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Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic condition that leads to the development of benign tumors in multiple organs, including the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, skin, and lungs. This condition can arise from inherited genetic factors or mutations occurring during conception or early embryonic development.

TSC is relatively rare, affecting approximately 1 in 6,000 newborns. Globally, nearly one million individuals live with this disorder, with an estimated 50,000 cases in the United States.

Common treatments for Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide, address short-term symptoms. However, in the long term, these treatments can cause extensive problems for patients, namely in the form of uncontrollable movements and postures called dyskinesia.

A recent study published by UAB researchers in the departments of Neurology and Pathology has revealed that approaching dyskinesia the same way the brain reacts to a “bad memory” could lead to a way to halt its progression and in turn, better treat the disease.

The UAB Department of Neurology is celebrating 10 residents who will have completed their residency within the department as of June 2024. Residents shared their plans for where their careers will take them next while also reflecting on their time in the Department’s residency program.

The Heersink School of Medicine communications team asked each resident, “What are your plans, careerwise, after graduation?” and “Reflecting back on your residency, what are your thoughts as you complete this portion of your training at UAB and move on to the next chapter?” Here are their responses.

Front Row (left to right): Laurel Keller, Lindsey Rickles, Peter King, M.D.; Middle row (left to right): Joseph Daley, M.D., Ph.D., Carolyn Kesar, M.D., Caroline Johnson, Thomas Head, M.D.; Back row (left to right): Darren Kennemer, Sarah Alyce Williams, Kim RedwineThe Birmingham VA Medical Center Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinic has earned the designation of an ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence.

John Rinker II, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been selected as a recipient of the Association of University Professors of Neurology (AUPN) Faculty Leadership Award.

The Neurocritical Care Fellowship program within the UAB Department of Neurology received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) on April 5, 2024. The ACGME oversees the vast majority of physician specialty and subspecialty training.

When. Drs. Mohamed Kazamel and Nan Jiang took the helm of the UAB ALS Clinic in 2021, their goal to provide comprehensive care to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in one clinical setting came to fruition. Thanks to the support of state funding, the clinic was able to offer patients access to nine medical professionals in a single visit.

“It’s a multidisciplinary clinic, which offers extensive supportive care,” said Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., clinic co-director and associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology.

Now, heading into year three of state-funded support with $750,000 awarded from the state budget for FY 2025, the ALS clinic has only strengthened its efforts to address patient well-being and bolster focused research efforts to combat this progressive neurological disease.

The annual UAB Service Awards honor employees who have made significant career commitments to UAB by recognizing them at each five-year milestone. The Department of Neurology is proud to honor the following employees for service milestones as of the conclusion of the 2023 calendar year.

In the United States, an estimated 800,000 individuals undergo a stroke annually. Of these, about 543,000 survive but frequently encounter varying degrees of disability, positioning stroke as the leading cause of adult disability in the nation and the fifth leading cause of death.

Ismail Mohamed, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Neurology and associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently elected president of the American Clinical Magnetoencephalography Society (ACMEGS) for 2024-2027.

The UAB Department of Neurology’s Division of Movement Disorders seeks to provide vital education and support to individuals and families affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) with a series of events this spring.

The UAB Department of Neurology has successfully renewed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) StrokeNet award, securing its participation in the national StrokeNet clinical trials network until the end of 2028.

A project born from a mission to serve more memory disorders patients with the most cutting-edge care options, the new UAB Brain Aging and Memory Hub will be opening its doors on the fifth floor of Callahan Eye Hospital this month.

Photo contributed by Tim McCrackenOn October 11, 2012, a profound shift reshaped Tim McCracken's world. It was the day he received a life-altering diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

This pivotal moment not only marked a turning point in McCracken’s life, routine, and hope but also prompted him to reflect on his life before the diagnosis: “I was 47 years old with a wife and two young children, plus a growing children’s ministry at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, and to say I was devastated doesn’t do justice to how I felt,” McCracken said.

Paige Tatum and son, Wells, 3, along with Catherine Aultman and son, Steyr, 5 months, are patients at UAB's Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic. Photos contributed by Tatum and Aultman families.In 2022, Paige and Baylor Tatum, along with their sons Wells, 3, and Walker, 2, traveled to Birmingham from Mobile a total of 15 times. In 2023, they visited around eight times. And by March of this year alone, they will have spent about four to five weeks in The Magic City. Their visit specifically takes them to the UAB Tuberous Sclerosis (TSC) Clinic at UAB.

“To a certain degree, it’s like going to our second home,” said Baylor Tatum. “It’s become so familiar.” 

J. Mark Bailey, D.O., Ph.D., dFACN, professor in the Departments of Neurology and Anesthesiology, has been appointed as a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel member by the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees.

Parkinson's disease, ranked as the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, frequently remains in the background of public awareness. Named after the English physician, Dr. James Parkinson, who recognized it in 1817, Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition primarily impacting movement. It is characterized by the gradual deterioration of brain nerve cells, especially those responsible for producing dopamine—a vital neurotransmitter crucial for facilitating smooth and controlled muscle movements.

Marissa Natelson Love, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The designation is held at the highest standard of the AAN and “recognizes special achievement in the neurosciences, the clinical practice of neurology, or academy or administrative neurology,” according to the AAN website.

The UAB Department of Neurology has been awarded the Institutional Clinical Training Award (ICTA) by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). This prestigious, multi-year grant is given to institutions with a proven record in training clinical fellows in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)/Neuroimmunology.

Members of UAB’s Department of Neurology faculty were honored among others from the Heersink School of Medicine at the annual Argus Awards Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023.