Alex Levin, MD

Dr. Levin is well-known to everyone in the child maltreatment world, not only for his unique contributions about retinal hemorrhages in abusive head trauma, but also for his interest in Munchausen Syndrome by proxy (known now by other names). A pediatrician before he was a pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Levin has had an abiding interest in the issues of child abuse in general and abusive head trauma in particular.

He has published extensively: 165 peer-reviewed papers, 122 book chapters, 5 books, 72 abstracts, and 934 presentations at meetings or invited lectures. Dr. Levin has been honored 19 times for his accomplishments, and has served on the Editorial Boards of Pediatrics, Journal of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Rudolph’s Textbook of Pediatrics, Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, and Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. In addition, he has written numerous reviews for the Quarterly Update.

When questions arise on the Helfer listserv about ocular findings in child abuse, Dr. Levin is quick to respond with cogent observations and literature citations. He has made himself available countless times when issues arise in pending legal cases involving abusive head trauma cases, and he has testified in dozens of cases. In short, Alex has been an invaluable resource to members of the Helfer Society and in the child maltreatment community at large.