<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><language>en-us</language><copyright>Copyright (C) 2013 utsouthwestern.edu</copyright><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu</link><title>UT Southwestern News Releases - Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics</title><description>UT Southwestern News Releases RSS Feed - Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics</description><item><title><![CDATA[Shanan Munoz, M.D., joins Multiple Sclerosis Program]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Munoz has returned to the place where her career as a neurologist began.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/shanan-munoz-ms.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Julie Kirchem, Neurology Information Services

Shanan Munoz, M.D.

Shanan Munoz, M.D., has returned to the place where her career as a neurologist began. She completed her residency in neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1988 and also completed a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology in 1989. Since then, Dr. Munoz has been a general neurologist in the Dallas area.
She was most recently with Plano Neurologists where her practice included a large group of multiple sclerosis patients. Dr. Munoz was always intrigued by MS, and how it manifested itself in diverse symptoms.
&ldquo;First, you have to ask, is it MS or not?&rdquo; Dr. Munoz said. &ldquo;You have to make sure that their symptoms are not due to another health problem, and because of being a general neurologist, I look at all the symptoms.&rdquo;
Dr. Munoz&rsquo;s comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating MS patients was one reason that Dr. Elliot Frohman, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program, asked her to join the faculty.
&ldquo;She is an accomplished teacher, and exhibits enormous exuberance for working within a multidisciplinary team of colleagues on behalf of those we serve,&rdquo; Dr. Frohman said. &ldquo;I have always found her to be an amazing patient advocate.&rdquo;
It was a tough decision for Dr. Munoz to leave her non-MS patients in the care of others, but she couldn&rsquo;t pass up the opportunity to work with Dr. Frohman and the faculty and staff at UT Southwestern.
&ldquo;I realized that working with Dr. Frohman and his talented group would be an opportunity to provide more complete care of MS patients,&rdquo; Dr. Munoz said. &ldquo;They take such great care of patients here.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This medical institution is a very special place because of the very special people who work here,&rdquo; said Dr. Frohman, Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and Ophthalmology, &ldquo;and Shanan will continue that tradition and contribute to our mission to deliver the very best care to those who struggle every day with MS.&rdquo;
&nbsp;Dr. Frohman is holder of the Kenney Marie Dixon-Pickens Distinguished Professorship in Multiple Sclerosis Research and the Irene Wadel and Robert Atha Distinguished Chair in Neurology. ]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Shanan Munoz, M.D., joins Multiple Sclerosis Program]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Shanan Munoz, M.D., joins Multiple Sclerosis Program]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fshananmunoz2.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dallas man says Alzheimer’s Disease Center helped prepare couple for new normal]]></title><description><![CDATA[Jim Atkins had known for a long time that his wife who had a strong family history of AD might develop dementia one day.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/alzheimers-patient.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Jeff Carlton, UT Southwestern News and Publications
Eight of Lonna Atkins&rsquo; 11 siblings developed Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, so the Dallas wife and mother always figured that one day she&rsquo;d be next.
&ldquo;She was prepared to have Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease,&rdquo; said Jim Atkins, her husband of 52 years and now her primary caregiver. &ldquo;She thought she would have it. Seven older sisters had it."
&ldquo;But when the day came,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I was devastated.&rdquo;


Jim and Lonna Atkins are active participants in several studies at the Alzheimer's Disease Center.


