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One conversation about the immunology of brain tumors in 1978 sparked a research passion that has fueled the illustrious, productive career of G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph.D. That conversation, with M. Stephen Mahaley, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., ultimately led Gillespie to UAB, where he has spent nearly 30 years developing a renowned neuro-oncology research program.

In honor of Dr. Yancey Gillespie’s more than 30 years of outstanding service to UAB, the Department of Neurosurgery has created the Yancey Gillespie Neuro-Oncology Travel Award. This scholarship will provide funding for UAB graduate students traveling to national and international meetings to present their brain tumor research. Dr. Gillespie’s colleagues from across disciplines wanted to create this award as a testament to Dr. Gillespie’s illustrious career, and his strong commitment to teaching and mentorship of young neuro-oncologists.

Support the Yancey Gillespie Neuro-Oncology Travel Award by giving online at uab.edu/give/Gillespie or contact Leon Ryan, director of development, at leonryan@uab.edu.

Dr. G. Yancey Gillespie, professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, and his wife, Lady Jane, have made a gift in support of the department’s research. A portion of their gift has established the M. Stephen Mahaley, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Research Graduate Assistant in Neurosurgery Support Fund, creating a new research graduate assistant position in the department, most recently filled by Christian T. Stackhouse. The fund provides salary support for a research graduate student for brain tumor research. It also funds the supplies or equipment necessary for the student’s research or to reimburse travel costs to attend a scientific meeting to present the results of their research.

The departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology ranked No. 17 and No. 22 respectively in 2016 with a combined $11.3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, according to rankings provided by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

Dr. Corinne Griguer

The Department of Neurosurgery achieved a more-than-fivefold increase from its 2015 NIH funding. This increase was due in part to Corinne Griguer, Ph.D., associate professor of neurosurgery, who was awarded more than $1.2 million in 2016 NIH funding, ranking in the top-10 percentile of neurosurgery principal investigators nationwide, according to BRIMR data. Griguer is a biochemist focused on malignant glioma, specifically the bioenergetic pathways involved in its development and progression.

“This ranking is a direct testament to the diligent work of our research faculty,” said James Markert M.D., professor and chair of the UAB Department of Neurosurgery. “The success rate for NIH grants is only around 20 percent. I am very proud that our faculty are successfully competing for these awards. This speaks to the caliber of the research being done here in Neurosurgery as we strive to find new treatments and therapies for our patients.”

Many key research projects that comprise this funding are joint efforts between the departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery. For instance, Harrison Walker, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology, and Barton Guthrie, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurosurgery are collaborators on a BRAIN Initiative Grant to study new technology that could improve outcomes from deep brain stimulation, an increasingly important treatment for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.

Dr. James Markert

The momentum UAB has gained in fiscal year 2016, carried into 2017. Markert and G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph.D., were recently awarded an R01 grant to conduct a Phase I Clinical Trial of an oncolytic herpes virus called M032. The FDA-approved trial will be used to evaluate the safety and tolerability of this improved virus that recruits the patient’s immune system to help fight against malignant gliomas.

“NIH funding is a critical engine for scientific advancement,” Markert said. “During the past 15 years, cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped by about 1 percent annually, and this can be attributed in larger part to research funded by the NIH. Obviously, there is more work to be done to cure cancer, as nearly 80,000 cases of primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. That is why our faculty are working tirelessly to explore new treatments and therapies. This increase in NIH funding is a reflection of their dedication to improving patient care.”

The UAB Department of Neurosurgery will host its 33rd annual J. Garber Galbraith Lecture on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. Vincent C. Traynelis, M.D., from Rush University Medical Center will present the lecture, “Correction of Degenerative Deformity,” at 4 p.m. in the Bradley Lecture Center at Children’s Harbor. Resident presentations will begin at 10 a.m.

After almost 25 years of service to UAB and Children’s of Alabama, W. Jerry Oakes, M.D., the Dan Hendley Professor of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery, will retire from clinical practice. Dr. Oakes will continue to be an active member of the Section, focusing on academic pursuits. 

The UAB Department of Neurosurgery faculty is growing in order to meet the demand for neurosurgery services in our community and to continue to enhance research into neurological disorders. We welcome our new faculty members: 

• Jianmei Leavenworth, MD, PhD
• Thomas Staner, MD
• William Stetler, MD

U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-2017 Best Hospitals report ranks UAB Neurology & Neurosurgery No. 25 nationally, and No. 5 among public institutions.

