Mission Statement
History and Mission
The College of Medicine was founded in 1956 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006. Neurology, originally a division of the Department of Medicine, became a department in 1974 with Dr. Melvin Greer as its first Chair. At that time, the department had only five full-time faculty neurologists, but nevertheless had an international reputation for research and patient care in epilepsy under Dr. B.J. Wilder (now Professor emeritus) and behavioral neurology under Dr. Kenneth M. Heilman. In recent years, the faculty has expanded to twenty-two full-time faculty members. Of the five faculty on staff in 1975, one is retired and four remain on the full-time faculty. Only three faculty members have left since 1975. This stability is attributed in large part to strong leadership from Dr. Greer, who remained as Chair until 2000 and who still plays an important role in the department.
Education
The University of Florida is the forefront of undergraduate and graduate medical education. Dr. Robert T. Watson, Professor Emeritus of Neurology, and Dr. Timothy Flynn, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Professor of Surgery, are both national leaders in medical education and have established a strong infrastructure for medical education at UF. The College recognizes faculty who excel in education. Our Department is recognized for the excellence of its teaching of students, residents and fellows. Our faculty pride themselves to be available to students and residents and to provide mentorship for fellows pursuing academic careers. The Department has ACGME-accredited training programs in Neurology and in Clinical Neurophysiology, a UCNS-accredited fellowship in Behavioral Neurology, and a Movement Disorders fellowship.
Research
The Department of Neurology continues to be a national leader in clinical care and research in epilepsy and behavioral neurology, but the scope of research activities has expanded greatly over the past decade. There are new programs in Neurorehabilitation under Drs. Stephen Nadeau and Leslie Gonzalez Rothi, in Alzheimer’s disease under Dr. Kimford Meador; in Movement Disorders under Drs. Michael Okun and Hubert Fernandez, and in Stroke under Dr. Michael Waters. These programs take advantage of world class facilities and faculty at the McKnight Brain Institute, where scientists with expertise in stem cell biology, gene transfer, and animal models of degenerative disease collaborate with neurology faculty to develop new treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and test novel therapies for recovery from stroke and traumatic brain injury. Collaborations with faculty in biomedical engineering may lead to more effective strategies for treating epilepsy and movement disorders. The Health Science Center leadership encourages the partnership of basic and clinical sciences exemplified by these programs.
Clinical Care
The University of Florida is recognized for the quality of care in neurological disease and attracts patients from a wide radius for consultation and treatment. Subspecialty clinics in Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Neuromuscular disorders, Memory disorders and Alzheimer’s Disease are balanced by general neurology clinics staffed by superb clinicians. Residents have access to a tremendous variety of patients at the University of Florida clinics and at the North Florida South Georgia Veterans Administration Hospital.
Future Goals
Dr. Michael Waters joined our faculty in November 2007 and will head the Shands at UF Stroke Program. We are currently recruiting faculty in neurocritical care to staff a new neuro-intensive care unit. In 2009, the VA will open a new 200-bed tower and expand its out-patient operations, and Shands at the University of Florida will open a 170-bed cancer hospital to complement the existing facility. There are plans to expand already strong neuroimaging capabilities. The Department will expand basic and translational research programs. We will improve the opportunities for residents to prepare for academic careers, while preserving the excellence of our training program in clinical neurology.
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