About the Department of Neurology

Epilepsy Fellowship

Our program is accredited by the by the ACGME and it provides fellows the opportunity for training in the evaluation and management of patients with epilepsy in a diverse environment while having access to the robust resources of Rutgers University. Successful applicants should complete a neurology or child neurology residency in an ACGME-accredited program and be board-eligible or board-certified in neurology or child neurology.

Learn More About the Epilepsy Fellowship

Vascular Neurology Fellowship

The goal of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship Residency Program is to train outstanding Vascular neurologists who are astute in neuroscience, compassionate in care and resilient in adversity.  We accomplish this through intensive, supervised exposure to inpatients and outpatients, weekly formal didactics and mentored scholarly activity.  Our program prepares fellows for a career in academic medicine or private practice

Learn More About the Vascular Neurology Fellowship

The Neurology Clerkship is a required 4-week clinical clerkship that is currently available throughout the academic year to third- and fourth-year medical students. Students rotate at RWJ University Hospital, JFK Neuroscience Institute, and Monmouth Medical Center where they are exposed to a diversity of neurological disorders of varying acuity in the outpatient and inpatient setting. Whenever possible, the student schedule is modeled on resident schedule with pre-rounding, morning attending rounds, afternoon clinics, sign-out and short calls for an accurate representation of life as a neurology trainee.

The Neurology learning curve is practically vertical, and we get it. Our innovative educational approach centers around flipped classroom learning. In this model, students are asked to review background content by watching a specially produced YouTube review video, confirm their understanding of material with a brief self-assessment quiz, analyze case scenarios in facilitated structured live discussions, and problem solve during a small-group hybrid neurological emergency simulation. Students also participate in small-group Teaching Preceptor sessions, where they receive a more personalized chief-complaint based diagnostic training.

Student learning is marked by the Reporter, Interpreter, Manager, Education paradigm.

• During the first week of the clerkship, students are expected to practice and demonstrate proficiency as reporters. They gather appropriate, chronological and organized history with a focus on the chief complaint and practice complete neurological examinations guided by the history.
• During the second week, the focus is shifted towards interpreting the data, and students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in integrating their historical and exam findings to generate at least three localizations of lesions in the nervous system to explain the findings, and at least three pathological conditions that may be responsible for these lesions.
• During the last two weeks of the clerkship, students are expected to become managers by demonstrating meaningful contributions to patient care and suggesting appropriate tests and therapies. Also, students are encouraged to educate the patient and healthcare team by supporting their clinical decision making with high quality evidence.

So, you think you want to become a neurologist? Do you want to gain confidence in managing a variety of neurological disorders? Do you need a recommendation letter for residency applications? We have the answer.

The 4-week Advanced Clinical Neurology rotation is available as an elective throughout the academic year to third- and fourth-year medical students who demonstrate satisfactory completion of the required neurology clerkship. Students have a choice for 4 inpatient neurological services (Stroke primary service, Neurocritical care service, General Neurology consultation service, and Pediatric Neurology consultation service) and up to 4 afternoons of neurology subspecialty clinic (one clinic per week).

Students are expected to become primary providers for patients (no more than 4 simultaneously), and appreciate subtleties of history taking and neurological examination, diagnostic uncertainty, and management of complex diagnostic issues through independent literature search and evidence-based medicine.  Students will join daily resident didactics and grand rounds and should get accustomed to self-directed learning. The focus of this rotation is to afford the student a neurology resident level experience and to prepare them for a future career in neurology. All budding neurologists are welcome!

Would you like to gain confidence managing neurological emergencies? Would you like the ability to come up with an accurate neurological differential diagnosis in the 3 minutes it takes to obtain a head CT? Is the Advanced Clinical Neurology elective is not challenging enough for you?

Try the 4-week Stroke And Neurocritical Care Subspecialty Subinternship. This rotation is not for the faint of heart and is open as an elective throughout the academic year to third- and fourth-year medical students who demonstrate satisfactory completion of the required neurology clerkship. Students may choose to spend 4 weeks on the inpatient Stroke service, inpatient Neurocritical care service, or split their time between the two services. There is no outpatient component, and students are expected to take overnight call once per week and one weekend call (see schedule sample).

