Overview

Welcome to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, a key part of the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute  within UC Health. Our department was established in 1947 by Charles Aring, MD, who also started the neurology department at the University of California at San Francisco several years prior.

The UC Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine provides subspecialized care for patients with stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive disorders, diseases of the nerves and muscles (such as ALS and muscular dystrophies), musculoskeletal disorders, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, brain tumors, headache and pediatric neurology, as well as other neurologic disorders.  We are closely linked with the divisions of child neurology and pediatric rehabilitation at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center which includes one of the largest groups of pediatric neurologists as well as pediatric physiatrists in the United States.

Our UC Stroke Team, founded as the first multidisciplinary stroke team in the U.S. during the mid-1980s, provides in-person, on-site stroke evaluation for acute stroke therapy 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 15 regional hospitals, as well as telephone consultation at more than 20 other regional hospitals.  The team has extensive clinical and translational research, including the role of Coordinating Center for the NINDS StrokeNET and is one of 20 regional StrokeNET centers. Fellowship training is offered in an ACGME-approved vascular neurology training program.

The UC Epilepsy Center is known worldwide for clinical trial studies of new antiepileptic drugs and has been a pioneer in the use of EEG monitoring in the ICU to detect non-convulsive status. We remain an extremely active clinical center for surgical and nonsurgical epilepsy treatments, including a very busy continuous EEG monitoring program. We have innovative research programs related to the effects of stress and the autonomic nervous system on epilepsy. We offer fellowship training in an ACGME-approved epilepsy program.

Our UC Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders is home to one of the premier multidisciplinary teams and programs for deep brain stimulation. This outstanding clinical program is also home to an extensive clinical and translational research enterprise that encompasses many aspects of movement disease (motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, etc.).  We offer fellowship training in a UCNS-approved movement disorders program.

The UC Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis, the first named center for the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, provides outstanding care for patients with MS. We are also continuing to build translational research, and were a national leader in an ongoing trial for progressive MS as part of the NeuroNEXT network.  The Waddell Center received an MS Comprehensive Care Center Accreditation through the National MS Society in 2017 and is also a certified member of the National MS Consortium. 

Our Neuromuscular Division is the only regional Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Center, located at UC and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Our center includes a multi-disciplinary ALS clinic and the region’s only autonomic lab. . Research interests include ALS, myasthenia gravis, Pompe’s disease, use of ultrasound for neuromuscular diagnosis and treatment, autonomic dysfunction and neuropathies. We are AGCME approved for fellowship training in neuromuscular medicine.

Our Behavioral Neurology Division sees patients with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and people experiencing cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative and/or other causes. We provide multidisciplinary care in cooperation with Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Psychology and are working closely with the UC Health Primary Care Network to promote brain health. Research interests include effects of (and overlap of) sleep disorders with neurodegenerative conditions, genetics, innovative therapeutics and neuroimaging.

Our Neurocritical Care Division is a collaboration with neuro-intensivists with appointments in Neurology, Emergency Medicine and Pulmonology. In addition, this division includes our neuro-hospitalists. We have an expanding research program involving multimodality monitoring, ICH treatment and outcomes, and NSICU outcomes in the long-term (in addition to full participation in all of the stroke studies). We offer fellowship training in neurocritical care and our fellows include neurologists, Emergency Medicine physicians, and neurosurgeons.

Our Headache and Facial Pain Program is a multi-site and multidisciplinary approach to headache and facial pain. Care is provided for all conditions, and includes multidisciplinary collaboration with Neurosurgery, Anesthesia, Pain Medicine, Psychology and Integrative Medicine. We have multiple active clinical trials regarding new therapeutic agents and/or devices.

Our Neuro-Oncology Division works within the UC Brain Tumor Center at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and the UC Barrett Cancer Center. To provide optimal clinical care, the Neuro-Oncology Division works closely with clinical colleagues in many other medical specialties, including Neurology, Oncology, Endocrinology, Radiation Oncology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Otolaryngology. The Neuro-Oncology Division also has a highly active, lab-based as well as clinical research enterprise and is composed of both clinical and research arms. The clinical arm is focused on providing: (1) diagnoses, treatment, and care of patients with tumors that impact the brain, spinal cord and patients with neurocutaneous syndromes; (2) care of brain tumor survivors. The research arm aims to translate lab discoveries of researchers to treat primary brain tumors, secondary or metastatic brain tumors, cancer survivorship and cancer healthcare disparities.

The Division of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine was created in 2013 when our departments merged into the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine. The division provides clinical care in inpatient (rehab unit and hospital consultation) and outpatient settings. We have expertise in stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injuries and musculoskeletal care. Some current areas of focus include a multidisciplinary approach to TBI across the spectrum of disease and the use of ultrasound in musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. 

We are closely linked with the Division of Child Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, which has one of the largest groups of pediatric neurologists in the United States.  In addition, we provide inpatient neurologic consultation at UC Health University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Lindner Center of HOPE, and Summit Behavioral Health Care.