Primary Office

Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida 6535 Nemours Parkway Orlando, FL 32827 Appointment: (407) 650-7715

Other Offices

Get to Know Me

I’ve wanted to care for people since I was very young. From the end of high school through medical school, I volunteered as a paramedic. During those 10 years, I saw how patients live and their struggles to care for sick children at home. This has helped me care for my patients because I understand the many challenges that their family may face.

Why I Treat Children

I chose pediatric surgery when I realized that I could be a voice for patients who have either a small voice or no voice at all.

What I'm Passionate About

I’m passionate about pediatric surgical oncology and advocating for tumor detection in the early stages. Children’s complaints can be inarticulate and difficult to pin down, so they are sometimes labeled just a normal part of childhood. My job is to listen, recognize the issues, and speak up for them.

How I Try to Make A Difference

When I joined the surgery department, I worked to establish an Orlando-based tumor board of Nemours specialists to help manage our cancer patients. As a member of the board, I represent the surgical oncology patients. Also, my laboratory is dedicated to the basic science study of neuroblastoma, which I plan to translate into clinical care.

Education & Training

Fellowship

  • Pediatric Surgery - University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2013
  • Pediatric Surgical Oncology - St Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 2011
  • Surgical Research - Duke University Surgical Services, 2006

Internship

  • General Surgery - University of Florida College of Medicine, 2001

Residency

  • General Surgery - Duke University Medical Center, 2010

Medical/Dental School

  • MD - East Carolina University, 2000
  • Doctor of Philosophy - Duke University, 2006

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Surgery/General Surgery
  • American Board of Surgery/Pediatric Surgery

Awards & Recognition

  • 2010 Appleseed Medical Student Teaching Award, Duke University Medical Center
  • 2010 Robert W. Anderson Outstanding General Surgery Chief Resident of the Year, Duke University Medical Center
  • 2003 Moseley Surgical Research Award
  • 2002 Association of Academic Surgery Research Award
  • 2000 Surgical Intern of the Year

Insurance Accepted

  • Aetna Better Health FL Medicaid and Healthy Kids
  • Aetna HMO/POS/PPO/EPO
  • AmeriHealth Caritas Florida (FKA Prestige Health Choice)
  • AvMed
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield Non HMO
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Blue Select
  • Cigna & Great West HMO/POS Open Access
  • Cigna & Great West PPO/EPO
  • Community Care Plan Medicaid
  • Employers Health Network PPO
  • Evolutions Healthcare
  • First Health Aetna PPO/EPO
  • Florida Community Care
  • Florida Medicaid
  • Florida Medicare
  • Health First Health Plans
  • HealthSmart Health Plans PPO
  • HUMANA HEALTHY HORIZONS (FKA HUMANA MEDICAID)
  • Humana HMO/POS
  • Humana PPO/EPO
  • Molina Healthcare Medicaid
  • Multiplan PPO
  • Olympus Managed Healthcare PPO ORL
  • Prime Health Services PPO Specialty Florida
  • Seminole Tribe of Florida
  • Simply Healthcare Healthy Kids
  • Simply Healthcare Medicaid HMO
  • Star Healthcare Network
  • Sunshine SMI/CMS 19 & 21
  • Sunshine State Health Plan Medicaid
  • Three Rivers Provider Network
  • Tricare/Humana Military Health Services/CHAMPVA
  • United Healthcare Commercial Products
  • United Healthcare Community Plan Medicaid
  • Volusia Health Network PPO/EPO

  • Abdominal Masses
  • Anti-Reflux Surgery
  • Breast Disorders
  • Burn Care
  • Chest Wall Disorders
  • Gall Bladder Disease
  • Hernias and Hydroceles
  • Wound Care

Research Activities

Dr. Westmoreland is part of a team of Nemours researchers that has just shown in the lab how Neuroblastoma tumors can potentially shrink or disappear using the Zika virus. See More

Her research interests include:

  • Pediatric oncology
  • Neuroblastoma

Medical Interests

  • Neonatal conditions
  • Pediatric oncology
  • Thoracic disease

  • The Oncolytic Activity of Zika Viral Therapy in Human Neuroblastoma In Vivo Models Confers a Major Survival Advantage in a CD24-dependent Manner.; Cancer research communications; (2024).

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  • Concurrent dermoid and epidermoid cysts in an adolescent patient: a case report; Oxford Medical Case Reports; (2023).

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  • Persistent Double Dorsal Aorta Surrounding Large Neuroenteric Cyst; Annals of Thoracic Surgery; (2022).

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  • Chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT/TRiC) is a novel therapeutic and diagnostic target for neuroblastoma; Frontiers in Oncology; (2022).

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  • CD24 Expression Dampens the Basal Antiviral State in Human Neuroblastoma Cells and Enhances Permissivity to Zika Virus Infection; Viruses; (2022).

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  • The killing of human neuroblastoma cells by the small molecule JQ1 occurs in a p53-dependent manner; Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry; (2020).

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  • Pediatric renal mass or xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis?; Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports; (2020).

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  • Keystone Flap Reconstruction after Resection of a Large Paraspinal Venous Malformation in an Infant; Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open; (2020).

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  • Zika virus as an oncolytic treatment of human neuroblastoma cells requires CD24; PLoS ONE; (2018).

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  • Nanoparticle delivery of curcumin induces cellular hypoxia and ROS-mediated apoptosis: Via modulation of Bcl-2/Bax in human neuroblastoma; Nanoscale; (2017).

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  • The long non-coding RNA GAS5 differentially regulates cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through activation of BRCA1 and p53 in human neuroblastoma; Oncotarget; (2017).

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  • Gastric metastasis from an alveolar soft part sarcoma in a child: Case report and review of the literature; Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; (2014).

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  • Jejunogastric intussusception in a child: A case report; Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports; (2014).

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  • Resection of a giant hepatic adenoma in an eight-year-old girl; American Surgeon; (2013).

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  • Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; Contemporary Surgical Management of Liver, Biliary Tract, and Pancreatic Disease; (2013).

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  • Esophageal diverticulum arising from a prolonged retained esophageal foreign body; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2013).

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  • Staged closure with negative pressure wound therapy for gastroschisis with liver herniation: A case report; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2013).

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  • Endoscopic-assisted laparoscopic surgical removal of a gastric neurofibroma in a child; Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports; (2013).

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  • Bevacizumab-associated fistula formation in postoperative colorectal cancer patients; Journal of the American College of Surgeons; (2012).

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  • Low volume is associated with worse patient outcomes for pediatric liver transplant centers; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2010).

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  • Comparative genome-wide screening identifies a conserved doxorubicin repair network that is diploid specific in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; PLoS ONE; (2009).

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  • Yeast screens identify the RNA polymerase II CTD and SPT5 as relevant targets of BRCA1 interaction; PLoS ONE; (2008).

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  • Cell cycle progression in G<sub>1</sub> and S phases is CCR4 dependent following ionizing radiation or replication stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Eukaryotic Cell; (2004).

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  • DHH1 regulates the G1/S-checkpoint following DNA damage or BRCA1 expression in yeast; Journal of Surgical Research; (2003).

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  • A double-strand break within a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) containing human DNA can result in YAC loss, deletion, or cell lethality; Molecular and Cellular Biology; (1996).

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