Chair's Welcome

I am proud to introduce you to the Department of Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Our department has a rich tradition, embedded for more than 50 years within a medical school and medical center that has a reputation for both scientific and clinical excellence.

With 6 Nobel Prize recipients (one of these being one of the Department’s former residents), 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, UT Southwestern Medical Center further distinguishes itself as one of the top ten U.S. News & World Report hospitals in the United States.

"UT Southwestern Department of Neurology is undergoing a period of creative transformation and growth. There is so much we can do as neurologists and neuroscientists to advance our field. We stand at the center of the pathway into the future."

Our department's collective work is guided by the three pillars of an academic medical center – discovery, healing, and education. Our close ties with the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern allow us to leverage shared resources to support a range of unique programs within the department and across our growing medical center.

Our Legacy of Research and Discovery

Our faculty, strongly motivated by a desire to improve the lives of individuals living with neurological disease, pursue a broad range of novel research studies, from molecular and cellular to clinical, translational, clinical-epidemiological and experimental therapeutic. Building on this tradition, the department has experienced a five-fold increase in NIH funding over the past five years, with 20 newly recruited principal investigators. As such, we are now the primary department for 18 faculty who are PIs of NIH-funded (or equivalent governmental) grants, with 31 research labs (17 wet bench and 14 dry bench). As a result, 1 in every 3 faculty members in the department directs a laboratory whose research portfolio includes NIH funding, DOD, VA or foundation awards. Per capita, we are among the most well-funded departments at UT Southwestern. Several Sections (Cognitive and Memory Disorders, Movement Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, and Neuro-oncology) have faculty-rich research programs and the Statistical Planning and Analysis Section in our department was specifically established to aid investigators with various aspects of research design and statistical support.

Compassionate Clinical Care

We are particularly proud of our clinical faculty and APPs, who lead impactful programs and are valued for their excellence in patient care. We boast 3 neurocritical care units (48 beds), 2 comprehensive stroke centers (52 beds), 2 AASM-accredited sleep centers, and 2 Adult, Level 4, NAEC-designated epilepsy monitoring units (24 beds). Nationally recognized for clinical depth and multidisciplinary expertise across neurologic subspecialties, our center attracts patients from far beyond our region. Subspecialty areas include MSA, ataxia, ALS, GBS/CIDP, CMTA, transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, neurofibromatosis, and related disorders, with several designated as Centers of Excellence or Comprehensive Centers. We work closely with our colleagues in Neurosurgery, where there are four functional neurosurgeons, in our integrated neuromodulation program. We are particularly proud of the work we do to serve the patient needs at Parkland Hospital, which is one of the busiest safety net hospitals in the United States.

Educating the Future Leaders in Neurology

Finally, our educational programs are among some of the most highly ranked in the medical center, with numerous faculty who are deeply committed to our educational mission. As a result, more than four times as many UT Southwestern medical students chose neurology as a career path than the national average. Our residency program, which draws in and matriculates trainees from all regions of the United States, is established based on six conceptual pillars, which serve to structure, guide, and frame an intensive yet individualized experience.

We stand at the center of the pathway into the future.

We are excited to be here, and we welcome you to explore our website.

Elan D. Louis, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
Linda and Mitch Hart Distinguished Chair in Neurology
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center​