COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dr. Ali
Rezai, a neurosurgeon and researcher at The Ohio State University Wexner
Medical Center widely recognized for his treatment of Parkinson’s disease and
other movement disorders using deep brain stimulation, has been named to serve
as director of the Medical
Center’s Neuroscience Program.
As director, Rezai
will oversee the continued integration, coordination and collaboration of clinical
programs in neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation,
psychiatry, as well as neuroscience research. He will work directly with department
chairs and program leaders to further develop and enhance the national stature
of the OSU neuroscience program.
Dr.
Steven G. Gabbe, CEO of Wexner Medical Center, said the leadership position is critically
important to the organization given the significant growth in patient volume and
research within the neuroscience areas.
“Ali,
by all definitions, is a worldwide leader in the field of deep brain
stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other medical
conditions,” said Gabbe. “He knows first-hand what it takes to build and direct
great programs and that knowledge will certainly help us position our neuroscience
program to be among the best in the nation.”
Gabbe added that Ohio State
is on the cusp of great discoveries in the field of neuroscience that will
dramatically change how patients are treated for certain neuro-disorders. “Ali sees
the talent among our faculty and staff and the potential of the research, and
he is very excited to have a vital role in this continued growth.”
In addition to his
new role, Rezai was named associate dean of neurosciences in The Ohio State
University College of Medicine. He will continue to treat patients with
Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders and chronic pain. In addition he will continue
his highly acclaimed and widely respected research in the area of
neuromodulation and its use for treatment of various medical conditions including
depression, addictions, obsessive compulsive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity
and traumatic brain injury.
Rezai
left the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2009 to join Ohio State.
He has published more than 135 peer reviewed articles and more than 20 book
chapters. He serves on the editorial board of five journals including
Neurosurgery.
In addition, Rezai
has been the principal and co-investigator on eight grants from the National
Institutes of Health.
He is currently the
president of the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery,
president of the North American Neuromodulation Society and president-elect of
the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, one of the largest neurosurgical
societies in the world. Rezai holds 29 patents for medical devices and
technologies.
He will continue
as director of the OSU
Center for
Neuromodulation.
Rezai holds the
rank of professor and is named to the Stanley D. and Joan H. Ross Chair in
Neuromodulation at The Ohio State University.
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For a high quality
JPEG of Dr. Ali Rezai, go to: http://go.osu.edu/K4h
Contact: David Crawford, Wexner Medical
Center Public Affairs and
Media Relations, 614-293-3737, or Crawford.1@osu.edu
