The Department of Neurology has a sustained commitment to excellence in the three major components of academic medicine: teaching, clinical care and research that advances medical knowledge and therapy. Research in the department extends from models of disease in cell culture, C. elegans, zebra fish, and transgenic mice to human clinical studies, sophisticated neuroimaging, and experimental and human post-mortem neuropathological studies. Research funding for the clinical, basic, and translational studies in the department has increased steadily over the past few years and in FY2007 the department received over $12,000,000 of NIH grant support. The Bioscience Tower 3 provides space for the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND). Under the auspices of the Department of Neurology, the PIND brings together scientists from a variety of departments and disciplines to study mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and develop novel treatments for them.  The PIND provides an outstanding environment to develop new ideas and approaches to neurodegeneration that should lead to further growth of research within the department. The department is justifiably proud of the research accomplishments of its faculty and staff, and of the excellent support for research provided by the School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Basic Research

Basic scientists in the Department of Neurology continue to be highly successful in securing extramural funding. Several new extramural basic science grants were awarded to neurology faculty from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.   In addition, Neurology faculty received notice that several other awards will be funded in the coming fiscal year. 

Basic neuro-science investigators in the Department of Neurology had a number of successes during the previous academic year. Some of the major achievements include:

• Jun Chen received funding for the competing renewal of his R01 grant, “Inducible DNA Repair in Cerebral Ischemia.”
• Ed Burton received an R21 to examine the zebrafish model of multiple system atrophy as well as an award from the Bachman-Strauss Dystonia Foundation to study a zebrafish model of DYT1 dystonia and an award from the Cure PSP Society to explore the phenotypic characterization of tauopathy zebrafish.
• David Hinkle received the George C. Cotzias, M.D. Fellowship from the American Parkinson Disease Association for his application, “The potential role of anti-oxidant systems in the mechanism of DJ-1- dependent astocyte-mediated neuroprotection.  He also continued work on his K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award to study the potential role of DJ-1, an astrocyte-expressed gene that is implicated in Parkinson’s disease.
• Amanda Smith continued work with endogenous neuroprotective agents in Parkinson disease, the focus of her K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, mentored by Dr. Michael Zigmond.
• Sarah Berman continued to work on her K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award focused on mitochondrial dynamics in neurodegeneration.  She also received funding from the American Parkinson Disease Association to explore mitochondrial dynamics in models of Parkinson’s disease.
• Steven Graham & Steven DeKosky continued to work on their respective projects in the renewal of a Program Project Grant from the NINDS entitled “Molecular Mechanisms in Traumatic Brain Injury:  Bench to Bedside.”

Clinical Research

Clinical research in the Department of Neurology has also expanded in the last several years and significant numbers of patients with neurologic diseases are enrolled in ongoing clinical trials. In some disease categories, the department has developed into a national leader in enrolling patients in such trials. This is an invaluable resource for continued development of research in the department, and also attracts patients to our medical center.

• David Wolk continued to work on his career development K23 Mentored Patient-oriented Research Career Development Award for “Recollection and familiarity in amnestic-mild cognitive impairment.” His mentor is Dr. Steven DeKosky.
• Lawrence Wechsler, Max Hammer, Tudor Jovin and Ken Uchino from the UPMC Stroke Institute continued their participation in federal and industry sponsored clinical trials.
• The ADRC continued to be a part of the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study Program, an NIH-funded multi-center program doing clinical research on medications for Alzheimer’s disease including an anti-oxidant protocol and a DHA study.
• Judith Saxton continued to work on her NIA-funded R01 grant which investigates the utility of cognitive testing in the primary care setting by using computer tests to identify older patients with mild cognitive impairment. She was also a Co-investigator on an SBIR grant titled “Screening for medication IQ and managing medication regime complexity.”
• Oscar Lopez received renewal funding of his R01 grant “Predictors of Alzheimer’s Disease in Mild cognitive Impairment.”
• Drs. Lopez, Saxton and Robert Moore continue to explore the diagnostic capabilities of the PET Amyloid imaging agent, Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) in mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
• Samay Jain received funding from the University of Pittsburgh Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Scholars Program (CTSA K12) to examine the use of non-motor assessments of clinical and physiological measures to improve diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.