Mr. and Mrs. Atkins, both 72, were high school sweethearts. They met at Richardson (Texas) High School when he was 16 and she was 15. They married three years later, had two children and eventually two grandchildren.
Mr. Atkins&rsquo; career in international business took his family away from Dallas for nearly 25 years. They lived in Belgium and Hong Kong, and they traveled to more than 20 countries across four continents. Together the couple enjoyed music, art, nature, church activities, and socializing with family and friends.
But Dallas was home, and when the family finally returned, Mrs. Atkins took an active role in caring for her siblings, many of whom were still in the area and developing signs of dementia and Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. One of her sisters sought out care at the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center at UT Southwestern, which is how the Atkinses learned of the Medical Center&rsquo;s clinical services and research projects.
&ldquo;When we came back, Lonna got involved in taking her sister to the doctor and making sure she was eating,&rdquo; Mr. Atkins said. &ldquo;Then there was another sister, and then there was another one, and then there was her.&rdquo;
The signs initially weren&rsquo;t obvious to Mr. Atkins. But Mrs. Atkins, so attuned to the symptoms of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease because of how it ravaged her family, realized that her memory wasn&rsquo;t what it used to be. In 2004, she sought out testing at the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center, and the results confirmed her suspicions. They&rsquo;ve both since been active participants in several studies, and Mrs. Atkins remains under the care of Dr. Mary Quiceno, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and leader of the Center&rsquo;s education core.
The disease progressed slowly, so the Atkinses used the time to prepare themselves by accessing the support groups and training classes made available through the Center and the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association. Together, they learned memory tips and looked out for the signs indicating that Mrs. Atkins should give up driving. They followed the best nutritional and medication advice available and networked with other patients and experts at the Center who are traveling a similar path.
Mr. Atkins said he believed the couple&rsquo;s involvement in the Center&rsquo;s research programs already has saved his wife&rsquo;s life. Through routine brain imaging that is part of the Center&rsquo;s ongoing studies, physicians discovered a tumor on Mrs. Atkins&rsquo; brain. Subsequent surgery stopped the &nbsp;growth of the tumor, which doctors said would have been fatal.
&ldquo;Alzheimer&rsquo;s is a horrible disease to have, but we have gotten such great support and care from UT Southwestern,&rdquo; Mr. Atkins said. &ldquo;I think if you are going to have it, this is a good place to have it. There are so many resources available. Going to the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center is like visiting with friends who know a tremendous amount about what you have to cope with.&rdquo;
Mrs. Atkins&rsquo; disease continues to progress, and Mr. Atkins said he will soon move with her to an independent living facility that can provide additional assistance. In the meantime, the couple continues to enjoy drives to the Texas Hill Country, symphony concerts, art museums, church, and activities with friends and family.
&ldquo;And, of course, volunteering for UTSW research projects,&rdquo; Mr. Atkins said. &ldquo;I feel like I am able to pick up the phone and talk to somebody at the Center and know they have a depth of experience and understanding, as well as sympathy, compassion, and support. I can&rsquo;t imagine having gone through this without these resources.&rdquo;]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Dallas man says Alzheimer’s Disease Center helped prepare couple for new normal]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Dallas man says Alzheimer’s Disease Center helped prepare couple for new normal]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fatkins2.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Multiple sclerosis center gives Total Life Care to patients]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Elliot Frohman and Diana Logan, Nurse Practitioner, lead the TLC program that addresses all of a patient's needs.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/ms-tlc.html</link><body><![CDATA[The Multiple Sclerosis Program at UT Southwestern does much more than take care of MS patients' medical needs.

While providing excellent medical care, the staff at the MS Clinic also addresses all aspects of a patient's life.
The clinic's Total Life Care Program is spearheaded by Diana Logan, A.P.N. and Dr. Elliot Frohman who established the MS program at UT Southwestern. Read about Susan Sides,a patient whose life changed dramatically for the better because of the TLC she receives.
]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Multiple sclerosis center gives Total Life Care to patients]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Multiple sclerosis center gives Total Life Care to patients]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fdianalogan.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dr. Myron Weiner retiring after 50-year career at UT Southwestern]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Weiner found inspiration from families he met at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/myron-weiner-retiring.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Jeff Carlton, UT Southwestern News &amp; Publications
Although he acknowledges that Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease robs its victims of minds and memories, Dr. Myron Weiner long has seen hope where others see hopelessness.
Through interaction with the hundreds of patients he has followed in a 25-year association with the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center, Dr. Weiner said he has learned how the bonds of families can strengthen when met with the limits of modern medicine.

