This October, members of the Duke Neurology Department advanced the fields of clinical and translational neuroscience, contributing to 14 new peer-reviewed studies and one book chapter. Highlights from our recent research include validation of new automated measures that evaluate handwriting for dystonia symptoms, a discussion of the effects of blood pressure on head and facial pain, and a discussion of presentations of a neuroimmune disorder known as MOGAD.

Danelvis Paredes, MD, MPH, felt her first callings to neurology at the age of 15, when she learned about the neurobiology of drug addiction while working at a college laboratory. Later, that interest was cemented after she saw how a neurology exam could elegantly and quickly localize patients’ problems. For this week’s Spotlight interview, Paredes talks to us about her day-to-day life as a chief resident and how her master’s in public health influences her perspective as a clinician.

Shivani Shah, DO, has been interested in the brain for as long as she can remember. Shah recently joined our Department for  her Junior Assistant Residency (JAR) year of training with adult patients before completing her child neurology training.

Members of the Duke Neurology Department contributed to 13 new peer-reviewed journal articles this May, advancing our understanding of how viruses that kill cancer cells may be used against brain tumors, the optimal treatments for various types of stroke, the origins of Parkinson’s disease, and more. Read the paragraphs below for summaries of our research from the past 31 days, as well as links to the complete articles themselves.

Hospital Neurology

Tasnim Mushannen, MD, first found her passion for neuroscience in middle school, when she wrote a hand-written, 10-page paper on the brain and nervous system. This passion, combined with a desire to connect with her patients, led her to pursue a career in neurology, and she is now finishing her first internal medicine year of her residency at the Duke University School of Medicine.

This March, members of our Department contributed to studies that reveal potential new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease, help triage patients suffering from traumatic brain injury, address issues contributing to physician burnout, and more. In all, our faculty, staff, students, and trainees contributed to 15 studies published over the past 31 days. Read about them and find links to the original articles below.

Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders

Amanda Currie’s love of the brain started in high school and has only grown since. Now in her third year of her neurology residency, Currie is seeing patients across our hospital and clinic system, mentoring second-year residents, and exploring interests in deep brain stimulation and movement disorders. For this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Currie talks to us about learning from (and connecting with) patients, the joys of her current year, and enjoying music, travel, and hiking when she’s not at Duke. 

The Duke Neurology Department continued to grow and expand its missions of providing excellent clinical care, conducting research to improve our understanding of neurological conditions and how to treat them, and training the next generation of neurologists throughout 2021.

Even as Alzheimer’s disease and dementias grow as a national health crisis, there remains a shortage of clinicians willing to treat people with these conditions as well as to perform the necessary clinical research to improve how we treat dementias and mitigate their effects. Fortunately, our second-year resident and a recent recipient of a  R38 CARiNG-StARR award, Deborah Rose, MD, will be taking on both of these roles during her training.

Lara Wadi, MD, first became interested in neurology during her first year of medical school, where she was both fascinated by her neuroscience courses and appreciated their clinical applications. Later, she volunteered in a nursing home in Lebanon, where she developed humbling relationships with individuals with diagnosis as well as her own interests in translational research. Now, she’s a Senior Assistant Resident at the Duke Neurology Department, where she’s refining her interest in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy.