Department
Message from the Chair 鈥� Gwenn Garden, MD, PhD
Fall often brings in a sense of the new. New school year with new students, new weather, new tree color, and new produce at the famers market. Within the Department of Neurology, we are also experiencing a lot of newness.
The most profound change is the move to our new Adult Neurology clinic space in Meadowmont. Kudos to our clinic leadership and our 黑料网H administrative partners for enabling a smooth transition for patients and providers, especially during a time of severe labor shortage. We anticipate the move of the Child Neurology Clinic to the Caroline Point II building to be in December.
We also welcome four new faculty: Dr. Claudia Testa, Dr. Yasmeen Rauf, Dr. Jordan Broman-Fulks and Dr. Hokuto Morita. Read More >
On October 18, the 黑料网 Adult Neurology Clinic moved to a new location at 300 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 202 in Chapel Hill. Thanks to all who made it happen!
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded the Duke-黑料网 Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Collaborative–now known as the Duke-黑料网 Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center–major new funding as an NIH Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center. Gwenn Garden, MD, PhD, is the principal investigator at 黑料网. Areas of focus will include identifying age-related changes that affect the development, progression and experience of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and related dementias, and how factors that arise in early- and mid-life contribute to racial, ethnic and geographic disparities in dementia.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Liaison, Angela Wabulya, MB ChB, is conducting a DEI survey to better understand diversity within the Department of Neurology. The survey will be open until 11/5/2021 and takes about two minutes to complete. We thank all faculty and staff for your participation!
New Faculty
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Claudia Testa, MD, PhD, joined the department in September as a professor of neurology with a clinical specialty in movement disorders. She is the chief of the department鈥檚 new Precision Medicine and Neurogenetics Division. Her research interests include development of genetically-based new therapeutics, and interactions between phenotypes and genetic risks in neurodegenerative disorders.
Dr. Testa received her medical degree and PhD in neuroscience from the University of Michigan. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston followed by a residency in neurology from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital. After completing a fellowship in movement disorders at Emory University, she joined the Emory faculty and later completed a Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research. Prior to joining 黑料网, Dr. Testa also served as faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University where she was the founding director of the VCU Huntington Disease Program. |
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Yasmeen Rauf, MD, joined the department in late September as an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery. She is the interim division chief of the department鈥檚 new Neuro-Oncology Division. Dr. Rauf received her medical degree at the Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences followed by an internship with the Government Medical College Srinagar and a neurology residency at Ohio State University. She completed a research fellowship in neurosciences from the Medical University of South Carolina and a neuro-oncology fellowship at the Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-oncology Center at the Cleveland Clinic. | |
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Jordan Broman-Fulks, MD, joined 黑料网 Neurology as an assistant professor of child neurology in October. Dr. Broman-Fulks received his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina followed by a two-year residency with 黑料网 Pediatrics and a three-year pediatric neurology residency with 黑料网 Neurology. | |
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Hokuto Morita, MD, MA, started with the department on November 1 as an assistant professor within the Movement Disorders Division. Dr. Morita received an MA in neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine followed by a medical degree from Penn State Hershey. He went on to complete his neurology residency with Mayo Clinic and a movement disorders fellowship with the University of Florida. |
Awards/Honors/Donations
The 黑料网 Comprehensive Stroke Program was re-certified as a by the Joint Commission. The program was also once again awarded the 2021 Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite, Advance Therapy Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll by the American Heart/American Stroke Associations.
David Huang, MD, PhD, along with other 黑料网 representatives – Nicole Burnett (黑料网 Comprehensive Stroke Center), Mehul Patel (Dept. of Emergency Medicine), Wayne Rosamond (黑料网 School of Public Health), and Jackie Thompson (黑料网 Rex) 鈥� were selected to serve on the NC Department of Public Health鈥檚 Stroke Registry Workgroup.聽This Workgroup advises the NC DHHS, the NC Health Information Exchange, and the SAS Institute as they develop the new North Carolina Coverdell Stroke Registry, which is funded by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC鈥檚 Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program funds 13 states for a three-year funding cycle.
Susan Wilson, DNP, ANP-BC, FAHA, was promoted to professor. Dr. Wilson was also recently elected as a fellow of the American Heart Association for her outstanding contributions to the AHA/ASA.
Ms. Mary Locklear and the Locklear family have once again donated funds to support patient education on multiple sclerosis. The donation is a result of the ongoing fundraising activities of spearheaded by the Locklear family.
James Howard, Jr, MD, was the recipient of the American Neuromuscular Foundation鈥檚 Best Abstract Runner Up Award聽and the 2021 President’s Research Initiative Award presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine in October (see 鈥淧resentations鈥� below).
