Neurology & Neurological Sciences News


The Documentary: The long haul of long Covid

Three years after the official declaration of a pandemic, 65 million people - one in 10 who had Covid-19 - still have symptoms. Some are so ill they are yet to return to work. Michelle Monje-Deisseroth, MD, PhD and other researchers around the world try to unravel the cause behind long COVID which is associated with around 200 symptoms including persistent cognitive impairment.  

Scientists find genetic Alzheimer’s risk factor tied to African ancestry

A genetic risk factor found virtually exclusively among people of at least partial African ancestry substantially boosts the risk of incurring Alzheimer’s disease — but only sometimes.

Bold ideas to advance healthy brain aging win inaugural Knight Initiative grants

The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural 2022 Innovation and Catalyst Grants.

Department of Neurology Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion- 2022 Highlights

In this newsletter, we hope to review the many facets of how diversity and inclusion are actively being promoted throughout the culture and mission of our Department of Neurology. We encourage participation and engagement by all!

New Study Finds Link Between POTS and Long COVID

NBC's Today Show highlights Dr. Mitchell Miglis and the Stanford Autonomic Division's ongoing research efforts in Long-COVID. Dr. Miglis' team is currently recruiting patients who developed Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) after COVID, as well as those who had COVID and fully recovered, and those who never had COVID, for an NIH-sponsored study to better understand the mechanisms of Long-COVID dysautonomia. If interested, please email: rubas@stanford.edu.

Science Philosophy in a Flash: Wired to Regenerate

Paul George taps into the bioelectrical language of the injured brain to reawaken the healing potential of neural stem cells. Inspired by his patients, he looks for innovative strategies that may one day help patients recover from neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke. In this episode, Iris Kulbatski from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with George to learn more about what being a scientist means to him.

One of Long COVID’s Worst Symptoms Is Also Its Most Misunderstood

Brain fog isn’t like a hangover or depression. It’s a disorder of executive function that makes basic cognitive tasks absurdly hard.

Human brain cells transplanted into rat brains hold promise for neuropsychiatric research

Lab-grown clusters of human brain cells integrate so well into young rats’ brains they enable researchers to study neurodevelopmental disorders’ molecular and circuit underpinnings.

How far would you go to live better, for longer?

Join Chris Hemsworth and our very own Sharon Sha, MD, MS, in exploring the boundaries of human potential in #LimitlessWithChrisHemsworth, a Disney+ Original series from National Geographic, streaming November 16 on Disney+.

Three Dimensions of Association Link Migraine Symptoms and Functional Connectivity

Stanford researchers Rob Cowan and Danielle DeSouza, collaborating with colleagues at the University of Maryland recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience a ground-breaking study looking at fMRI correlates of migraine chronification in subsets of patients with episodic and chronic migraine. The study identified, for the first time, distinct subgroups within the migraine population which may lead to novel biomarkers and more patient-centered treatment strategies.

Worse anxiety, depression symptoms in pregnant women with epilepsy

Women with epilepsy experience more anxiety and depression symptoms during and after pregnancy than other women, according to a new study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine.

The science behind muscle memory

Stanford Medicine researchers tracked memory formation in real time, watching how muscle memory is created.

Can we rejuvenate aging brains?

What can we all be doing in the here and now to keep our brains in shape? Stanford Medicine neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, discusses his findings in the field of cognitive rejuvenation.

Ask Me Anything: Brain health and cognition

Q&A with Sharon Sha MD, MS: Dr. Sha weighs in on how the brain controls our movements, behavior, thoughts and memories -- and how that changes when things go awry.

A Personalized Approach to Managing Migraine With Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Listen to Niushen Zhang, MD, FAHS, Division Chief of  the Stanford Headache division and Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, discuss lifestyle modifications including aerobic exercise, sleep quality, behavioral therapies, nutrition and other strategies to combat migraine.

Nine Stanford scientists receive cancer research funding totaling $13 million

The funding, from Cancer Grand Challenges, will help the researchers address difficult problems in cancer prevention, treatment-resistant cancers and therapies for pediatric solid tumors.

Brain fog after COVID-19 has similarities to ‘chemo brain,’ Stanford-led study finds

Researchers found that damage to the brain’s white matter after COVID-19 resembles that seen after cancer chemotherapy, raising hope for treatments to help both conditions.

A rare mutation protects against Alzheimer's disease, Stanford-led research finds

Researchers, led by Michael Greicius, MD, MPH have discovered that a rare mutation inherited with the APOE4 gene variant protects against Alzheimer's, shedding new light on ways to counteract high-risk genes for the disease.

