Standaert, David G., M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
John N. Whitaker Endowed Chair
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the UAB Department of Neurology website. We are actively growing a world-class department of neurology which already ranks among the top in the nation. We seek to provide state-of-the-art care for neurological disorders, train the next generation of neurologists and neuroscientists, and accelerate progress towards the therapies of the future.
Our faculty of over 60 spans all the major subspecialties of the field. Major clinical programs include stroke and cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, memory disorders and neuropsychology, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disease, neuro-oncology, neuro-critical care and pain medicine. We were recently designated by the Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the only one in the State of Alabama. We also maintain a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, the highest designation awarded by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. We are recognized as a “Best Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery” by US News and World Report, a designation awarded to only 50 of more than 1,300 programs in the nation.
Our 1,152 bed state-of-the-art UAB Hospital is among the largest in the US, and offers the highest standards of care in all disciplines and access to the latest in technology and treatments. The UAB Hospital North Pavilion provides a high-tech facility with state-of-the-art operating rooms, ICU’s, catheterization, imaging, and interventional suites. The Emergency Department alone covers almost a full square city block. We have a newly expanded and updated 34-bed Neurosciences ICU, a separate 20 bed dedicated Stroke Unit, a 10 bed Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and additional step down and hospital floor beds for neurological disorders all located on the 8th floors of the North and West Pavilions, interconnected via a sky bridge. We have more than 2,400 Neurology inpatient admissions per year representing the full spectrum of acute and tertiary referral neurological disorders.
Our Neurology faculty outpatient practices are in The Kirklin Clinic. We provide care for neurological disorders through over 34,000 outpatient visits annually. Outpatients have access to a comprehensive range of modern diagnostic services, including neuroimaging, electrodiagnostic studies, neuropsychological evaluations, and neurogenetics studies. We also provide referrals to a comprehensive range of other specialties and providers, including physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Our clinical care is provided in the context of a vibrant neuroscience research community which has expanded rapidly in the last five years. Over 250 UAB faculty are part of the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, spanning the range of disciplines from molecular studies to psychology and everything in between.
A highlight of the research programs in our department is the Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, a program directed at finding cures for Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, ALS, Huntington disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions. We also have a broad array of research programs in other areas, ranging from laboratory studies to cutting-edge clinical trials.
We believe that education is the key to the future, and we are actively engaged at every level. We offer comprehensive training in Neurology to students at the Heersink School of Medicine and visiting medical students. We have a residency program which trains the neurologists of tomorrow to diagnosis and treat the full spectrum of neurological disorders.
Perhaps as important as all of the above are the outstanding camaraderie and cooperative spirit that exist throughout the department, and each day we are truly excited about and look forward to coming to work. Furthermore, we all take pride in our department and institution, and excellence and mutual respect for one another are our standards.
If we can be of service to you, please call on us.