DEFINING THE FUTURE OF NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY
2023: A YEAR IN REVIEW

Northwestern Medicine Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery are pushing boundaries and bringing breakthrough medicine from the bench to the bedside. Northwestern Medicine is proud to highlight several of the remarkable milestones that our Neurology and Neurosurgery teams have achieved over the past year, including breakthroughs in research and patient care, as well as being honored with awards, honors and recognitions.

Recognized as a Leading Destination for Patients

Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been ranked in the top 10 in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery for over a decade, per U.S. News & World Report, 2023 – 2024.

Among the Top 10 for NIH Funding Supporting Breakthrough Research

Northwestern Medicine Neurology and Neurosurgery are among the top 10 U.S. programs in their respective fields for NIH funding. This supports our robust research advancing the field of neurological care. 

Made Discoveries That Are Defining the Future of Neurology

​Research is improving our understanding and diagnosis of neurological conditions. Emerging insights bring exciting possibilities for the development of more precise targeted therapies. Keep reading to learn about our breakthroughs in 2023.

BREAKTHROUGHS AND RESEARCH​

Newly Discovered Trigger of Parkinson's Upends Common Beliefs
A Northwestern Medicine study challenges a common belief in what triggers Parkinson’s disease. The study, led by Dimitri Krainc, MD, chair of the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology,
the Aaron Montgomery Ward Professor of Neurology and director of the Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, suggests that a dysfunction in the neuron’s synapses leads to deficits in dopamine and precedes neurodegeneration.
Novel Therapy Extends Survival in Metastatic Cancer
A study led by Maciej Lesniak, MD, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and the Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery at Northwestern Medicine, identified a novel therapeutic agent that is effective in treating metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases with minimal side effects.
New Therapeutic Target for Parkinson’s Disease Discovered
Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered a new mechanism by which mutations in a gene, parkin, contribute to familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. Dimitri Krainc, MD, was senior author of the study. 
Chemotherapy Drug Reaches Brain in Humans for First Time
A team of Northwestern Medicine scientists led by Adam Sonabend, MD, associate professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, reports results of the first in-human clinical trial. The team used a novel, skull-implantable ultrasound device to open the blood-brain barrier to deliver chemotherapy injected intravenously.
What We’ve Learned Treating 4,000 Patients With Long COVID-19
Northwestern Medicine has treated nearly 4,000 patients with COVID-19 from 44 states, and our team of 42 clinicians continues to see approximately 100 patients with COVID-19 each month. Igor J. Koralnik, MD, chief of Neuro-infectious Disease and Global Neurology in the Department of Neurology and Archibald Church Professor of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, shares what the team has learned about long COVID-19.
Newly Developed Nanoparticle Treatment for Brain Tumors
Northwestern Medicine investigators have developed a novel nanoparticle treatment for glioblastoma. Researchers found that the tumor-associated myeloid cells that received the treatment produced markedly fewer immunosuppressive proteins and more immunostimulatory proteins. Maciej Lesniak, MD, was the senior author of the study. 
Study Points to New Therapeutic Target for ALS
Northwestern Medicine investigators have uncovered how a genetic variant linked to ALS disrupts neuronal function. Evangelos Kiskinis, PhD, associate professor of Neuromuscular Disease and of Neuroscience, was the study’s lead author.
Study Identifies Genetic Cause for Some Brain Tumors
Northwestern Medicine scientists, including co-author Amy Heimberger, MD, PhD, vice chair for Research in the Department of Neurological Surgery and the Jean Malnati Miller Professor of Brain Tumor Research, have uncovered a genetic explanation for meningiomas.
New Test Could Change Treatment for 1 in 3 Patients With Meningioma 
Northwestern Medicine scientists, including co-senior author Stephen Magill, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, have found a highly accurate way to predict the best treatment for patients with meningioma based on patterns of gene expression in their tumors.
Reducing Seizures After Brain Tumor Treatment
Northwestern Medicine investigators, including Craig M. Horbinski, MD, PhD, director and professor of Neuropathology in the Department of Pathology and professor of Neurological Surgery, have shown that inhibiting a mutated gene can reduce seizure activity in adult-type diffuse gliomas.