Q&A: How the aging immune system impacts brain health

Katrin Andreasson discusses how immune cells can cause harmful brain inflammation and contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Excellence in Workplace Award

Congratulations, Rebecca Miller-Kuhlmann, MD, on your Excellence in Workplace Award! This award is presented to a physician whose efforts demonstrably improves the “practice life” and satisfaction of providers in the delivery of clinical care. This individual strives to enhance work-life balance and highlights the importance of wellness and fulfillment at work.

2022 McCormick and Gabilan Faculty Awards

Congratulations, Juliet Knowles, MD, PhD, on your 2022 McCormick Faculty Award. This award was established to support the advancement of women in medicine and/or medical research directly, or by supporting the mentoring, training and encouragement of women pursuing the study of medicine, in teaching medicine, and engaging in medical research.

Covid and the brain: A neurological health crisis

Even a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause inflammation that disrupts neural communication, says Stanford neurologist Michelle Monje. Her concern is that Covid-19 may leave millions dealing with cognitive problems, from a loss of mental sharpness to lapses in memory, that prevent them from returning to their previous level of function.

Young cerebrospinal fluid probably improves the conductivity of the neurons in ageing mice.

Scientists have been trying to unravel the mysteries of why memory diminishes with age for decades. Now they have discovered a possible remedy — cerebrospinal fluid from younger brains.

The brain ‘learns’ to have seizures more efficiently and frequently over time, mouse study shows

Scientific endeavor launched to combat neurodegeneration

Brains and Heart

Electrically stimulated stem cells aid stroke recovery in rodents, Stanford researchers find

Breastfeeding is Safe for Children of Women with Epilepsy on Antiseizure Medication

Small molecule lends big hope for brutal seizure disorder

Genetic atlas links Alzheimer’s with brain’s blood vessels

How to Deal With a Stress Migraine When Life Is, Well, Stressful

Love means sharing the champagne

From loss comes hope: Pediatric brain tumor treatment shows promise

NIH U19 grant award

Congratulations to Drs. Michelle Monje, Mike Lim, and Reena Thomas for their successful U19 grant award from the NIH.  In a collaborative effort with the Harvard brain tumor program, this grant will allow for the evaluation of multiple novel therapeutics for patients afflicted by glioblastoma brain tumors. The correlative studies proposed will also advance precision medicine and our scientific understanding of the disease to ultimately improve treatment of adult glioblastoma brain tumors. This grant also means that Stanford has become a member of the prestigious new National Cancer Institute “Glioblastoma Therapeutic Network”, a national clinical trial consortium for adult brain tumors that will increase the cutting edge clinical trial options for Stanford patients.

Study identifies how Epstein-Barr virus triggers multiple sclerosis

ACNS Distinction in Service Award

Congratulations, Dr. Courtney Wusthoff, the inaugural recipient of the ACNS Distinction in Service Award! This award was created by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) to recognize a mid-career ACNS member who has demonstrated outstanding service to the field of clinical neurophysiology at the institutional or national level.

2022 ACNS Young Investigator Travel Award

Thomas Hirschauer MD, PhD, Clinical Neurophysiology/Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Fellow at Stanford, received the ACNS Young Investigator Travel Award for his work "Multimodal Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring for the Detection of Cerebral Ischemia During Carotid Endarterectomy"

Second cohort of CZ Biohub Investigators includes 33 Stanford faculty

Dr. Katrin Andreasson was selected from nearly 700 applicants as a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator. The Investigator Program, open to faculty members at Stanford University, UC San Francisco, and UC Berkeley, awards $1 million in unrestricted funds over five years to each Investigator, with the goal of building engaged, collaborative communities of Bay Area scientists to undertake creative and innovative research that will help solve the biggest challenges in biomedicine.

Blood from marathoner mice boosts brain function in their couch-potato counterparts

The ANA Q&A: Dr. Kimford J. Meador | Epilepsy

National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members

New ways to prevent — or even reverse — dementia, paralysis and blindness

Opening stroke’s window

Can major surgery increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease?

Neuroscientist Michelle Monje awarded MacArthur 'genius grant'

How Tri-Valley hospital helps patients survive stroke

Stanford’s Rhiju Das, Michelle Monje and Kristy Red-Horse announced as Howard Hughes investigators

Stanford University researchers who study three-dimensional structures of biological molecules, aggressive brain cancers and how to heal diseased hearts are among 33 scientists from 21 institutions announced as new Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. The Stanford faculty members are Kristy Red-Horse, associate professor of biology at the School of Humanities and SciencesRhiju Das, associate professor of biochemistry, and Michelle Monje, associate professor of neurology.

