Department News

Zigmond Interviewed for Washington Post Article
Michael Zigmond, PhD, Professor of Neurology was recently interviewed for an article in the Washington Post about the emerging evidence of the benefits of exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease. Read  the whole article here. (1/2012)

PIND Designated as United Way Agency
The Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND) has been designated a United Way agency for donations.  The mission of the PIND is to transform cutting-edge science into novel therapies and diagnostics that directly benefit individuals affected by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, ALS and other movement disorders.  Please consider giving a gift to PIND through the United Way or making a donation in memory of or in honor of someone who has been touched by these terrible diseases.  For your convenience, you can now make your gift online by visiting:  www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org.  Once registered, you can select Agency #10536316 for donations to go to PIND research. If you prefer, you can write a check to PIND by clicking here for information.  Thank you for your support.

Zigmond to Co-Direct New Pitt Center
Michael Zigmond, PhD, Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral and Community Health Sciences will co-direct the newly formed Center for Health Equity of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health with Dr. Angela Ford of the GSPH. The new undertaking aims to understand and reduce health disparities in underserved populations, particularly those in western Pennsylvania. Read the whole article here. (1/2012)

Reddy Named Chief Information Officer
Dr. Vivek Reddy, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Medical Director of Information Technology, Hospital & Community Services Division (HCSD), UPMC, will be assuming responsibility as the Chief Medical Information Officer, Physician and Hospital Services.  This change will be in addition to his ongoing academic & clinical role in the UPMC Stroke Institute. Dr. Reddy has provided leadership and involvement for IT matters involving HCSD and will continue to do so, but will increase his involvement in the ambulatory eRecord as well. (12/2011)

Wintermantel Receives UPMC ACES Award
Barb Wintermantel, office manager of the Neurology Headache Center in Oakland, has been named a winner of the 2011 Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES). This award is presented each year to persons whose commitment to service exceeds the UPMC standard. Barb and other winners were honored at a special event at Heinz Field on October 22. Read the entire list of winners here. (10/2011)

Clemens and Pitt Part of New Research Center
The first Center of Research Translation (CORT), focused on personalized drug development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), has been created through a $7.9 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health. Co-program directors: Paula Clemens, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Eric Hoffman (Children’s National Medical Center). Read the article here. (10/2011)

University Named Neuroscience Research Site
The University of Pittsburgh was awarded a grant and named a clinical research site in the NINDS-sponsored Network of Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials, a nationwide clinical trials research network that will perform multi-center clinical neuroscience studies. Co-program directors are Lawrence Wechsler, MD and Paula Clemens, MD. Other faculty co-investigators are Samay Jain, MD (Neurology), Hoda Abdel-Hamid (Pediatric Neurology) and David Okonkwo (Neurosurgery). (10/2011)

Clemens Receives Teaching Award
Paula Clemens, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology received the Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award for outstanding clinical instruction of medical students by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The award was presented October 4, 2011. (10/2011)

Stroke Institute Named Target: Stroke Hospital of the Month
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have named the UPMC Stroke Institute the “Target: Stroke Hospital of the Month” for September 2011. For photos, a video and the full story, click here. (10/2011)

Zivkovic Serves as Guest Editor
Sasa Zivkovic, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology recently served as a guest editor of a Hot Topic issue of Current Neuropharmacology dedicated to treatment of autoimmune neurologic disorders.  The September issue featuresarticles written by neurologists and rheumatologists from the USA, Spain and Cyprus, including department physicians Rock Heyman, David Lacomis and Alexandra Popescu. The issue contains reviews discussing pathophysiology and treatment of autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, neurosarcoidosis, CNS vasculitis, neuropsychiatric lupus, autoimmune channelopathies and potential risks and toxicities of immunosuppressive medications. (9/2011)

Tribune-Review Interviews Lopez, Klunk
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease take an enormous toll on individuals, caregivers, and society. Oscar Lopez, MD, Professor of Neurology and William Klunk, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, were interviewed for a recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about local residents affected by both illnesses. (8/11)

New Brain Cell Trial Opened for Stroke Repair
University of Pittsburgh researchers have opened a new clinical study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intracranial administration of brain cells for stroke patients. Douglas Kondziolka, MD, Professor of Neurological Surgery and director of UPMC’s Center for Brain Function & Behavior, and Lawrence Wechsler, MD, Professor and Chair of UPMC’s Department of Neurology are the lead investigators for the study. Please click here for the full article and enrollment information. (8/11)

Heyman Featured in Post-Gazette
Rock Heyman, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and a multiple sclerosis specialist, was interviewed extensively for an article published July 18 about the first oral medication for the treatment of MS. Read the entire article on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette site by clicking here. (7/2011)

Berman, Burton Awarded Parkinson’s Funding
Sarah Berman, MD, PhD and Edward Burton, MD, DPhil, FRCP have received a two-year International Research Grant from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation to develop methods to study mitochondria in dopamine neurons — the cell type affected by Parkinson’s — in live zebrafish.  Mitochondria, important for providing energy and many other functions in cells, are particularly important in neurons, and dysfunctional mitochondria have been implicated in the neurodegeneration of Parkinson’s disease.  Mitochondria are difficult to study directly in living animals, but Drs. Burton and Berman are utilizing zebrafish, the fish equivalent of the lab mouse, but which are also transparent early in life. Using genetic tools to make the mitochondria in zebrafish fluorescent, the researchers will be able to record images of individual mitochondria as they move within the axons of dopamine neurons — a feat that has proven very difficult in the past. They will first examine mitochondrial movements in normal zebrafish, and then compare these to zebrafish with mutations in alpha-synuclein (a gene implicated in Parkinson’s), as well as zebrafish exposed to mitochondrial toxins. The researchers also will engineer zebrafish in which certain mitochondrial proteins can be tracked over a long period of time, and in which potential Parkinson’s therapies aimed at protecting mitochondria could be screened. (7/11)

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