Students are expected to become primary providers for patients (no more than 5 simultaneously) and learn to manage neurological emergencies such as stroke codes and intracranial pressure crises, appreciate subtleties of history taking and neurological examination (especially in comatose and poorly responsive patients), diagnostic uncertainty, and management of complex diagnostic issues through independent literature search and evidence-based medicine. The focus of this rotation is to afford the student a neurology resident level experience and to prepare them for a future career in neurology. Come prepared, and we will facilitate the next step of your training!

From the brain only, arises our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as sorrows, pains, griefs and tears.

Hippocrates

Igor Rybinnik, Vascular Neurologist and Neurology Clerkship Director at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has developed a YouTube Channel called "The Neurophile" which provides learners with helpful videos geared towards diving into various neurological issues of study. 

Neurophobia is defined as the “fear of neural sciences and clinical neurology due to… inability of students to apply basic science knowledge” (Jozefowicz RF, 1994). This terrible disorder has a 50% prevalence, affects all genders equally, has familial predilection and bimodal distribution. First manifestation occurs during the preclinical neuroscience course, condition flairs during the Neurology clerkship. Here at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, we are pushing the boundaries of Neurophobia treatment. Our latest intervention is a YouTube channel “The Neurophile,” which is currently undergoing rigorous testing. We design and post review lectures on various neurological topics. Ask your educator if the Neurophile is right for you.

Warning: May cause an irresistible urge to localize lesions and diagnose neurological patients. Some cases are intractable, leading to students becoming neurologists. Caution is advised.

The Department of Neurology works closely with the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research and the Institute for Neurological Therapeutics.

Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis

• The Role of Gut Bacteria (microbiome) in Multiple Sclerosis: Suhayl Dhib Jalbut, MD & Kouichi Ito, PhD
• Cognitive Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis: Jasdeep Hundal, MD, Vikram Bhise, MD & Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD

Clinical Trials in Movement Disorder

• CHID Enroll-HD: A Prospective Registry Study in Global Huntington's Disease Cohort

Clinical Trials in Epilepsy

• SLATE The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Visualase MRI-guided laser ablation system for necrotization or coagulation of epileptogenic foci in patients with intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
• Pivotal-Safety and Therapeutic Measures of tDCS in Patients with Refractory Focal Epilepsy This is a multiple site, randomized, double blinded parallel-group controlled study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy, safety, and tolerability of repeated, daily sessions with the STARSTIM device, which delivers transcranial cathodal direct current stimulation (tDCS). 

Clinical Trials in Neurocognitive/Behavioral 

• Long COVID and Memory: Our post-COVID research seeks to better understand long COVID symptoms, especially those related to memory and thinking (“brain fog”). We believe that inflammation related to the initial COVID-19 continues to impact some people’s memory and thinking and are seeking to understand why some people go onto develop these persistent symptoms, while others do not.
  • Eligibility: Any adults (18+) that have experienced a COVID-19 infection are eligible to participate, regardless of if they have Long COVID symptoms. 
• Memory and Aging Study: this study seeks to better understand aging & dementia.
  • Eligibility: Healthy middle-aged and older adults, as well as people with memory and thinking problems due to: mild Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
• South Asian Brain Health Study: This study seeks to better understand patterns of aging in people of South Asian descent and how brain aging differs between people. To participate, you'll be invited to our research center in Piscataway, NJ to have a brain MRI and perform memory and thinking activities guided by one of our research staff members. Participants will also be sent an email link to complete online surveys.
  • Eligibility: You may be eligible to participate if you are of South Asian descent, over 60-years old and English-speaking.

Study Contact (for all listed above): Alice Dawson, M.A., phone: 732-595-6336, email: memory411@rutgers.edu.

Clinical Trials in Stroke

• CHARM: Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficavy and Safety of Intravenous BIIB093 (Glibenclamide) for Severe Cerebral Edema Following Large Hemispheric Infarction (CHARM)
• Stroke Rehabilitation Reasearch Project: Testing early initiation of neuro rehabilitation on its impact on reduced hospital length of stay, hospital readmission rate, and improvement on long term follow up. PI: Dr. Kiwon Lee

The Department of Neurology provides diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and management for a range of neurological disorders in adults and children. We treat patients with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, or muscles. Our physicians and health care professionals emphasize excellence in disease prevention and compassionate patient care.

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