UT Southwestern Neurology residents engage in a variety of scholarly activities which are supported by the Department of Neurology, the Neurology Education & Research Fund (NERF), the Neurology Translational Research Center (NTRC) and the O’Donnell Brain Institute (OBI) and an R25 grant from NINDS. In addition to working with faculty mentors, residents participate in a monthly research forum in which residents and faculty have interactive discussions about research projects and research methodology.

Residents who are first-author presenters to scientific conferences have travel and expenses paid for by the Department. Each year, senior Neurology Residents present their scholarly work at Neurology Research Day, a two-day symposium attended by all faculty and trainees in the Department that includes a keynote address by a distinguished UT Southwestern alumnus, basic science talk, awards presentation and a poster session.

In 2020 and 2021, Research Days were virtual, which allowed resident and fellow alumni to attend as well.

2020 Neurology Research Day Program

2021 Neurology Research Day Program

Research Track

Resident research is supported by an R25 research education grant from the  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The research track is designed to prepare eligible neurology residents for careers in academic neurology as clinician-scientists. The research track is led by Elan Louis, M.D., Vikram Shakkottai, M.D., Ph.D., and Steven Vernino, M.D., Ph.D.

The research track schedule includes six months of dedicated research during the PGY-4 year of residency, along with financial support for an additional 12 months of post-residency research, which may be completed in combination with a subspecialty clinical fellowship.

The program also provides mentorship, workshops on manuscript and grant-writing, and training in research methodology. Research-track residents are expected to produce and submit an initial K grant application within two years of completing residency.

UT Southwestern Medical Center Department of Neurology faculty talk about the Neurology Resident Research Track, the focus on brain science, and how educational and clinical missions intersect at the point of residency training.

Applicants interested in the research track should apply through ERAS for the Neurology Residency program and neurologyresidency@utsouthwestern.edu to indicate interest and identify possible research areas. During recruitment, candidates for the research track will receive additional information about the program and meetings with research faculty.

Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities residency applicants may apply to either the R25 supported research track or to the Department of Pediatrics Physician Scientist Training Program. Residents in the combined neurology-psychiatry residency are eligible for support through either neurology or psychiatry R25 grants.