Neurology Postdocs Recognized with Stanford Postdoc JEDI Champion Awards

Chinyere Iweka, Faculty Mentor: Katrin Andreasson
Brielle Ferguson, Faculty Mentor: John Huguenard

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center renamed for Asad Jamal, Iqbal Farrukh

Dunlevie Family University Fellow in Undergraduate Education

Congratulations to Paul Graham Fisher, MD, Professor of Neurology & Neurological Sciences for his reappointment to another 5 year term as Dunlevie Family University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Fisher teaches the popular undergraduate classes “Cancer Epidemiology” and “The Human Organism” in Human Biology.  He was the Bing Director of Human Biology from 2012 through 2019.

Association of Short and Long Sleep Duration With Amyloid-β Burden and Cognition in Aging

Understanding the risks of seizure-stopping drugs in pregnancy

Stanford researchers find signs of inflammation in brains of people who died of COVID-19

Kelley M. Skeff GME Professionalism Award

Congratulations, Nick Murray, MD for winning the inaugural Kelley M. Skeff GME Professionalism Award! This award, named in honor of Dr. Kelley Skeff (prior Stanford internal medicine residency program director and internationally known leader in education), recognizes high levels of excellence and compassion in professional behavior through collaborative work with colleagues, faculty and staff from across the institution. Congrats, Dr. Murray!

Oscar Salvatierra Award

Congratulations to Jeffrey Dunn, MD, inaugural award winner of the Oscar Salvatierra Award for Exceptional Service to Stanford medical students and the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Dunn built the Neurology clerkship into a model of national excellence and the highest rated clerkship in the SOM for more than a decade, inspiring more than a thousand medical students during his tenure.

Award for Excellence in Promotion of Diversity and Societal Citizenship

Congratulations to Reena Thomas, MD, PhD for receiving the Stanford Award for Excellence in Promotion of Diversity and Societal Citizenship. This award was established to recognize individuals that have made significant contributions to the promotion of the principles of diversity and societal citizenship at the Stanford School of Medicine. 

Robert Cowan, MD, on Sex and Race Disparities in Migraine Patients

Living a Whole Life With Half a Brain

Patient and Clinician Perspectives of New and Return Ambulatory Teleneurology Visits

Reassuring News for Women Taking Epilepsy Meds While Pregnant

Link found between cannabis and rebound headaches after migraine

Study reveals immune driver of brain aging

First Diversity Week at Stanford Medicine tackles tough topics in medical education, health care

Falling Walls Award Winner: Breaking the Wall of Brain Cancer

Administration of Dexamethasone for Bacterial Meningitis: An Unreliable Quality Measure

What to Do About Racism in Medicine? These Diversity Leaders in Neurology Chart a Course with Faculty

Researchers pinpoint brain circuitry underlying dissociative experiences

What we can learn from COVID-19 in kids

Neurologists at Stanford’s ValleyCare tackle COVID-19 using telemedicine and a passion for patient care

Stanford postdoc helps create Black in Neuro Week

Why the blood-brain barrier is really a filter, and what this means for the aging brain

These 5 numbers tell you everything you need to know about racial disparities in health care

Lessons Learned from the Rapid Launch of Video Visits

Some COVID-19 patients aren't getting better. Major medical centers are trying to figure out how to help.

National Institute on Aging awards $15 million to Stanford’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Negative Thinking Can Harm Your Brain and Increase Your Dementia Risk

Fewer stroke patients are coming to hospitals because of the coronavirus pandemic

Neurologist: The brain is complicated, largely unknown

15 Stanford faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Keeping Communication a Priority during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Longevity Gene May Protect against a Notorious Alzheimer’s Risk Gene

Exercise restores youthful properties to muscle stem cells of old mice

New brain implant device could record activity in thousands of neurons

Stanford community gathers resources in support of COVID-19 testing

Old human cells rejuvenated with stem cell technology

Residents are still mastering medicine. But can they fix health care problems too?

Neurology care at Stanford inspired patient to return as a nurse

Eponyms are here to stay

Suspicion: Why are virus-targeting immune cells sniffing around Alzheimer’s patients’ brains?

