Department News

Hinkle Receives Excellence in Teaching Award
David Hinkle, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology received the 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Neurology residents during the residency graduation dinner on June 22. Dr. Hinkle, who joined the Department of Neurology in 2004, is a movement disorders physician and researcher with a special emphasis on Parkinson’s disease.

Moore Receives Sleep Research Society Award
Robert Y. Moore, MD, PhD, Love Family Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, has received the 2008 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the Sleep Research Society. Dr. Moore’s award for "novel and seminal discoveries that have made a significant impact on the field of sleep" was presented during the annual meeting of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies on June 8 in Baltimore.

Hinkle Receives Cotzias Fellowship
David Hinkle, MD, PhD has received the prestigious George C. Cotzias, MD Memorial Fellowship from the American Parkinson Disease Association for his application entitled "The potential role of anti-oxidant systems in the mechanism of DJ-1-dependent astrocyte-mediated neuroprotection." This award funds 3 years of research and is named for the neurologist whose work stimulated much of the current interest and research on the problems of neurological movement disorders. The Hinkle Lab is interested in understanding the mechanisms through which astrocytes (major brain support cells) may attempt to protect neurons (the brain's main functional cell) against death.  With this knowledge, scientists may be able to design novel astrocyte-targeted therapies against neurodegenerative disease.

Bagic Named Epilepsy Division Chief
Anto Bagic, MD, MSc has been named Chief of the Epilepsy Division of the Department of Neurology. Dr. Bagic is the Director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and the Center for Advanced Brain Magnetic Source Imaging & MEG Program. Since his arrival at Pitt/UPMC, Dr. Bagic has successfully interacted with insurers to establish justification for payment for MEG studies in people with epilepsy and has helped make UPMC one of the premier centers in which to receive such diagnostic testing. Patient numbers have grown significantly in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, while retaining a consistent outpatient volume for our epilepsy patients. Continued growth of the Epilepsy Division is expected under his leadership.

Greenamyre Achieves Citation Milestone
In December 2000 Nature Neuroscience published the results of a study by J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD and colleagues entitled Chronic systemic pesticide exposure reproduces symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This peer-reviewed article has just been listed as the most-cited article—876 citations--in the 10 year history of the journal.

Graham Receives VA Award
Steve H. Graham, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Vice-Chair of Research, received the 2008 VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Excellence in Research Award on May 12, 2008. This local award, created by the VAPHS Research Office in 2007, recognizes a VAPHS Research Investigator each year for outstanding contributions to helping veterans through research. Among the considerations for nomination are lifetime achievements as well as outstanding contributions in the 12 months prior to selection.

Massaro Chosen Award Recipient
Lori Massaro, MSN, CRNP has been chosen as one of two recipients of the 2008 Physician Services Division Award for "Staff Excellence in Service to the Community." This is the highest award that PSD grants to staff members in recognition of outstanding contributions to our communities. Lori will be honored at a luncheon on August 1 and will have her name added to a permanent plaque in the Physician Services Division's corporate offices honoring previous recipients.  

Saxton Receives a Merit Award
Judy Saxton, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Lisa Morrow, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, received a Merit Award for their poster “Medical Co-Morbidity, Medication Use, Depression and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care Settings” at the International Neuropsychological Society annual meeting in February. The poster presented data from Dr. Saxton’s NIA-funded R01 grant “Cognitive Assessment of Elderly Primary Care Patients.”

Chen Recieves R01 Grant Renewal
Jun Chen, MD, Professor of Neurology and a researcher in molecular mechanisms of neuronal cell death associated with cerebral ischemia, has received a competing renewal of his R01 grant “Inducible DNA repair in cerebral ischemia” for another five years.

DeKosky Appointed Chair of the Executive Advising Committee of ISTAART
Steven T. DeKosky, MD, Professor and Chair of Neurology, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Advising Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association’s new International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART). In his public statement Dr. DeKosky noted that the society is “the first collegial group that represents all areas of Alzheimer’s disease investigation. ISTAART will give researchers and other professionals a place to connect with each other and share the most current news and information about Alzheimer’s.” Information about ISTAART can be found at www.alz.org/ISTAART.

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