Michael Racke, MD, Chair
Neurology focuses on education, clinical care and research of neurological diseases.
With regard to education, the Department teaches the neurology clerkship in the College of Medicine and stimulates medical students in the neurosciences. Last year, four students from the College of Medicine matched in Neurology. In addition to the medical
students, Neurology also instructs the Neurology house staff. Last year, the senior Neurology residents all scored above the 96th percentile on the in-service exam. In research, the Department participates in clinical trials in a number of areas, including epilepsy, stroke, movement disorders, neuromuscular diseases and multiple sclerosis.
Ongoing Research Programs
- Neurology has a strong clinical and research program in spinal muscular atrophy and has recruited Stephen Kolb, MD, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania to contribute to these efforts.
- The Department’s stroke program was recertified by the Joint Commission, which stated that the recertification “is indicative of your program’s compliance with consensusbased national standards, effective use of established clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care, and performance measurement and improvement activities.”
- Investigators in the neuroimmunology research group study basic disease mechanisms in animal models and participate in parallel studies examining samples from patients with multiple sclerosis. Investigators also participate in clinical trials.
Research Accomplishments of 2007
- Yousef Mohammad, MD, led an effort in testing transcranial magnetic stimulation for treating migraine headache. A multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized study to confirm the efficacy of this novel therapy for aborting migraines has been completed and the results are eagerly anticipated.
- Douglas Scharre, MD, completed the validity trial of SAGE, a self-administered cognitive screening exam to detect individuals with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia.
- The neuroimmunology research group spearheaded efforts to understand how transcription factors control T-cell differentiation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. A study published in the Journal of Immunology showed that the transcription factor T-bet controls the expression of IL-23R and subsequent expansion of pathogenic T cells in the brain.
- Joanne Lynn, MD, was named Professor of the Year by the graduating medical school class. She also was named Preclinical Teacher of the Year by the first-year class.
- Greg Figg, MD, was one of the Residents of the Year named by the graduating medical school class.
- Michael Racke, MD, was named the John N. Whitaker Memorial Lecturer for the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence Symposium.
- More than half of the Neurology faculty were named in the 2007 Best Doctors in America.