PATIENT CARe

FIRES in 20-Year-Old College Athlete
A 20-year-old female college volleyball player developed headaches and high fevers, which led to multiple seizures per day. Northwestern Medicine neurologists Stephen A. VanHaerents, MD, and Margaret Y. Yu, MD, discuss the FIRES (febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome) case.
Dizziness: A Neuro-otologic and Neuro-ophthalmic Approach
Neuro-otologist Nicholas Hać, MD, and Neuro-ophthalmologist Neena R. Cherayil, MD, shed light on eye movement abnormalities in patients with dizziness, including their causes and significance.
Clinical Management of Low Grade Glioma
Epileptologist Jessica W. Templer, MD; Neuro-oncologist, Karan S. Dixit, MD; and Neurosurgeon Matthew C. Tate, MD, PhD, to discuss management strategies for patients with low grade glioma.
Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Resection of Pituitary Adenoma for Cushing’s Disease
Neurosurgeon Stephen T. Magill, MD, PhD, performs an endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary tumor resection in a patient with Cushing's disease.
Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia
Cerebrovascular Neurosurgeon Babak S. Jahromi, MD, PhD, provides insights on surgical interventions for trigeminal neuralgia.
Northwestern Medicine Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Annual Updates 
See more breakthroughs from Northwestern Medicine Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 2023 Annual Update.

AWARDS, HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS

Congratulations to Northwestern Medicine Neurology and Neurosurgery faculty members who were recognized with honors and awards in 2023.
Dimitri Krainc, MD, Elected President of American Neurological Association
Dimitri Krainc, MD, has been elected president of the American Neurological Association. Dr. Krainc will first serve as president-elect, followed by two years of service as president of the association.
Brain Tumor Spore Receives $10.8 Million NCI Award Renewal
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine has received a renewed $10.8 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the NCI to advance translational research and improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer. The Lurie Cancer Center Brain Tumor SPORE, established in 2018, is led by Maciej Lesniak, MD, with projects led by members of the departments of Neurological Surgery and Neurology.  

​“The SPORE focuses on improving treatment strategies for highly malignant brain tumors and supports key research projects co-led by Malnati Brain Tumor Institute clinical investigators and basic scientists to develop novel approaches. Leveraging the unique strengths of our cancer center, our interdisciplinary teams are advancing better outcomes for people with brain cancer,” says Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD, director of Lurie Cancer Center. “We’re excited about the renewal of our NCI Brain Tumor SPORE under the visionary leadership of Dr. Lesniak and the opportunity to build on our progress.”
Priya Kumthekar, MD, Receives 2023 Women in Neuro-Oncology Mid-Career Exemplary Physician Award
Priya Kumthekar, MD, associate professor of Neuro-oncology and of Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern Medicine, was honored with the 2023 Women in Neuro-Oncology Mid-Career Exemplary Physician Award. This international award recognizes female physicians’
early success and promise for significant accomplishments in neuro-oncology.
Dimitri Krainc, MD, Elected to National Academy of Inventors
​Dimitri Krainc, MD, has been named a 2023 fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to academic inventors. The program recognizes academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation by creating or facilitating inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and social welfare.
Northwestern Medicine Renewed as a NeuroNEXT Clinical Site
Northwestern Medicine was renewed as a NeuroNEXT clinical site with Tanya Simuni, MD, chief of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, as the principal investigator. The Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials conducts studies of treatments for neurological diseases through partnerships with academia, private foundations and industry. 
​Farzaneh Sorond, MD, PhD, Appointed Director of Simpson Querrey Center for Neurovascular Sciences
Farzaneh Sorond, MD, PhD, vice dean of Faculty Affairs and professor of Stroke and Vascular Neurology and of Neurocritical Care at Northwestern Medicine was appointed director of the Simpson Querrey Center for Neurovascular Sciences. The center will advance new ideas related to neurovascular diseases across medical disciplines. 
Gemma Carvill, PhD, Awarded the ANA Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award in Neuroscience
Gemma Carvill, PhD, assistant professor of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at Northwestern Medicine, was awarded the American Neurological Association (ANA) Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award in Neuroscience. The ANA’s highest and most prestigious award, it recognizes early- to mid-career neurologists and neuroscientists.