Charlene Ong, MD, MPHS

Associate Professor of Neurology

Title Associate Professor of Neurology
Office BU School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118
Phone 617-638-8456
Education Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2012)
Internship: Washington University School of Medicine (2013)
Residency: Washington University School of Medicine (2016)
Fellowship: Neurocritical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital (2018)

Board Certifications: Neurology (Neurocritical Care Board Eligible)
Special Interests: Cerebral Edema, Machine Learning Methods to Optimize ICU Outcomes

Awards:

Dr. Charlene Ong is the recipient of the Career Development Professorship Award. Dr. Ong’s research seeks to create personalized risk assessments of patients with ischemic stroke through development of a comprehensive diagnostic imaging tool that processes physiologic, clinical, and radiographic data.

Recent publications:

Du Y, Mallinger LA, Reinert AL, Chatzidakis S, Ibrahim NJ, Wirth G, Kumar A, Avula A, Cheng H, Greer DM, Dhar R, Ong C. Integrating Brain Imaging Volumetrics and Quantitative Pupillometry for Predicting Neurologic Deterioration after Large Hemispheric Stroke. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2025 Sep 17:rs.3.rs-7207393. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7207393/v1. PMID: 41001532; PMCID: PMC12458587.

Phillips E, O’Donoghue O, Zhang Y, Tsimpos P, Mallinger LA, Chatzidakis S, Pohlmann J, Du Y, Kim I, Song J, Brush B, Smirnakis S, Ong CJ, Orfanoudaki A. Hybrid machine learning for real-time prediction of edema trajectory in large middle cerebral artery stroke. NPJ Digit Med. 2025 May 17;8(1):288. doi: 10.1038/s41746-025-01687-y. PMID: 40379753; PMCID: PMC12084630.

Du Y, Ong CJ. Reply to “Revolutionizing Neuroprognostication: The Enduring Value of Pupillary Reflexes Enhanced by Quantitative Pupillometry”. Ann Neurol. 2025 Jul;98(1):202. doi: 10.1002/ana.27257. Epub 2025 May 7. PMID: 40331913.

Veerapaneni D, Arunachalam Sakthiyendran N, Du Y, Mallinger LA, Reinert A, Yeon Kim S, Nguyen C, Daneshmand A, Abdalkader M, Mohammed S, Dupuis J, Sheth KN, Gilmore EJ, Greer D, Ong CJ. Early Pupil Abnormality Frequency Predicts Poor Outcomes and Enhances International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury (IMPACT) Model Prognostication in Traumatic Brain Injury. Crit Care Explor. 2025 Apr 29;7(5):e1257. doi: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000001257. PMID: 40299976; PMCID: PMC12043342.

Song JJ, Stafford RA, Pohlmann JE, Kim ISY, Cheekati M, Dennison S, Brush B, Chatzidakis S, Huang Q, Smirnakis SM, Gilmore EJ, Mohammed S, Abdalkader M, Benjamin EJ, Dupuis J, Greer DM, Ong CJ. Later midline shift is associated with better post-hospitalization discharge status after large middle cerebral artery stroke. Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 5;15(1):11738. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95954-3. PMID: 40188256; PMCID: PMC11972405.

Hill CJ, Sykora CA, Schmugge S, Tate S, Cronin MFM, Sisto J, Mallinger LA, Reinert A, Stafford RA, Tao BS, Sakthiyendran NA, Nguyen K, Krishnaswamy A, Patil S, Al-Faraj A, Noviawaty I, Russo M, Pugsley B, Lee JW, Greer D, Shin M, Ong CJ. Eye movement detection using electrooculography and machine learning in cardiac arrest patients. Resuscitation. 2025 May;210:110577. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110577. Epub 2025 Mar 24. PMID: 40133167; PMCID: PMC12107456.

Cobler-Lichter MJ, Suchdev K, Tatro H, Cascone A, Yang J, Weinberg J, Abdalkader MK, Dasenbrock HH, Ong CJ, Cervantes-Arslanian A, Greer D, Nguyen TN, Daneshmand A, Chung DY. Safety and Outcomes of Valproic Acid in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients: A Retrospective Study. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2025 Mar-Apr 01;48(2):43-50. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0000000000000627. Epub 2025 Feb 19. PMID: 40035592.

Du Y, Pohlmann JE, Chatzidakis S, Brush B, Malinger LA, Stafford RA, Cervantes-Arslanian AM, Benjamin EJ, Gilmore EJ, Dupuis J, Greer DM, Smirnakis SM, Mohammed S, Ong CJ. Quantitative Pupillometry Predicts Neurologic Deterioration in Patients with Large Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke. Ann Neurol. 2025 May;97(5):930-941. doi: 10.1002/ana.27178. Epub 2025 Jan 18. PMID: 39825740; PMCID: PMC12011534.

Veerapaneni D, Sakthiyendran NA, Kim SY, Nguyen C, Daneshmand A, Abdalkader M, Mohammed S, Dupuis J, Sheth KN, Gilmore EJ, Greer D, Ong CJ. Pupil Abnormality Frequency in the First 72 Hours Improves IMPACT score in Traumatic Brain Injury. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Nov 26:2024.11.23.24317826. doi: 10.1101/2024.11.23.24317826. PMID: 39649617; PMCID: PMC11623741.

Cobler-Lichter M, Suchdev K, Tatro H, Cascone A, Yang J, Weinberg J, Abdalkader MK, Dasenbrock HH, Ong CJ, Cervantes-Arslanian A, Greer D, Nguyen TN, Daneshmand A, Chung DY. Safety and Outcomes of Valproic Acid in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients: A Retrospective Study. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Sep 10:2024.09.09.24313246. doi: 10.1101/2024.09.09.24313246. Update in: Clin Neuropharmacol. 2025 Mar-Apr 01;48(2):43-50. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0000000000000627. PMID: 39314927; PMCID: PMC11419238.

