Awards & Recognitions — May 2023

Vice Chair of Research

Marwan Sabbagh, MD, a behavioral neurologist in the Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Program at Barrow, has been named the inaugural Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Neurology at Barrow. In this role, he will help lead the expansion of the Department’s extramural research and will assist in the development of programs to mentor faculty and trainees in neurologic research.

NIH R01 Grant

The National Institute on Aging has awarded Barrow scientists Elliott Mufson, PhD, and Sylvia Perez, PhD, a multiyear R01 grant for their project: “Default mode network dysfunction in Down syndrome.” Their proposal examines the molecular and cellular events underlying the selective vulnerability of frontal cortex and precuneus pyramidal neurons, two major components of the default mode network, which is dysfunctional in Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.

NIH R61 Grant

The National Institutes of Health has awarded an R61 grant to Barrow Neurological Institute, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Utah to develop next-generation imaging tools to monitor and predict nerve regeneration. Richard Dortch, PhD, director of the Neuroimaging Innovation Center at Barrow, is the principal investigator on the grant and is collaborating with Barrow neurosurgeon Rory Murphy, MD. The project will include biomarker discovery via histology-driven computer simulations and biomarker evaluation in patients with nerve trauma.

NIH R21 Grant

Ruchira Jha, MD, MSc, the Division Chief of Neurocritical Care at Barrow, has received an R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health for her proposal: “A single cell and proteomic precision medicine approach to glyburide responsive contusion expansion in severe traumatic brain injury.” The study aims to identify biomarkers and precise therapeutic targets to predict and prevent contusion expansion, a devastating secondary injury that is common after traumatic brain injury.

APA Accreditation

The American Psychological Association has accredited the Clinical Neuropsychology Residency Program at Barrow for the maximum period of 10 years, effective 2022 (the year of application). It’s one of only three accredited clinical neuropsychology residency programs in the five-state area, encompassing Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada.

ASSR President

Wende Gibbs, MD, a neuroradiologist and the director of spine imaging and intervention at Barrow, has been named president of the American Society of Spine Radiology. The ASSR consists of more than 600 active members dedicated to advancing the field of spinal disease diagnosis and therapy.

JNSPG Best of 2022

The Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group has selected two papers from Barrow Neurological Institute for its Best of 2022 list. Contributors to “Seven cavernomas and neurosurgical cartography, with an assessment of vascular waypoints” included Michael T. Lawton, MD; Christopher S. Graffeo, MD, MS; Visish Srinivasan, MD; Benjamin K. Hendricks, MD; Joshua S. Catapano, MD; Lea Scherschinski, MD; Peter M. Lawrence, MS, CMI; Kristen Larson Keil, MS, CMI; Danielle VanBrabrant, MSMI, CMI; and Michael D. Hickman, BA. “Complex cranial surgery and future of open cerebrovascular training” was authored by Dr. Graffeo; Dr. Lawton; and Michael J. Link, MD.

AAN Education Award

Justin Hoskin, MD, a neurologist in the Neuro-Otology and Balance Disorders Program at Barrow, has received a 2023 A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award from the American Academy of Neurology. The award recognizes contributions to neurology education.

Fiesta Bowl Charities Grant

Fiesta Bowl Charities awarded a $25,000 grant to Barrow Neurological Foundation. Thanks to the support of Fiesta Bowl Charities, over 73,000 high school student-athletes in Arizona were able to complete the Barrow Brainbook concussion education program this past year.

Phoenix Suns Charities Grant

Barrow Neurological Foundation was one of 19 nonprofit organizations across the Valley to be awarded a grant from Phoenix Suns Charities. The Foundation received $10,000 to support the Barrow Concussion Network, a consortium dedicated to making sports safer for student-athletes across Arizona.

Phoenix Medical Quarter Announcement

In her State of the City address, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego emphasized the position of Barrow Neurological Institute in the city’s newest designated bioscience hub in the midtown/Park Central area. The hub is officially known as the Phoenix Medical Quarter, Global Advancement of Health and Education.