Dr. Myron Weiner

&ldquo;Working with our patients, for me, is a chance to be with good families. And the people we see have really good families,&rdquo; said Dr. Weiner, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, who is retiring this spring after a 50-year career at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Weiner was integral to the founding of the university&rsquo;s Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center, a research and treatment effort that has roots in a mid-career geriatrics training program he undertook in the mid-1980s. Before that, Dr. Weiner spent two decades in psychiatry at UT Southwestern, wrote books on psychotherapy, and managed the psychiatric consultation service at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Prior to the founding of the Center, UT Southwestern faculty physicians saw very few Alzheimer&rsquo;s patients and conducted little research into the disease. Sensing an opportunity to better serve patients in North Texas and surrounding areas, Dr. Weiner&rsquo;s department chairman suggested in 1983 that Dr. Weiner attend a one-year fellowship in geriatrics and adult medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
&ldquo;There I was at Mount Sinai Hospital, lined up with guys half my age and me saying, &lsquo;What am I doing here?&rsquo;&rdquo; said Dr. Weiner, who was then 50. &ldquo;But it was a wonderful experience.&rdquo;
When he returned to UTSW, Dr. Weiner put his new training to use for North Texas patients. Working with three other faculty members, the group set up the Medical Center&rsquo;s first Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease clinic. By 1988, under the leadership of Dr. Roger Rosenberg, UT Southwestern had a federally funded center devoted to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease.
Today, the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Center is one of about 30 National Institute on Aging-funded centers devoted to helping patients and conducting research into the disorder. The Center provides subjects for research and makes its banks of data, body fluids, and brain tissue available to researchers at UT Southwestern and elsewhere.
Dr. Weiner spent 15 years as the head of the Center&rsquo;s clinical core, an area now led by Dr. Munro Cullum, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurotherapeutics. Dr. Weiner also led the Center&rsquo;s outreach efforts to the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, with a monthly telemedicine clinic that he helped start in 2005. Dr. Kyle Womack, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and Psychiatry, will take over those responsibilities.
Dr. Weiner&rsquo;s own clinical research over the years focused on Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease in American Indians, depression and Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies, which is a common type of progressive dementia. He was senior editor of the third edition of &ldquo;The Dementias: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Research,&rdquo; and senior editor of the &ldquo;Clinical Manual of Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease and Other Dementias,&rdquo; and with UT Southwestern colleagues he helped develop QUALID, a clinical tool used worldwide for measuring quality of life of patients with late-stage, dementia-related illness.
Dr. Rosenberg called his colleague &ldquo;a master at evaluating and caring for patients.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He has been a valued counselor and mentor to us all in implementing our clinical goals and coordinating our plans and efforts with laboratory investigators,&rdquo; Dr. Rosenberg said. &ldquo;We hold Dr. Weiner in the highest of esteem and we are all grateful for his wisdom and dedication.&rdquo;
Dr. Weiner served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force prior to his residency in psychiatry at UT Southwestern. He has four children and seven grandchildren. Although he will retire from his clinical responsibilities, he said he hopes to continue working with doctoral students to help them develop their dissertations and clinical research expertise.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m more interested now in asking questions than knowing answers,&rdquo; Dr. Weiner said. &ldquo;When I was younger, I prided myself on knowing all the answers. I know better now.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Dr. Cullum holds the Pam Blumenthal Distinguished Professorship in Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Rosenberg holds the Abe (Brunky), Morris and William Zale Distinguished Chair in Neurology.
Dr. Weiner holds the Dorothy L. and John P. Harbin Chair in Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Research, and the Aradine S. Ard Chair in Brain Science.]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Dr. Myron Weiner Retires]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Dr. Myron Weiner Retires]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fweinerstory.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Neurology administrative assistant volunteers as conversation partner ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wanted: native English speakers. Assignment: Spend some time talking with an international visitor.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/conversation-partners.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Julie Kirchem, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics
On any given weekday afternoon, the food court on South Campus is filled with UT Southwestern employees talking and having lunch. Among them on one busy Thursday in February are Susan Thompson, an administrative assistant in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, and Yury Rapoport, M.D., a visiting senior fellow in the Department of Urology.

It was the third lunch meeting for Susan and Yury who likely would have never met if it wasn&rsquo;t for English Conversation Partners, a new initiative at UT Southwestern to help non-native speakers work on their English skills.

English Conversation Partners Yury Rapoport and Susan Thompson meet for lunch on South Campus.

