What do a speech prosthetic that translates brain signals into speech, retinal scans that detect cognitive impairment, and a promising new form of genetic therapy for Parkinson’s and some forms of dementia have in common? They’re all examples of the 21 peer-reviewed journal articles authored members of the Duke Neurology Department published this November.  

Gabriel Torrealba-Acosta, MD, hadn’t thought much about neurology until his final year of medical school, when a trusted mentor’s enthusiasm convinced him to pursue the ever-changing, challenging field. The rush and excitement during  Torrealba-Acosta’s time in the neurocritical intensive care unit (neuro ICU) convinced him to specialize in neurocritical care and join our neurocritical care fellowship program.

Brian Dahlben, MD, MSc, first became interested in neuroscience in high school after he read about phantom limb pain. He decided to pursue neurology and then movement disorders with the goal of developing close relationships with his patients and helping them live their best lives, and came to Duke as the first member of our newly expanded Movement Disorder Fellowship program.

The Duke Neurology Department has expanded its movement disorders fellowship program to provide fellows with a research-immersive second year, thanks to a pledge from Dr. Randy Schilsky and his RMS Family Foundation. This support will allow our movement disorders fellows to extend their training beyond the first year, which is immersed in clinical training, and undertake research projects to advance our understanding of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.

Joel Page, MD, first found himself drawn to neurology by his fascination with human behavior and the origins of consciousness. That passion intensified when, as a medical student, he felt himself driven to help people suffering from neurological conditions. Now, he’s reviewing EEGs, and learning about epilepsy, clinical neurophysiology, and other subjects as one of our newest Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows.

Sally You, DO, had been interested in the brain and consciousness since childhood, but in medical school she wanted a practice where she could continue to address a holistic view of patients’ health that went beyond the central and peripheral nervous system. She settled on neurology and recently joined our neurocritical care fellowship program. 

This July, members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 10 new peer-reviewed journal articles. Highlights of this research include a new study that found persistent associations between neighborhood income levels and poor outcomes for neurocritical care, a trio of studies that provide insights into the origins and development of Alzheimer’s disease, and a preliminary analysis of the merits of a potential off-label therapy for ALS.

As a high school student, Mays Khweileh, MD, was fascinated by the capacity of the human brain, as well as the nature of consciousness. Now, as one of our clinical neurophysiology, she realizes the mysteries of the brain are greater than she had ever thought.

Matthew Ehrlich, MD, MPH, got his first exposure to hospital neurology seven years ago as a vascular neurology fellow. He came to love the complexity and variety of cases during that rotation and joined the division after completing his fellowship. For this week’s Spotlight interview. Ehrlich talks about working as a hospital and vascular neurologist across our three hospitals.

Marjorie Soltis, MD, came to Duke in 2016 as a resident, after her neuroscience class and time working with Parkinson’s patient convinced her to pursue neurology. One residency and fellowship later, Soltis is a sleep medicine specialist and a member of our faculty. For this week’s Spotlight interview, Soltis shares her experience helping patients with sleep disorders and reflects on what she gained from our residency and fellowship programs.