Neuroscience Institute Formed to Further Research and Advancements in Treating Neurological Disorders

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD, the Sanford J. Larson, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), has been selected as the Founding Director of the newly created joint MCW/Froedtert Health/Children's Wisconsin Neuroscience Institute, effective Jan. 7, 2022.

In his new role, Dr. Kurpad will be responsible for the overall strategy, growth, and operation of the Neuroscience Institute (NSI) in collaboration with associated clinical departments and programs, the Neuroscience Research Center (NRC) and research enterprises. Dr. Kurpad will have significant local, regional, and national exposure and will lead efforts to bring together hundreds of neuroscience and spine-related faculty and staff into a highly functioning team, capable of achieving the established goal of achieving Top 10 recognition in 7-10 years.

The new NSI is a collaboration among MCW, Froedtert Health, and Children's Wisconsin to harness the vast clinical expertise and world-renowned research talent in neurosciences across the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus, synergize advancements in treating disorders affecting the brain, spine, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, and, importantly, further premier programs and discovery. The NSI also will expand and align the neuroscience and spine service lines that exist across the affiliated health systems and will work in partnership with MCW's NRC to advance their research strategy. 

"The new Neuroscience Institute will showcase the unmatched advancements that are possible through collaborative academic medicine," said Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, provost and executive vice president of MCW and The Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the School of Medicine. "Dr. Kurpad's vast experience and expertise across the field of neuroscience are invaluable in propelling the NSI mission forward."

About the Medical College of Wisconsin

With a history dating back to 1893, The Medical College of Wisconsin is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement.  More than 1,400 students are enrolled in MCW's medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Central Wisconsin in. MCW's School of Pharmacy opened in 2017. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In the last ten years, faculty received more than $1.5 billion in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,100 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,650 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 2.8 million patients annually.

SOURCE Medical College of Wisconsin