Yury is a native of Russia and hasn&rsquo;t had many opportunities since arriving at UT Southwestern to hone his English. It&rsquo;s partly because international students tend to form networks with others from their native country.
&ldquo;I am working most of the time and most of my friends here are of Russian descent and I mostly speak Russian with them,&rdquo; Yury said. &ldquo;I wanted to improve my English, to speak with real Americans.&rdquo;
Susan volunteered because she wanted to help and she thought it would be fun to learn about another culture. As a native speaker of English, she is highly qualified to be a conversation partner. Her assignment is simple&mdash;to spend time talking with Yury.
&ldquo;I try to initiate conversation and get him to talk more with me,&rdquo; Susan said. &ldquo;If he asks me a question about the language, I can answer that, but we usually just talk about different things like how life is in Russia.&rdquo;
Yury was one of 80 international students who put in an application with the Office of International Affairs for a conversation partner. He knew the mechanics of English from high school courses, but speaking the language was a new challenge.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still thinking in the Russian language and translating into English,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;I want to switch to thinking in English.&rdquo;
Yury might not have pursued a conversation partner if it hadn&rsquo;t been for a misunderstanding that resulted from his limited English speaking skills.
&ldquo;I have a friend from Fort Worth, he&rsquo;s a cowboy, and I hardly understand a word. He uses a lot of slang. When he calls me on the phone, it&rsquo;s a disaster,&rdquo; Yury said.
&ldquo;We got into a conversation for twenty minutes and I got tired of saying, &ldquo;repeat, repeat&rdquo; so I just started saying &ldquo;yes.&rdquo; The next morning he calls and says, &ldquo;Where are you?&rdquo; I was at work but he was waiting for me on his boat. We had made an agreement to go on his boat but I didn&rsquo;t know it.&rdquo;
Yury hopes to avoid miscommunications like that in the future and become more comfortable in conversation. He and Susan will meet a total of 12 times in 12 weeks. Yury has already noticed a difference in his English.
&ldquo;What happens is you pick up the way of speaking and don&rsquo;t even realize it,&rdquo; he said.
UT Southwestern is home to 1,000 international visitors from 40 countries and the question that they ask the most is, &ldquo;How can I meet Americans?&rdquo;
Maggie Pinson, Director of the Office of International Affairs, says the number of international visitors wanting a conversation partner currently outnumbers the applications from volunteers.
&ldquo;We received applications from about 60 native English speakers and about 80 international visitors,&rdquo; she said. &nbsp;&ldquo;So, you can see that there continues to be an un-met need.&nbsp;&ldquo;
International visitors that could not be matched in January will be the first to be matched in July when Pinson&rsquo;s office formally recruits new U.S. participants.
If you are interested in becoming a conversation partner, click here for details on how to apply.]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[English Conversation Partners]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[English Conversation Partners]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fconversationstory.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Neurology Clinic Liaison Bret Newman wins Service Award ]]></title><description><![CDATA[He's known as the "go-to guy" in the Neurology Clinic. Bret Newman was recently recognized for his resourcefulness and problem-solving skills.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/bret-newman-meritorious-service.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Julie Kirchem, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics

Bret Newman, Clinic Liaison

When his co-workers see him coming, they know Bret Newman means business. He often needs a signature or approval for letters or more information -- all in the name of helping patients receive the care they need.
&ldquo;I have to take the burden off nurses and doctors,&rdquo; Newman said. &ldquo;The doctors say if they see me, they know it means they have to do something for Bret.&rdquo;
But the doctors know that what he needs will ultimately pay off for the patient. Much of his time is spent negotiating with insurance companies and finding resources for patients.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We as a neurology clinic do some unconventional types of treatment so part of my job is convincing insurance companies that these treatments are valid and needed. I have to write letters and fill out forms galore,&rdquo; Newman said.
His co-workers have come to know Bret as the go-to guy.
&ldquo;A lot of times I won&rsquo;t hear about something until it&rsquo;s red-flagged, &ldquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve tried everything else, now I need to step in and find a solution.&rdquo;
Newman&rsquo;s resourcefulness and diplomatic skills have earned him the Meritorious Service Award for the second time in his five years in the clinic.
&ldquo;In Bret&rsquo;s role as our clinic liaison, he consistently meets and exceeds the needs of our patients and physicians,&rdquo; said Debra Clamp, Billing Manager.&nbsp; &ldquo;He is compassionate and concerned for our patients and very tuned in to their needs.&rdquo;
The Meritorious Service Award is given to clinic and hospital employees who best demonstrate PACT service standards. Newman also won the award in 2010.
Besides recognition, recipients receive $500. Newman is grateful for the honor, but says the best part of the job is when his efforts help patients..
&ldquo;People are referred to our clinic on a second, third or even fourth opinion,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I am often trying to get something that they really need like insurance coverage. When what we prescribe works for the patient and I can get it approved, that is absolutely satisfying.&rdquo;]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Bret Newman Neurology Clinic Meritorious Service]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Bret Newman Neurology Clinic Meritorious Service]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fbretnewmanstory.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D., brings rare combination of nursing expertise and clinical research to the neurocritical care team]]></title><description><![CDATA[DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D., is among only a handful of nurses in the country who are conducting clinical research studies of neuro ICU patients.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/daiwait-olson-rn-phd-research.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Julie Kirchem, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics

DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D.

DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D., is among only a handful of nurses in the country who are conducting clinical research studies of neuro ICU patients.&nbsp; Dr. Olson joins the Neurocritical Care Team at UT Southwestern as a principal investigator,co-researcher and bedside nurse.
&ldquo;I left Duke to come to UT Southwestern for the opportunity to work with a group of people who are collaborating on a team with a goal in mind,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;There is a team of clinicians and researchers here who want to do clinical research. That&rsquo;s what I love. &ldquo;
Dr. Olson is the principal investigator for clinical studies that seek to measure the impact of nursing care on critically ill patients.
&ldquo;As a nurse, a lot of what I do is physician-directed. The doctor decides that a patient can get out of bed, but when does that happen, how does that happen?&rdquo; he explained. &nbsp;&ldquo;Nurses are the eyes and the ears for the physician and, in the neuro ICU, that piece hasn&rsquo;t been explored much.&rdquo;
Dr. Olson says the team approach at UT Southwestern is critical for research in the ICU because a potential subject can arrive at any time. Every team member needs to know about the current clinical studies and be ready to recruit patients at all hours. Dr. Olson will support faculty with their studies as well as conduct his own.
&ldquo;Our patients come in 24/7 so this can&rsquo;t be a nine-to-5 job. The team that Chris Madden and Chris Hall and Venkatesh Aiyagari have put together is very supportive. Someone has to be there who knows the project.&rdquo;
While at Duke University, Dr. Olson was the principal investigator for several studies including one that looked at the potential benefit of chest compressions.
&ldquo;Some patients weren&rsquo;t getting this therapy because of a fear that it would hurt their brain. It turns out that wasn&rsquo;t true. In all cases, it helps the lungs, in some cases, it helps the brain too, but, it doesn&rsquo;t hurt the brain.&rdquo;
Dr. Olson sees his research as challenging conventional wisdom to find a better way and he believes UT Southwestern is the best place to seek improved ways of taking care of ICU patients.
&ldquo;The Neuro ICU group with Chris Hall has been phenomenally aggressive and nationally respected for their research projects,&rdquo; Dr. Olson said. There is an energy and a hunger here&nbsp; -- UT is going places,&rdquo; he said.]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D., clinical researcher joins neurocritical care team]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[DaiWai Olson, R.N., Ph.D., clinical researcher joins neurocritical care team]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fdaiwaiolson.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edward Pan, M.D., brings expertise in translational research to Neuro-Oncology Division ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Pan comes to UT Southwestern from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, FL.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/edward-pan-neuro-oncology.html</link><body><![CDATA[
Edward Pan, M.D., has been named Medical Director for Neuro-Oncology at UT Southwestern. In that role, he will work closely with Drs. Elizabeth Maher and Robert Bachoo to bring potential therapies to patients through clinical trials.
&ldquo;We want to determine which drugs are promising and that&rsquo;s what we will devote more time and resources to,&rdquo; he said.
Drs. Maher and Bachoo&rsquo;s bench research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors.
&ldquo;They are doing incredible work in the lab,&rdquo; said Dr. Pan. &ldquo;I will handle the majority of patient care so that they have more time to focus on their research.&rdquo;
Dr. Pan will increase the number of clinical trials in neuro-oncology and work hand in hand with Drs. Bachoo and Maher to determine which drugs are effective.
&ldquo;A lot of drugs start out promising in the lab, but then &nbsp;end up failing in larger clinical trials,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We need to find out quickly if a particular drug actually reaches the tumor and &nbsp;affects the intended molecular target sufficiently to potentially demonstrate efficacy.&rdquo;
Dr. Pan was most recently principal investigator for numerous clinical trials related to &nbsp;metastatic brain tumors , &nbsp;low-grade gliomas, and newly diagnosed and recurrent &nbsp;malignant gliomas at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, FL.
He says strong bench research coupled with an expanded clinical trials program is the most promising for patients.
&ldquo;A clinical trial has become a standard of care recommendation. If a patient has access to a clinical trial versus standard treatment, individual patient outcomes can be better.&rdquo;
Dr. Pan says expanding the clinical trials program will be a slow process at first. He plans to approach pharmaceutical companies about the early phase testing of promising &nbsp;targeted therapies in the clinic and in the lab.
&ldquo;The standard treatments we have are not good enough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Even with surgery, radiation, chemo, &nbsp;about seventy percent of glioblastoma patients will die within two years of diagnosis. There is a desperate need to find effective treatments.&rdquo;]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Edward Pan, M.D. New Medical Director Neuro-Oncology]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Edward Pan, M.D. New Medical Director Neuro-Oncology]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fedpan.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dr. Mark J. Alberts named Clinical Vice-Chair for Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Alberts was most recently the director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL.]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/mark-alberts-clinical-vice-chair.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Julie Kirchem, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics

Mark J.Alberts, M.D., F.A.H.A.

Mark J. Alberts, M.D., F.A.H.A., will lead the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics&rsquo; efforts to expand clinical research and patient care as the department&rsquo;s new Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs.
Dr. Alberts was most recently the director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, where he built the program from the ground up.
&ldquo;We went from no stroke center to being a primary stroke center. We also went from having no stroke unit to a 10-bed stroke unit,&rdquo; he said. Dr. Alberts was also involved in the growth of neurocritical care at Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Albert&rsquo;s name is well known in the field of stroke care and research. He has worked closely with the Brain Attack Coalition for many years and was integral in developing criteria for primary and comprehensive stroke centers with that organization.
&ldquo;Professionally, I can honestly say, my work with the BAC in terms of primary and comprehensive stroke centers has been the most gratifying professional work for me,&rdquo; said Dr. Alberts. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve affected stroke care on a daily basis for millions of people throughout the world.&rdquo;
Dr. Alberts is also a fellow with the American Heart Association and serves as a volunteer expert and spokesman on stroke. While his clinical emphasis has been on vascular disease, he points out that as Vice-Chair, he will be serving the entire department as he strives to raise the profile of clinical care and research across all specialties.
&ldquo;There is an excellent research infrastructure here already,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Now we need to identify more clinical research opportunities and increase our NIH funding for translational research.&rdquo;
Dr. Alberts says the first step will be to establish an organized and rigorous approach to evaluating potential clinical research.&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t do it all so we need to be careful about the programs we pick,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We need to ask questions such as does it have scientific merit, do we have the patient population, do we have the infrastructure to do this?&rdquo;
Dr. Alberts brings his experience creating and leading successful programs to the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics and will work closely with chair Dr. Mark Goldberg to grow the department.
&ldquo;One of the things I would like to build up in this department is the multi-disciplinary culture,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Providing medical care is a complex, multi-disciplinary task.&rdquo;
Listen to Dr. Alberts in an interview on KERA about how to tell if someone&rsquo;s garbled text message could be a sign of stroke.]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[Mark-Alberts-Clinical-Vice-Chair]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[Mark-Alberts-Clinical-Vice-Chair]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fmark-alberts-story.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dr. Robin Novakovic, UTSW Stroke Team save Carrollton man after life-threatening stroke]]></title><description><![CDATA[Patient credits new clot-busting device, swift action, and UT Southwestern stroke team's expertise for stroke survival]]></description><link>http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/neurology/news-and-events/news/stroke-solitaire-novakovic-frost.html</link><body><![CDATA[By Jeff Carlton, UT Southwestern News and Publications
John Frost&rsquo;s recovery from a life-threatening stroke was so swift and complete that it still stuns his daughter, Lisa Seutter.Just five hours after suffering a stroke so serious that he had to be flown by helicopter from a Plano emergency room to Zale Lipshy University Hospital, Mr. Frost regained use of his limbs and the ability to speak. He even was coherent enough to ask about his grandson&rsquo;s golf tournament. &ldquo;The doctors let us go into the ICU to talk to him, and one of the first things he said is, &lsquo;How did Eric do today?&rdquo; said Mrs. Seutter, one of Mr. Frost&rsquo;s three daughters. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredible, a miracle. Everybody involved with his care at Zale Lipshy knew exactly what to do.&rdquo;

UT Southwestern Stroke Team

The 72-year-old Carrollton man owes his life to his quick-thinking wife, a recently approved device that mechanically removes stroke-causing clots, and the expertise of UT Southwestern Medical Center&rsquo;s stroke, neurocritical care, and interventional neuroradiology teams.
&ldquo;His case is about the best you can hope for,&rdquo; said Dr. Robin Novakovic, Assistant Professor of Radiology, and Neurology and Neurotherapeutics. &ldquo;Mr. Frost made a quick and profound recovery after his treatment.&rdquo;