Diana Cejas, MD, MPH, received an Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) Research Scholars Award. Dr. Cejas was selected for her project, 鈥淧atient, Parent, and Provider Partnerships in Healthcare Transition: A New Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders.鈥�
PGY-3 Jeremy Wells, MD, was accepted into the Teaching As a Resident: Highlighting the Evidence and Enthusiasm of Learning (TARHEEL) Program, offered by the 黑料网 Academy of Educators. The TARHEEL program is a standardized program to improve cross-department collaboration, enhance engagement between faculty and residents, and increase academic scholarly projects.
Tzu-Wen (Winnie) Wang from the Biomedical Research Imaging Center received the 2021 黑料网 Dean’s Performance Award for her collaborative spirit, excellent experimentalist skills, and more.
Neurology聽residents聽won second place in the August AAN Neurology Trainee Trivia contest. Our team, PGWhy, answered eight out of eight questions.
Published Research and Grants
Yen-Yu Ian Shih, PhD, is the subcontract PI for a new grant with Stanford, 鈥淐omputational modeling of dynamic causal brain circuits underlying cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.鈥� The study aims to advance knowledge of cognition- and memory-related brain circuits across AD stages and contribute novel tools for examining dynamical causal circuits underlying human brain function and dysfunction. In addition, Dr. Shih co-authored the following articles:
- 鈥淥ne-pot synthesis of carboxymethyl-dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles (CION) for preclinical fMRI and MRA applications,鈥� , September 2021, along with Manasmita Das, Esteban A Oyarzabal, Lars Chen, Sung-Ho Lee, Neal Shah, Gabby Gerlach, Weiting Zhang, Tzu-Hao Harry Chao, Nathalie Van Den Berge, Carolyn Liu, Carrie Donley, and Stephanie A Montgomery.
- 鈥淎n isotropic EPI database and analytical pipelines for rat brain resting-state fMRI,鈥� , November 2021, along with Sung-Ho Lee, Margaret A Broadwater, Hyeon-Joong Kim, Jaiden Seongmi Dumas and other 黑料网 researchers.
James F. Howard, Jr., MD, and Manisha Chopra, MBBS, along with other researchers co-authored:
- 鈥淗ealth-related quality of life in young, steroid-na茂ve boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.鈥� , June 2021.
- 鈥淐ellular changes in eculizumab early responders with generalized myasthenia gravis,鈥� , August 2021.
- 鈥淓culizumab in refractory generalized myasthenia gravis previously treated with rituximab: subgroup analysis of REGAIN and its extension study,鈥� , September 2021.
Daniel Roque, MD, Richard Murrow, MD, and Eldad Hadar, MD, along with other 黑料网 researchers co-authored, 鈥淩educing ataxic side effects from ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus deep brain stimulation implantation in essential tremor: Potential advantages of directional stimulation,鈥� , September 2021.
William J. Powers, MD, authored 鈥淪trokelore: Early Anticoagulation for Large Ischemic Strokes,鈥� , December 2021.
Clio Rubinos, MD, MS, co-authored:
- 鈥淔ocused Management of Patients with Severe Acute Brain Injury and ARDS,鈥� , September 2021.
- 鈥淜eeping Meta-Analyses Hygienic during the COVID-19 Pandemic,鈥� , September 2021.
Monica Diaz, MD,听MS, co-authored:
- 鈥淪ocial Cognition and Behavioral Assessments Improve the Diagnosis of Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia in Older Peruvians With Low Educational Levels,鈥� , September 2021. (Senior author)
- 鈥淭hyroid Dysfunction, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid Deficiencies Are Not Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Lima, Peru,鈥� , September 2021. (First author)
PGY-4 Xiaoyang Li, MD co-authored 鈥淜v 3.1 channelopathy: a novel loss-of-function variant and the mechanistic basis of its clinical phenotypes鈥� , September 2021.
Presentations
James F. Howard, Jr, MD,听presented:
Invited Lectures
- 鈥淩educing Myasthenia Gravis Disease and Treatment Burdens with Targeted Therapies: Hope for the Future鈥� (by webcast). Keynote address to the 1st Chinese Summit on Innovative Medicine and Public Welfare in Myasthenia Gravis and Neurology, Beijing, China, July 3.
- 鈥淓xploring Novel Approaches to Treat Myasthenia Gravis (by webcast).鈥� Lecturer to the 10th National IgNS 2001 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 25.
Presentations聽at Meetings
- 鈥淩acial/Ethnic differences in symptom recognition, diagnostic testing and treatment for males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy鈥澛�(poster). 2021 Annual Conference of the South Carolina Neurological Association, Asheville, NC, September 17-18.
