M. Maral Mouradian looking into a bifocal microscope in a lab

Institute for Neurological Therapeutics

The faculty members of the Institute for Neurological Therapeutics

Mission 

The mission of the Institute is to promote translational research for the objective of elucidating the pathogenesis of chronic incurable neurodegenerative disorders and developing novel therapies. Current emphasis by Institute investigators include Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other alpha-synucleinopathies, as well as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Specific goals in PD include the conduct of basic research in the molecular pathogenesis of the disease with a focus on genetic contributions and protein misfolding in neuronal cell death, the identification of targets for therapeutic interventions, discovery of small molecules and biologics, and testing them in animal models of disease. In addition to disease modification, investigations in the discovery and development of improved therapies for complications of chronic L-dopa therapy are also ongoing. Knowledge gained from these preclinical studies can be translated to clinical trials.

In MS, research projects focus on immunopathogenesis using animal models, mechanisms of action of MS therapies, and identification of biomarkers of treatment response. The role of the gut microbiome in disease pathogenesis is also actively being investigated.

The Institute also includes faculty investigators engaged in clinical research and trials in neurological disorders including movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke, epilepsy, and neuromuscular diseases.

The educational goals of the Institute are to provide an environment for training graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and physician scientists in translational research in neurological therapeutics. Undergraduates, medical students, and neurology residents or trainees from other departments who wish to explore research opportunities in neurologic diseases also rotate through Institute laboratories.

Faculty

M. Maral Mouradian, MD

Distinguished Professor, Vice Chancellor for Faculty Development at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Chief of Movement Disorders

Headshot of Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD

Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD

Professor and Chair of Neurology

Headshot of Hilary Grosso Jasutkar

Hilary Grosso Jasutkar, MD, PhD

Instructor

Headshot of Kouichi Ito

Kouichi Ito, PhD

Associate Professor

Headshot of Eunsung Junn

Eunsung Junn, PhD

Associate Professor

Headshot of Eleanna Kara

Eleanna Kara, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Yoon-Seong Kim

Yoon-Seong Kim, MD, PhD

Professor

Trainees from the Institute of Neurological Therapeutics

Trainees

    • Santhosh Chandar Maddila, PhD
    • Kambiz Hassanzadeh, PhD
    • Inhye Jeong, PhD
    • Azeez Ishola, PhD
    • Woomyee Bae, PhD
    • Mohadeseh Abouhosseinitabari, DVM, PhD
    • Woohyun Jo, PhD
    • MinKyung Song, PhD 
    • Hyun Huh, PhD
    • Sridhar Boppana, PhD
    • Levi Adams, PhD
    • Faheem Ullah, PhD
    • Heaji Lee, PhD
    • Jie Zhang, MD, PhD
    • Prashant Tarale, PhD
    • Run Yan, PhD
    • Xiaopei Zhang, PhD 
    • Yoon-Jee Chae, PhD
    • Tae-ho Chung, PhD
    • Vera Dias, PhD
    • Liqiang He, PhD
    • Hui Huang, PhD
    • Joo-Young Im, PhD
    • Won-Hee Jang, PhD
    • Byeong Seon Jeong, PhD
    • Kang-Woo Lee, PhD
    • Zeqian Mo, PhD
    • Vinicius Pascoal, PhD
    • Sebastian Rodriguez, PhD
    • Reuben Valenzuela, MD
    • Jong-Minn Woo, PhD
    • Shuang Liu, MD
    • Eunsu Park, PhD
    • Hye-Jin Park, PhD
    • Ikrak Jung, PhD
    • Magda Grudniewska-Lawton, PhD
    • Amrita Datta-Chaudhuri, PhD
    • Doo-Chul Choi, PhD
    • Katelyn Vandersleen
    • John Amatao - Capstone Master Degree Program
    • Tania Atanassova - Capstone Master Degree Program
    • John Gionco - Capstone Master Degree Program
    • William Walter McGinty - Capstone Master Degree Program 2013
    • Nicole Hartmann - 2012
    • Anuschka Bhatia - Capstone Master Degree Program 2013
    • Priam J. Sandiya - Capstone Master Degree Program 2014
    • Rahul Dev Rai - Capstone Master Degree Program 2015
    • Marielle Daclan - Capstone Master Degree Program 2016
    • Alan Tran - Capstone Master Degree Program 2016
    • Sarah Bush - Capstone Master Degree Program 2016
    • Selinam Norgben - Capstone Master Degree Program 2016
    • Hyunwoo Kim - Capstone Master Degree Program 2017
    • Johnlevi Lazaro - Capstone Master Degree Program 2017
    • Salman Ahmed - Capstone Master Degree Program 2017
    • Mohamed Fotouh - Capstone Master Degree Program 2018
    • Claire Stevens-Haas - Capstone Master Degree Program 2018
    • Alexander Liu - Capstone Master Degree Program 2018
    • Hilary Grosso, MD/PhD, PhD 2012
    • Stephanie Oh, MD/PhD, PhD 2017
    • Myung-Sik Yoo, PhD
    • Naoko Ito, BS
    • Elena Eubanks
    • Robert Kimelman
    • Daniel Golub
    • Eva DeYoung
    • Brigid McGovern
    • Aleta Murphy
    • Jin Chen
    • Sumandeep Sumandeep
    • John E. Mindur
    • Martin T. Mathay
    • Jun Lui, PhD
    • Sudhir Yadav, PhD

Clinical Research

Faculty investigators engage in clinical research and trials in neurological disorders including:

  • movement disorders,
  • Multiple Sclerosis,
  • stroke,
  • epilepsy,
  • and neuromuscular diseases.
Microglia are brain cells which can couse autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis

Faculty Conducting Clinical Research

Headshot of Vikram Bhise

Vikram Bhise, MD

Professor

Headshot of Jennifer Chen

Jennifer Chen, MD

Assistant Professor

Michelle Chen, PhD

Assistant Professor

Headshot of Shan Chen

Shan Chen, MD

Associate Professor

Headshot of Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD

Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD

Professor and Chair of Neurology

William Hu

William T. Hu, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Headshot of Brad Kamitaki

Brad Kamitaki, MD

Assistant Professor

Headshot of Ram Mani

Ram Mani, MD

Associate Professor

Headshot of Deviyani Mehta

Deviyani Mehta, MD

Associate Professor

Gian Pal, MD, MS

Associate Professor

Headshot of Marco Russo

Marco Russo, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Headshot of Igor Rybinnik

Igor Rybinnik, MD

Associate Professor

American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is home to an American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research. The Center is directed by M. Maral Mouradian, MD and includes a comprehensive team of experts.

APDA Centers for Advanced Research must meet the highest academic standards and be distinguished leaders in the field of Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. There are nine such Centers across the country.

APDA’s funding of this Center supports a large research program that encompasses a multidisciplinary team of scientists and expert clinicians conducting a range of studies spanning from genes, RNA, proteins, small molecules, cells, iPSCs, animal models and human studies including clinical trials. Over 25 faculty members in various departments engage in studies related to Parkinson’s disease. 

A Rutgers Health banner hangs on a light pole on campus in front of RWJMS

Contact Us

Lauren Kelly
Program Manager
683 Hoes Lane West, Room 182
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 732-235-4772
Email: lk496@rwjms.rutgers.edu