Dr. Roberta Novakovic

Mr. Frost&rsquo;s medical scare began on the afternoon of Aug. 6. Alberta Frost walked into their bedroom just as her husband of 47 years was waking up from an afternoon nap. She immediately knew something was wrong. The right side of his body seemed paralyzed, and his speech was unintelligible. Over her husband&rsquo;s mumbled objections, she called 911.
&ldquo;He was struggling to get out of bed, as if his body wasn&rsquo;t working right,&rdquo; Mrs. Frost said. &ldquo;I tried to ask him questions, but when he spoke, it came out garbled and slurred. I immediately thought it was a stroke.&rdquo;
Mrs. Frost&rsquo;s decision to call for help was the first in a series of timely actions and smart decisions that likely saved her husband&rsquo;s life. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 133,000 people each year. There are about 795,000 strokes nationwide annually, according to the National Stroke Association.
Although the Food and Drug Administration approved an effective clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) more than 15 years ago, today fewer than 5 percent of stroke victims receive it. That&rsquo;s because the drug is most effective if administered within three hours. Too many stroke victims, however, don&rsquo;t recognize their symptoms as signs of stroke and wait too long to seek treatment, Dr. Novakovic said. Mrs. Frost&rsquo;s 911 call, however, ensured her husband would receive treatment in time.
An ambulance hurried Mr. Frost to a nearby Plano emergency room. Brain imaging revealed a large clot in a blood vessel on the left side of his brain. Although still within the three-hour window, the neurologist decided against treating him with tPA because Mr. Frost recently had heart surgery. Instead, the neurologist had another suggestion.
&ldquo;She said our best option was to go to UT Southwestern,&rdquo; Mrs. Frost said.
UTSW, whose Neurology and Neurological Surgery departments are nationally ranked by U.S. News &amp; World Report, had a depth and breadth of endovascular expertise that is unmatched in Texas. It also had a new stent retriever device called a Solitaire, which received FDA approval in April.
The Solitaire has two advantages over the clot-busting drug tPA: It can be used outside the three-hour window and is more effective in opening the blood vessel. The clot retrieval system has faster rates of blood vessel canal restoration and fewer complications than older devices, Dr. Novakovic said.To get to Mr. Frost&rsquo;s clot, Dr. Novakovic inserted a catheter into one of his thighs and threaded it up through an artery to the brain and the site of the clot. She then unsheathed a stent-like metal cage that engulfed the clot, allowing her to pull the stent and clot out.
&ldquo;We removed the clot with one pass and opened up the artery right away,&rdquo; Dr. Novakovic said. &ldquo;From the time we started to the time we ended, it was only 45 minutes.&rdquo;
Another of Mr. Frost&rsquo;s physicians, Dr. Worthy Warnack, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, put his patient through some paces. &ldquo;He asked me to stick out my tongue, touch my fingertip to my nose, touch moving objects with both hands. And I could do it,&rdquo; Mr. Frost said. &ldquo;Dr Warnack was just so pleased. He was bringing people around to show me off.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We have a complete stroke care team here. They all are experienced, professional experts, and they do this all the time,&rdquo; Dr. Warnack said. &ldquo;Our neurosurgeons, our interventional neuroradiologists, our stroke neurologists &ndash; it&rsquo;s an impressive team.&rdquo;
Mr. Frost estimates that his stroke occurred around 3 p.m. By 8 p.m., his family was at his bedside, and he was asking about his grandson&rsquo;s golf game.
&ldquo;The doctors told me he was talking and doing fine, and that we could see him in the ICU,&rdquo; Mrs. Frost said. &ldquo;It really is a miracle that he came out of this so well.&rdquo;
&nbsp;]]></body><tags><![CDATA[Neurology]]></tags><pageTitle><![CDATA[UTSW Stroke Team's Expertise Saves Lives]]></pageTitle><metaDescription><![CDATA[UTSW Stroke Team's Expertise Saves Lives]]></metaDescription><thumbImage><![CDATA[http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/imageView.php?img=%2Fedumedia%2Feduimages%2Fdepartments_centers%2Fneurology%2Fnovakovic.jpg&w=135&h=90]]></thumbImage><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate></item></channel></rss>