- 鈥淪afety of eculizumab in NMOSD and MG: analysis of the phase 3 studies PREVENT and REGAIN, and their extensions鈥� (ePoster) and 鈥淪afety and tolerability of efgartigimod in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis: Phase 3 adapt study results鈥� (ePresentation). XXV Biennial World Congress of Neurology 2021, Rome, Italy, October 3-7.
- 鈥�Minimal symptom expression with generalized myasthenia gravis from treatment with efgartigimod鈥� and 鈥淓xamination of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of efgartigimod in acetylcholine receptor autoantibody seronegative patients with generalized myasthenia gravis: subgroup analysis of phase 3鈥� (posters). 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Aurora, CO, October 14-16.
Senior author Monica Diaz, MD, MS, presented a poster, 鈥淣eurological manifestations of patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 attending a public hospital in Lima, Peru鈥� at the American Neurological Association 2021 Annual Meeting (virtual), October 16-19.
Irena Dujmovic Basuroski, MD, co-authored the e-poster presentation, 鈥淧AMRINO: International MRI and clinical data repository for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder cohort description.鈥� The poster was presented聽as聽Late Breaking News at聽The聽European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress, October 13-15.
PGY-4 Xiaoyang Li, MD, and Anahit Mehrabyan, MD, presented, 鈥淢onotherapy with Eculizumab in refractory acetylcholine receptor positive generalized myasthenia gravis鈥� at the Muscle Study Group Annual Conference on October 3.
Clio Rubinos, MD, MS, presented a talk titled, 鈥淐hallenging Patterns on EEG鈥� at the Advance ICU-EEG workshop of the Neurocritical care Society on October 25. Dr. Rubinos was also a panelist for 黑料网鈥檚 鈥淚nteractions with Hispanic/Latinx Healthcare Professionals: Virtual Panel鈥� on October 7.
Yen-Yu Ian Shih, PhD, presented a seminar, 鈥淗ot Topics in Imaging鈥� at the of Texas Medical Center, co-hosted by seven institutions.
The Saudi Neurology Society invited Loulwah Mukharesh, MD, to present the neuro-ophthalmology portion of the Neurology Board Review Course for neurology residents in Saudi Arabia on September 4.
The Neurology Wellness Report
by Jorge L. Almod贸var-Su谩rez, MD
鈥淚鈥檒l just do a quick Instagram check. That鈥檚 a funny video.鈥� Now I鈥檝e gone down the rabbit hole and two hours later, I wonder where time went. Pandemic isolation has brought us even closer to this 鈥淏lack Mirror鈥� called our digital screens (phone, tablet, computer, TV). The link between mental health and social media has for years. For purposes of neuroscience, our responses are very . 聽Continued >
Events
The University of Rochester鈥檚 Department of Neurology, in collaboration with other U.S. institutions, is organizing a free, virtual conference, 鈥淣eurotherapeutics Symposium 2022: Integrating Equity within Translational Research,鈥� on January 28-29, 2022. The meeting will include diverse leadership, speakers and attendees from all levels, and offer聽meaningful discussions from a multi-disciplinary perspective with the goal of accelerating the translation of advances in neurological therapy into improved health outcomes for all patients. Monica Diaz, MD, MS, will be moderating a panel on global health in neurology.
Todd Cohen, PhD, and colleagues have started a monthly seminar series to discuss basic neurodegeneration research with plans to include clinical research in the future. Please email Dr. Cohen if you would like to be included on the listserv.
The 5th annual NC EMS symposium, 鈥淭he Heart and Brain Connection鈥� will be presented virtually by the 黑料网 Health Stroke and Chest Pain Centers on November 5. The event is geared toward emergency medical personnel including EMTs, paramedics, critical care transport teams, first responders and ED staff.
The and Neurology residency programs held virtual open houses in September and October, respectively. Thanks to all who are participating in recruitment efforts this fall!
Thanks to all who helped out at the Epilepsy Foundation of America’s North Carolina State Awareness Day on October 9 in Raleigh. The 黑料网 Epilepsy team had strong representation and were able to talk to many families about our services at the event.
The Duke-黑料网 Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center鈥檚 BlueHeels team gathered on Sunday, September 26 for a fun afternoon of movement and connection at the Walk to De-Feet Dementia event. The 15-member team raised $1,538 in funds for the .
Media
Gwenn Garden, MD, PhD, was featured in a on Friday, September 24 regarding the new Duke-黑料网 Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center. and also published stories on September 9.
Brad Vaughn, MD, explains how and why we sleep and gives some surprising nuances to common sleep tips in this article published in 黑料网鈥檚 on October 6.