The UAB Neurosurgery residents were involved in 50 publications during 2015, and served as first author on 22 of those articles. Through the Department of Neurosurgery’s Office of Clinical Research, residents are helped to publish, by being provided extensive training in evidence-based research, and are given infrastructure support for their studies.

Members of the UAB Neurosurgery Women’s Leadership Council toured the research laboratory of James Markert, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the UAB Department of Neurosurgery on January 13, and learned about Dr. Markert’s research, which is focused on developing new treatments for brain cancer.

During the tour, Jennifer Clements, lab manager, explained the numerous steps necessary to translate a new treatment from the laboratory into clinical practice, and how philanthropy can accelerate this process. For example, philanthropic investment can help scientists explore promising new theories and gather the necessary pilot data to successfully apply for federal funding.

A PROPOSAL TO SUPPORT THE BARTON L. GUTHRIE, M.D., ENDOWED CHAIR IN THE UAB DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSURGERY

Barton L. Guthrie, M.D. has led an exceptional career as a world-renowned neurosurgeon, focused on improving treatment for patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and tremor as well as for patients with brain tumors. He founded the UAB Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS) program which has become one of the largest in the country, having performed over 1,000 DBS procedures for debilitating movement disorders.

In so doing, he has established a culture in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery that revolves around putting the needs of the patient first and clearly defining the clinical value of neurosurgery for these patients. His innovations in technology and care delivery processes have proven valuable across the country.

Dr. Guthrie’s distinguished career has left an indelible impact on the School of Medicine, and UAB seeks to expand upon his legacy of excellence in patient care and innovation through the creation of the Barton L. Guthrie, M.D., Endowed Chair. The appointment of an endowed chair rewards a physician’s professional contributions, recognizes the value of his/her research endeavors, and safeguards the funding needed to continue these pioneering efforts. A gift to support the Barton L. Guthrie, M.D., Endowed Chair is an opportunity for alumni, faculty, and friends to invest in the future of our specialty, promoting a process committed to analysis and improvement of patient outcome.

The 32nd annual J. Garber Galbraith Lecture was held Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Karin Muraszko, M.D., Chair and Julian T. Hoff, M.D. Professor, Neurological Surgery at University of Michigan was the invited lecturer.In 2005, Dr. Muraszko was chosen to head the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan, becoming the first woman to chair an academic neurosurgery department in the United States.

2015 Award Winners: 

• Garber Galbraith, MD Research Prize: Elizabeth N. Kuhn, MD
• Griffith R. Harsh III, MD Research Prize:  Kimberly P. Kicielinski, MD
• Richard B. Morawetz, MD Research Prize:  Joseph H. Miller, MD

Dr. Mark N. Hadley, Charles A. and Patsy Collat endowed professor of neurosurgery, has recently been awarded a Department of Defense Military Medical Research and Development grant to study acute spinal cord treatment strategies. The grant will initiate June 2015.

The title of the grant is “A Multi-Center, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage in Acute Spinal Cord Injury”. Dr. Hadley is a Co-Investigator of a multi-center study. The study will be conducted at three sites in the United States.

The purpose of the grant is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cerebrospinal fluid drainage and to provide preliminary clinical efficacy evaluation of combination of cerebrospinal fluid drainage and elevation of mean arterial pressure in patients with acute spinal cord injury.

The Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children’s of Alabama is sponsoring and coordinating an invitational meeting of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and researchers in Myelomeningocele on September 10-13, 2014. The meeting will incorporate a process of critical review of the literature with the ultimate goal of developing evidence based guidelines for a child with a Myelomeningocele. The meeting is being spear headed by Dr. Jeffrey Blount and Dr. Jerry Oakes, professors of Neurosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

There will be an opening reception on Wednesday, September 10 followed by sessions on Thursday, September 11 and Friday, September 12. Sessions will include critical discussions and review of papers on Myelomeningocele surrounding a variety of topics (including acute/chronic management of hydrocephalus, in-utero surgery of MMC, management of the C2M and management of the tethered spinal cord). A concluding session on will be held Saturday, September 13 to summarize and lay the ground work for the next stage of the guidelines development process.

All UAB Department of Neurosurgery faculty and residents are invited.

Inquiries can be made to Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children’s of Alabama by calling 205-638-9653.