Neurosciences 

Led by E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, the Neurosciences Signature Program involves research from multiple disciplines, including neurological surgery, neurology, neurosciences, molecular neurobiology, pharmacology, psychiatry, psychology, ENT (ear, nose and throat), the Center for Brain and Spine Injury, and others. The Neurosciences clinical program encompasses neuro-oncology/skull base, spine trauma, stroke/cerebrovascular, neuromuscular/multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders/dementia, and neuromodulation.

Clinical research within this program occurs in the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, the Dardinger Laboratory for Neuro- Oncology and Neuroscience Research, and in the departments of Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, as well as in the School of Allied Medical Professions. Basic research is conducted in the Neurobiology of Disease Institute, the Center for Molecular Neurobiology, the Department of Neuroscience, the Department of Pharmacology and in the Division of Neuropathology.

Neurosciences Signature Program highlights of 2006:

• The program recruited 10 acclaimed faculty in Neurology, Neurological Surgery and Psychiatry.
• The Department of Neurological Surgery and the Department of Neurology were recognized by U.S. News & World Report on the magazine’s annual listing of top-ranked clinical programs for the third consecutive year.
• Department of Neurological Surgery faculty performed 1,439 neurosurgical procedures, including gamma knife radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (FSRS), endovascular obliteration of brain aneurysms and deep brain stimulation.
• Inpatient volume throughout the Neurosciences Signature Program increased from 2,925 in 2005 to 3,278 in 2006 (10.5 percent), while outpatient visits rose from 25,220 in 2005 to 29,480 in 2006 (16.9 percent).
• The Department of Neurological Surgery received outside research funding exceeding $1.6 million. Total research awards for all neuroscience PIs was $21.09 million in 2006 (this number is by principal investigator, or PI, not by department). Individual PIs include some from the departments of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Psychiatry and Pharmacology, as well as the departments of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Neuroscience .
• The Dardinger Neuro-Oncology Center, co-directed by E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, and Herbert Newton, MD, participated in nine clinical trials and saw its outside research funding – including grants from the National Institutes of Health – top $1.75 million.
• Scientists within this Signature Program published several articles in high-impact scientific journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Cancer Research.
• In one of the program’s largest collaborative research projects, medical scientists Herbert Newton, MD, Robert Cavaliere, MD, Sean Lawler, PhD, E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, and Yoshinaga Saeki, MD, PhD, are working with Abhik Ray-Chaudhury, MD, of Neuropathology, and the laboratory team of Carlo Croce, MD, chair of the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, to investigate microRNA and its role in brain tumor transformation and pathogenesis.