{"id":6324,"date":"2018-12-13T15:11:08","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T20:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurology\/?p=6324"},"modified":"2022-12-05T12:55:02","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T17:55:02","slug":"neurology-news-december-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurology\/neurology-news-december-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Neurology News – December 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome New Faculty and APP\u2019s<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"Winnie<\/td>\nWinnie Lau, MD<\/strong>, joined the Neurocritical Care team this fall. Dr. Lau received her MD from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2012. She then completed her residency in neurology from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2016 and her fellowship in neurocritical care at UNC Chapel Hill in 2018.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Meredith<\/td>\nMeredith Maguire, PA-C, MPAS<\/strong>, joined Dr. Subramaniam in General Neurology in September. Meredith graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2012 with a BA in behavioral biology. She completed her MS in Physician Assistant Studies in 2016.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Stephanie<\/td>\nStephanie Iyer, PharmD, CPP<\/strong>, is a new pharmacist at the Neurology Clinic. Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science in 2015 and her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2016 from UNC Chapel Hill. She then completed a PGY1 residency in the ambulatory care setting at Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast in Concord, NC in 2017.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Clinics<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"BeaconThe UNC Neurosciences ICU<\/strong> received the silver-level Beacon Award<\/a> for Excellence reflecting exceptional patient care and healthy work environments. We are the only Neuroscience ICU in the state of NC to hold this award.<\/p>\n

A Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment Center has been developed under the leadership of Zheng (Jane) Fan, MD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A Charcot Marie Tooth Neuropathy Center, certified by CMT Association, has been developed under the leadership of Rebecca Traub, MD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The UNC Neurology MS Center<\/strong> recently became a member of the CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers), and is now listed as one of 250 centers in the US and Canada that provide comprehensive MS care. This membership opens up opportunities for multicenter research coordinated by CMSC.<\/p>\n

In November, UNC Neurology MS Center<\/strong> began offering an interdisciplinary, once-a-month clinic that offers appointments with an MS specialist, a pharmacist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and a speech\/cognitive rehabilitation therapist all on the same day.<\/p>\n

Miriam Skerlov, MD<\/strong>, and Jessica Shurer, MSW, LCSW<\/strong>, are starting the state\u2019s first support group for multiple system atrophy. The inaugural meeting will be held on December 19th<\/sup> at the Center for Rehabilitation Care and will be offered on a quarterly basis.<\/p>\n

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Grants \/ Recognition
\n<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Shih
The Shih Lab. Yen-Yu Ian Shih, PhD, back row, center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yen-Yu Ian Shih, PhD<\/strong>, received a four-year, $3.8-million BRAIN Initiative grant<\/a> from the NIH \u0336 the eighth such grant issued to UNC School of Medicine researchers since the initiative was launched in 2013 and the third for the Shih lab.<\/p>\n

The Cohen Lab<\/strong> received a gift of $250,000 from two generous NC donors this fall to support Alzheimer\u2019s disease research.<\/p>\n

Dan Kaufer, MD<\/strong>, is co-investigator of a study funded by a $4.7 million grant from the NFL on the long-term effects of concussion on former players. The study is titled, \u201cMechanisms of and Potential Treatments for Repetitive Concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tim Gershon, MD, PhD<\/strong>, was awarded his third R01 grant by NINDS to study medulloblastoma.<\/p>\n

Irena Dujmovic Basuroski<\/strong>, MD, was named a Partner<\/em> in MS Care \u2013 Neurologic Care<\/em> by the National MS Society. In addition, Dr. Basuroski was acknowledged on the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) website<\/a> for her contribution to NORD\u2019s web content on transverse myelitis.<\/p>\n

Casey Olm-Shipman, MD<\/strong>, was awarded a $10,000 Junior Faculty Development Award for her project investigating clinician and surrogate decision-maker communication and the primary factors associated with distinct treatment decisions involving life-prolonging therapies in the ICU for patients with severe acute brain injury.<\/p>\n

In addition, Dr. Olm-Shipman was appointed as the director of the UNC School of Medicine Physician Leadership in Quality and Safety Scholars Program for UNC medical students and faculty mentors. Dr. Olm-Shipman also served as the director of the Neurocritical Care Society\u2019s inaugural course: \u201cBuilding a Quality Improvement Program in the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit\u201d at the national meeting in September 2018.<\/p>\n

Miriam Sklerov, MD<\/strong>, received an NC TraCS Pilot Award to fund her research, \u201cFunctional and Structural Neuroimaging as a Marker of Autonomic Dysfunction in Parkinsons Disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nina Browner, MD<\/strong>, was featured in Vital Signs<\/a>\u2019 Carolina Care Highlight<\/i>. Dr. Browner was recognized for receiving excellent patient reviews on the Press Ganey patient experience survey.<\/p>\n

Jessica Shurer, MSW, LCSW,<\/strong> and Nina Browner, MD<\/strong>, were featured in the Parkinson\u2019s Foundation Center of Excellence series<\/a> that highlighted UNC\u2019s work to host statewide trainings on interdisciplinary care for Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Adeel Yousaf, MD<\/strong>, is now Board Certified in Neurology with special qualification in Child Neurology.\u00a0Also passing the Boards: Dr. Thomas Foutz, Epilepsy Fellow, and our most recent residency graduates: Drs. John Herndon, Ameeta Karmarkar, Krzysztof Romanowski, Danushka Tememe, and Venka Veerappan. This year brings us to a successful four-year run of 100% Board passing score for our residency program (with national average at 89 %).<\/p>\n

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Research<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"AIDSIn November, the AIDS Neurological Center<\/strong> finished accruing the flagship ACTG neurological clinical trial (InMIND, A5324) that enrolled 186 participants with HIV Associated Neurological Disease in 25 US sites, three sites in South Africa, one site in Brazil, and two sites in Thailand. Kevin Robertson, PhD<\/strong> chairs this protocol, which is a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intensification with antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV-associated, neurocognitive disorder. The trial will run for another two years of study treatment follow-up.<\/p>\n

Hae Won Shin, MD<\/strong>, along with other UNC researchers, published an article in NeuroImage<\/a> titled, \u201cLow-frequency direct cortical stimulation of left superior frontal gyrus enhances working memory performance.\u201d Sept.<\/p>\n

Miriam Sklerov, MD<\/strong>, and Nina Browner, MD<\/strong>, along with UNC Radiology’s Eran Dayan, PhD, published research in Clinical Autonomic Research<\/a> titled, \u201cFunctional neuroimaging of the central autonomic network: developments and clinical implications.\u201d Nov.<\/p>\n

Dan Kaufer, MD<\/strong>, along with other researchers published:<\/p>\n