Chairman's Welcome
I am proud to introduce you to the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW). Our department has a long and rich tradition, embedded for 50 years in a medical center that has a reputation for scientific excellence, as the home of 6 Nobel Prize Recipients since 1985, 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine.
Neurology at UTSW first became an independent department in 1972. The initial growth of the department and development of the residency program were under the leadership of Dr. Roger Rosenberg, who served as Chair for the first 18 years. Dr. Rosenberg, who trained and served as Chief Resident in Neurology under H. Houston Merritt at the Neurological Institute of New York, brought a brand of neurology that was strongly clinically grounded while at the same time being intensely research-focused and scholarly. As former president of the American Academy of Neurology and editor of Archives of Neurology (later to become JAMA Neurology) for 19 years, Dr. Rosenberg set the tone for high standards of clinical care and scholarship within the department.
As a trainee of Dr. Lewis P. Rowland, himself a trainee of H. Houston Merritt, I come from this same lineage of American Neurology and embrace the standard of clinical excellence and impactful scientific investigation as cornerstones for our department.
As editor of Merritt’s Textbook of Neurology, I further connect with this historical standard.
Our department has grown tremendously since 1966, starting with humble beginnings, and now with 76 faculty, 12 sections, and rich affiliations with Clements University Hospital, Parkland Hospital, and Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center among others. We staff emergency services, outpatient clinics, and inpatients units at UTSW. Our faculty pursue a range of exciting research studies, ranging from molecular and cellular studies to clinical and clinical-epidemiological investigations, much of which is strongly motivated by a desire to improve the lives of individuals living with neurological disease. Our close ties with the emerging Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UTSW allow us to leverage joint resources to support a range of unique programs within the department and across our growing medical center.
The medical center is in the heart of Dallas, which along with Fort Worth, forms the 4th largest metro area in the country, the home of the nation’s largest arts district with 19 blocks of museums, venues and galleries, and home to the 3rd largest number of Fortune 500 companies in the country. For the past several years, Dallas has seen the greatest growth of any metro area in the country, drawing people into its collective richness.
There is so much we can do as neurologists to advance our field. During the next 5 years, the department will see a period of creative transformation and tremendous growth. As such, we stand at the center of the pathway into the future. We are excited to be here. We hope that you find our website informative.
Elan D. Louis, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics
Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics
Linda and Mitch Hart Distinguished Chair in Neurology
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center