Congratulations to Our 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Pedro Weisleder

Today
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Pedro Weisleder, MD, MS, PhD (MS '87) is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University with a multidisciplinary background in audiology, neuroscience, pediatric neurology, medical education, and bioethics.

Born in Mexico, Dr. Weisleder earned his medical degree in 1985, followed by a Master of Science in Audiology from the University of Arizona in 1987. His thesis, co-authored with the late Dr. Bill Hodgson, focused on the standardization of four Spanish-language word recognition ability list.

After leaving Tucson, Dr. Weisleder pursued a doctoral degree at the University of Washington’s Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. His dissertation’s work, completed in the developmental neurobiology laboratory of Dr. Ed Rubel, examined hair cell regeneration in the avian vestibular epithelium. He received his PhD in 1991. Dr. Weisleder then completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Washington and the University of Texas at Austin.

After briefly serving as a faculty member at Arizona State University, he transitioned to clinical training in pediatric neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute. He subsequently held academic appointments at Duke University and Wright State University before joining Nationwide Children’s Hospital - The Ohio State University in 2008, a role he describes as “the job of my dreams.”

Dr. Weisleder retired in 2024 and was named Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics—the first pediatric neurologist at The Ohio State University to receive this distinction. He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Neurology, and holds certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. 

Over the course of his career, Dr. Weisleder has authored more than 80 publications and edited two books. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. For the past two decades, his research has focused on medical education and medical ethics. Notably, he served as Co-Chair of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Integrated Ethics Committee for 11 years. 

Outside of his professional pursuits, Dr. Weisleder is an avid hiker who describes the Grand Canyon as “the most beautiful place on Earth.”