Ong CJ, Chatzidakis S, Ong JJ, Feske S. Updates in Management of Large Hemispheric Infarct. Semin Neurol. 2024 Jun;44(3):281-297. doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1787046. Epub 2024 May 17. PMID: 38759959; PMCID: PMC11210577.

Ong CJ, Chatzidakis S, Ong JJ, Feske S. Updates in Management of Large Hemispheric Infarct. Semin Neurol. 2024 Jun;44(3):281-297. doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1787046. Epub 2024 May 17. PMID: 38759959; PMCID: PMC11210577.

Abdalkader M, Nguyen TN, Sahoo A, Qureshi MM, Ong CJ, Klein P, Miller MI, Mian AZ, Kaesmacher J, Mujanovic A, Hu W, Chen HS, Setty BN. Contrast Staining in Noninfarcted Tissue after Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2024 Jun 7;45(6):701-707. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8222. PMID: 38697792; PMCID: PMC11288587.

Pohlmann JE, Kim ISY, Brush B, Sambhu KM, Conti L, Saglam H, Milos K, Yu L, Cronin MFM, Balogun O, Chatzidakis S, Zhang Y, Trinquart L, Huang Q, Smirnakis SM, Benjamin EJ, Dupuis J, Greer DM, Ong CJ. Association of large core middle cerebral artery stroke and hemorrhagic transformation with hospitalization outcomes. Sci Rep. 2024 May 1;14(1):10008. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60635-0. PMID: 38693282; PMCID: PMC11063151.

Takahashi CE, Virmani D, Chung DY, Ong C, Cervantes-Arslanian AM. Blunt and Penetrating Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurol Clin. 2021 May;39(2):443-469. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2021.02.009. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Abdalkader M, Samuelsen BT, Moore JM, Cervantes-Arslanian A, Ong CJ, Setty BN, Mian AZ, Nguyen TN. Ruptured Spinal Aneurysms: Diagnosis and Management Paradigms. World Neurosurg. 2021 Feb;146:e368-e377. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.10.098. Epub 2020 Oct 23.

Nwajei F, Anand P, Abdalkader M, Andreu Arasa VC, Aparicio HJ, Behbahani S, Curiale G, Daneshmand A, Dasenbrock H, Mayo T, Mian A, Nguyen T, Ong C, Romero JR, Sakai O, Takahashi C, Cervantes-Arslanian AM. Cerebral Venous Sinus Thromboses in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Three Cases and a Review of the Literature. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2020 Dec;29(12):105412. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2020.105412. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Anand P, Slama MCC, Kaku M, Ong C, Cervantes-Arslanian AM, Zhou L, David WS, Guidon AC. Comment on COVID-19 in patients with myasthenia gravis: Author response. Muscle Nerve. 2020 Dec;62(6):E87-E88. doi: 10.1002/mus.27062. Epub 2020 Sep 21.

Ong C, Gilmore E, Claassen J, Foreman B, Mayer SA. Impact of Prolonged Periodic Epileptiform Discharges on Coma Prognosis. Neurocritical Care 2012;17(1):39-44.

Ong CJ. Tipping point: The head CT and its impact on neurology training. Annals of Neurology 2015;77(4):556-9.

Ong CJ, Keyrouz S, Diringer MN. The role of osmotic therapy in hemispheric stroke. Neurocritical Care, Neurocritical Care 2015;23(2):285-91.

Ong CJ, Yarbrough CK, Beyer AB et al. Endovascular thrombectomy for anterior circulation stroke. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Stroke 2015;46(11):3177-83.

Ong CJ, Yarbrough CK, Derdeyn CP. Response to letter regarding article, “Endovascular thrombectomy for anterior circulation stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis.” Stroke;46(12):e259.

Ong CJ, Dhand A, Diringer MN. Early withdrawal decision making in patients with coma after cardiac arrest: a qualitative study of intensive care clinicians. Neurocritical Care 2016;25(2):258-65.

Ong CJ, Gluckstein JA, Laurido-Soto O, Yan Y, Dhar R, Lee JM. Enhanced detection of edema in malignant anterior circulation stroke (EDEMA) score: A risk prediction tool. Stroke 2017;48(7):1969-72.

Ong CJ, Hutch M, Smirnakis SM. The Effect of Ambient Light Conditions on Quantitative Pupillometry. Neurocrit Care 2019;30(2):316-321.

Ong CJ, Hutch M, Barra M, Kim A, Zafar S, Smirnakis SM. Osmotic therapy effects on pupil reactivity: Quantification using pupillometry in critically ill neurologic patients. Neurocrit Care 2019;30(2):307-315.

Case Reports and Series:

Ong C, Nallamshetty HS, Nazarian LN, Rekant MS, Mandel S. Sonography Diagnosis of Posterior Interosseous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome. Radiology Case Reports 2007;2:1-4.

Ong C, Patel K, Musiek E, Van Stavern G. Isolated Upbeating Nystagmus as Early Atypical Manifestation of Thiamine Deficiency. Neurology 2015;84(4):e17-e19.

Ong CJ, Al-Lozi M, Cimino PJ, Bucelli R. Peripheral nervous system hyperexcitability in the VV2 subtype of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: two cases and a review of the literature. Clinical Practice Neurology 2015;5(4):326-332.

Divisions: Neurocritical Care

View all profiles