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 research. Research in the Department extends from cell culture models, C. elegans, zebra fish and transgenic mouse models of disease to human clinical studies, sophisticated neuroimaging, and experimental and human post-mortem neuropathological studies. Research funding for the clinical, basic, and translational studies the Department has increased steadily over the past 4 years, and in 2005 the Department was rated 10th in the nation—up from 17th the previous year—for NIH funding to departments of neurology, with almost $14,000,000 per year of NIH grant support. The new Bioscience Tower 3 opened in 2006, providing space for the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND) and additional space to recruit new faculty. The PIND brings together scientists from a variety of Departments and disciplines to address the mechanisms and develop novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The PIND provides an outstanding environment to ferment 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 new extramural funding. Twenty three new extramural basic science grants were awarded to neurology faculty from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The total annual award for these newly awarded grants is over $1,600,000. In addition, neurology faculty received notice that several other major awards will be funded in the coming fiscal year. In addition, neurology faculty received notice that several other major awards will be funded in the coming fiscal year.
The basic science investigators in the Department of Neurology had a number of successes during the previous two academic years. Some of the major achievements include:

• Yongjian Liu received a Department of Defense grant to study “Molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders in tuberous sclerosis complex.”
• Ed Burton received notice of award from the Pittsburgh Foundation, John and Nancy Emmerling Fund through July 2007 to develop a biochemical model of Parkinson’s disease using Zebrafish.
• David Hinkle received notice of an award from the Pittsburgh Foundation, John and Nancy Emmerling Fund to study the potential role of DJ-1, an astrocyte- expressed gene that is implicated in Parkinson’s disease.
• Ruth Perez received a NIH ADRC grant to study alpha-synuclein on tau hyperphosphorylation activity in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using human brain samples
• Sarah Berman received a grant from the ADPA to study mitochondrial dynamics in Parkinson’s disease.
• Milos Ikonomovic received an investigator-initiated grant from Pfizer for a PiB feasibility study

Clinical Research

Clinical research in the Department of Neurology has also expanded in the last several years; 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 trials. This is an invaluable resource for continued development of research in the department, and also attracts patients to our medical center.

• Steven DeKosky received notice of a competing renewal for the NIH-funded ADRC, effective 2005 through 2010 and a competing renewal for the Ginko biloba study, effective 2005 through 2010.
• Judy Saxton received an NIH grant to study cognitive assessment of elderly primary care patients.
• Beth Snitz received a Young Investigator grant from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) to evaluate how context-processing deficits in schizophrenia affect functional outcome.
• David Wolk received an NIA-funded ADRC Pilot Project Grant for “Familiarity Impairment in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Behavioral and Structural MRI Correlates.”