Think fast: 5 things you can do to improve your memory right now

Blood protein signatures change across lifespan

Epileptic High-Frequency Oscillations Disrupt Cognition in Human Brain

Stanford scientists reliably predict people’s age by measuring proteins in blood

Digital health trial uses AI for better epilepsy treatment decisions

Scientists find promising drug combination against lethal childhood brain cancers

Stanford neuro-oncologist Michelle Monje teamed up with Craig Thomas at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and Kathy Warren from NCI (now at DFCI) to perform high-throughput drug screening of patient-derived cultures of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, the leading cause of brain tumor-related death in children. The study, led by MD PhD student and future neurologist Grant L. Lin, uncovered a promising two-drug combination that shows benefit in preclinical studies and will advance to clinical trial soon. The mechanism of drug-drug synergy was determined to be metabolic collapse, highlighting a key avenue for future strategies in this lethal childhood brain cancer. Stanford neurologist Kati Andreasson’s lab contributed importantly to the metabolic mechanistic studies. Full Story

Think You’re at Risk of Dementia? Here’s What You Should Know

Stanford neurology joins new ‘team science’ complex for brain research and molecular discovery

ROSA(tm) and Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery May Cure Epilepsy

Study aims to learn more about silent infarction, cognitive decline linked to silent stroke

Study shows why even well-controlled epilepsy can disrupt thinking

Jin Hyung Lee receives 2019 NIH Director's Pioneer Award

Stanford Stroke Center beats national stroke treatment times

Vascular Dementia Treatment: How Lifestyle Changes Are Key to Prevention

Brain tumors form synapses with healthy neurons, Stanford-led study finds

Project BIG: The Stanford Brain Immune Gut Initiative

Understanding Barriers to Effective Goals of Care Discussions

Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force Appointments Announced

Drugs for Parkinson’s, Depression Can Raise Dementia Risk By 50%

Stanford Program Takes 3-Pronged Approach to Burnout: Education, Mentorship, and Community-Building

New hope for treating childhood brain cancer

Scientists shrink stroke damage in mice by calming immune cells outside brain

Spirit, Inspiring Change award winners announced

New Stanford Hospital nearing completion

Blocking protein curbs memory loss in old mice

Time: The huge game changer for treatment of stroke, a podcast

Breadth of student research showcased at annual symposium

Variability in Prion Disease–Related Safety Policies

Stanford, Georgia Tech researchers build a glove to treat symptoms of stroke

Blocking protein’s activity restores cognition in old mice

What Is REM Sleep Behavior Disorder?

Stanford Radio: Cancer therapy's impact on cognitive function

Want to Become a Full-Time Neurohospitalist? Where the Training Opportunities Are Available

Immune profile two days after stroke predicts dementia a year later

What It’s Like to Be So Sleep Deprived That You Hallucinate

Helping a child's brain to heal

Capturing the brain’s learning and recall motor in silicon

Sleep and Circadian Alterations in Parkinson's: Understanding the Source for Smarter Treatment

‘Chemo brain’ caused by malfunction in three types of brain cells

Is zinc the link to how we think? Some evidence, and a word of warning

5 Questions: What parents should know about poliolike illness

When It Matters Most: Bicyclist Finds New "Roads" to Conquer After Traumatic Brain Injury

Tony Wyss-Coray Honored by Time Magazine

New Institute Series Highlights Experiences of Faculty Researchers

With significant philanthropic investments, Stanford makes major leap forward in the neurosciences

“Mitotic catastrophe” describes how aged muscle stem cells die, and provides clues to keeping them healthy

Michelle Monje receives 2018 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award

A chance encounter between a Packard Children’s NICU nurse and her former patient

Scientists engineer way to prevent immune response to gene therapy in mice

5 Questions: Robert Fisher on deep-brain stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy

Nicotine mimics may have therapeutic effect on inflammatory diseases

Parkinson’s patients and researchers exchange stories through initiative created by Stanford PhD student

Teens shouldn’t use medical marijuana, but the plant’s active compounds have select uses, debaters agree

Medical students showcase research accomplishments

Resident/Fellow Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Symposium

New Survey Reveals Gaps in Institutional Prion Safety Policy

Mom’s fundraising helps advance research into deadly brain tumor

Doctors use robotic assistant to detect source of girl’s seizures

Altered immune cells clear childhood brain tumor in mice

Now Seizure Free, Gracin Gets Her Words Back

Stanford announces new Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) Research Center of Excellence

Stanford researchers listen for silent seizures with "brain stethoscope" that turns brain waves into sound

Recovering from stroke

Clearing clumps of protein in aging neural stem cells boosts their activity

Technology Developed at Stanford Allows for Treatment up to 24 Hours After Stroke

Clinical trial finds blood-plasma infusions for Alzheimer’s safe, promising

A look into the causes of epilepsy with a Stanford neuroscientist

Stanford-led clinical trial shows broader benefits of acute-stroke therapy