Advances in Neurology & Neurosurgery

Columbia University Irving Medical Center ranks consistently among the top three institutions in the country receiving National Institutes of Health funding for neurology research and is a top producer of academically active neurologists. Indeed, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center is a destination of choice for patients with neurologic diseases and disorders who seek out our expertise and experience from the metropolitan area and throughout the country.

Experts in Neurodegenerative Diseases

From Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to less common disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease, patients and their families come to NewYork-Presbyterian to meet with leaders in the understanding and management of these complex and life-changing disorders.

• NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia has been a federally funded research site for Alzheimer's disease since 1989. Our clinicians and scientists are making inroads at the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Columbia University (one of 29 specialized centers around the country sponsored by the National Institute on Aging).
• The Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence at Columbia University offers comprehensive genetic counseling and testing services for individuals with a family history of Huntington's, and comprehensive care and support for those diagnosed with the disease as well as their families.
• Researchers at the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Multidisciplinary Care Center and the Motor Neuron Center are conducting studies to decipher the mechanisms behind ALS and to identify new targets for innovative therapies. A first-in-humans clinical trial of an intrathecal oligonucleotide in ALS is underway and showing encouraging findings.
• The Center for Movement Disorder Surgery—a collaboration between the Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery—has developed into one of the busiest and most experienced centers for deep brain stimulation techniques for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.

Leadership in Neuroimmunology

The Division of Neuroimmunology is an international center for the care of patients with multiple sclerosis and other immune disorders affecting the brain and spinal cord and for innovative, transformative translational research in neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases of adults and children. Our investigators led a seminal study examining more than 47,000 patients with multiple sclerosis and 68,000 controls with multiple genome-wide association studies, identifying the genetic underpinnings of MS and implicating peripheral immune cells and microglia in susceptibility (Science. 27 September 2019).

Optimizing Stroke Care and Research

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is certified by the Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest level of stroke certification a hospital can receive. Our Stroke Center is a joint Neurology/Neurosurgery Program with state-of-the-art capability in acute stroke, brain hemorrhage, thrombectomy, and vascular malformations. In addition to prompt and exemplary patient care, including clot-busting and thrombectomy techniques, our neurologists participate in NIH StrokeNet and NeuroNEXT, which are networks of U.S. centers conducting clinical trials of stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, with the shared goal of optimizing patient outcomes.

Advancing Clinical Research for Brain Tumors

The Department of Neurology has five full-time neuro-oncologists who are leaders in the management of glioblastoma and other brain tumors. Clinical trials of promising new therapies offer the most hope for patients with malignant brain tumors, each of whom are evaluated for eligibility in these vital studies. Our Brain Tumor Center is a joint program in Neurology/Neurosurgery for primary and metastatic brain cancers. We are leaders in providing access to rapid care and management as well as research.