurology and associate director of clinical affairs, Division of Neurology, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, OH. He founded the Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1992. This clinic provides multidisciplinary care to patients and families with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) of all ages, including prenatal care to pregnant women with babies affected by TSC. Since its inception, it has provided care for approximately 1400 individual patients with TSC.

Dr Franz was born and raised in Dayton, OH. After high school, he attended Earlham College in Richmond, IN, and medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, graduating in 1985. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the Wright State University–affiliated hospitals in Dayton, OH. He completed his neurology training at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. 

He is board certified in general pediatrics by The American Board of Pediatrics and board certified in neurology with special quantification in child neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. 

Dr Franz has had a leading role in multiple clinical trials involving mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of TSC, including the use of these agents for subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, epilepsy, renal angiomyolipoma, and pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

He received the Society for Neuro-Oncology Pediatric Clinical Research Award in 2010 in recognition of these efforts. He has also been involved internationally with founding TSC clinics and improving care for children and families dealing with this condition.