DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY

Highly personalized treatment by collaborative teams of experts.

WHO WE ARE

The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Department of Neurology provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary care for stroke, movement disorders, headache disorders, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, sleep medicine, neuromuscular disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Through its teleneurology and telestroke partnerships as well as multidisclipinary teams like that of our Memory Health Clinic, the neurology team cares for thousands of patients around the state of West Virginia and beyond.

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    MEET DUDE

    Ira “Dude” Henagan, a carpenter and retired pastor, suffered from essential tremor since he was a young man. Henagan traveled from Tennessee to the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in hopes of finding relief.

    NEW MIGRAINE TREATMENTS

    Migraine impacts 40 million people in the United States and one billion people worldwide. While there is no cure for migraine right now, we are in a renaissance of new treatments, therapies, and approaches to managing the disease. RNI Department of Neurology chair David Watson, MD, explains.

    EXCELLENCE IN NEUROLOGICAL CARE

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    HIGH-PERFORMING IN NEUROLOGY 

    The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute’s Department of Neurology has received U.S. News & World Report’s High Performing designation for 2023-2024. Each year, U.S. News evaluates hospital performance in both complex and routine care to support patient decision-making for acute and chronic conditions.

    Evaluations are based on criteria that includes patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, the availability of advanced technologies, nursing quality, specialty-specific certifications, services for patients and their families and expert opinions of specialists in the field.

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    TMS PROGRAM

    The transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) program consists of three state-of-the-art TMS laboratories. All systems utilize integrated neuronavigation, electroencephalography, electromyography, and virtual reality. In addition to clinical use for the improvement of treatment resistant depression, our researchers are exploring other possible applications for TMS in the management of conditions across neuroscience domains. These areas include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke rehabilitation, tics, chronic pain, and addiction.

    Learn more about TMS at RNI.

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    TELESTROKE PROGRAM

    RNI neurology telemedicine locations have quadrupled since 2017, providing patients in Appalachia critical access to hospitals. Twenty-seven telestroke and teleneurology locations across West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland connect neurology physicians with rural hospitals, offering specialized care. By collaborating across the region, RNI neurologists quickly provide the most advanced treatments for stroke, headache disorders, and general neurology.

    Learn about the WVU Stroke Center.

    NEUROLOGY GRADUATE & POST-GRAD EDUCATION

    The WVU Department of Neurology offers a robust training program with multidisciplinary internships, residencies, and fellowships for all of our clinical sections. The WVU Neurology residency program is the only categorical training program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the state. 

    Our residency and all affiliated fellowships are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

    Our postdoctoral programs include fellowships in Vascular Neurology and Headache Medicine.

    FACES OF RNI

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    “There’s no greater fun to be had in all of medicine than instantaneous quality of life improvement, which we see when treating tremor with focused ultrasound. It’s exciting for the patients, their families and their friends, and everyone that gets to see the results. This encourages more and more people to seek therapy they never would’ve sought before, which is really rewarding.”

    ANN MURRAY, MD
    Associate Professor, Neurology
    Chief, Division of Movement Disorders

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    “The Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Innovation Center specializes in comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. It is the best place to create and grow programs that deliver patient-center care. The people of West Virginia have a world-class resource within in their state.”

    JAVIER CÁRDENAS, MD
    Professor and Chief, WVU Division of Sports Neurology

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    “Being an inaugural member of the Women in Neuroscience leadership program was an honor. It’s empowering that RNI recognizes the value, skills, and perspectives that women bring to leadership roles. “

    MELANIE WARD, MD
    Assistant Professor, Neurology