Medical Research Board
Allison Ashley-Koch, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
Allison Ashley-Koch, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Section of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. She received her PhD in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University in 1997. Her research focuses on the genetic epidemiology of Mendelian and complex genetic disorders. In terms of Mendelian inherited disorders, she is working to identify novel genes involved in muscular dystrophy, as well as to identify genes that modify the clinical severity ("genetic modifiers") of sickle cell disease.
Dr. Ashley-Koch is also interested in the genetics of essential tremor, which has been described as a Mendelian disorder, but may have a more complex inheritance in most cases. Much of her work focuses on complex disorders of a neurological or psychiatric nature. Dr. Ashley-Koch is working to identify novel genes and gene-gene and gene-environment interactions which contribute to the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTD's), including anencephaly and spina bifida. She is also studying the genetic etiology of Chiari type I malformation, with or without syringomyelia (CMI) and serves on the scientific board of the Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Ashley-Koch and colleagues are investigating improved phenotyping methods, such as imaging techniques, to better identify individuals within CMI families who are "at risk" and ultimately to identify associated genes. Another primary interest is the genetic basis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, particularly with respect to the influence of genetic factors which contribute to the variability in the presentation of ADHD symptoms across development. A related interest is the co-occurrence of smoking and ADHD and the genetic liabilities which may be in common across these conditions.
Dr. Ashley-Koch has several other psychiatric studies that are also on-going, including the genetic basis of autism, bipolar disorder, depression and trichotillomania. Additionally, she is part of larger, collaborative efforts to examine the very complex interplay among genetic, social and environmental factors as they contribute to premature birth and low birthweight, as well as risk for cardiovascular disease. In all her studies, Dr. Ashley-Koch is taking a variety of molecular approaches to identify putative genes, including selected candidate gene association analysis, whole genome association/linkage analysis, and candidate gene mutation analysis.
Contact Dr. Ashley-Koch.
Ulrich Batzdorf, MD - Executive
Committee
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, California
Dr. Batzdorf has been associated with UCLA for over 35
years and is Professor and Director of Spinal Neurosurgery and
Director of the Spine Center. Specializing in spinal neurosurgery,
Dr. Batzdorf's primary focus is in the treatment of syringomyelia,
and spinal cord tumors. He has published numerous articles about
surgical techniques for SM/CM and is considered a leader in
research regarding spinal syringomyelia.
Contact Dr. Batzdorf.
Edward C. Benzel, MD - Executive
Committee
The Cleveland Clinics Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio
Edward C. Benzel, MD, is Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery and Director,
Center for Spine Health, at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Benzel's major clinical interests embrace many aspects of neurosurgery, but are focused on spinal disorders including cervical spondylosis, syringomyelia and Chiari malformation, complex spine instrumentation, and spine tumors. Clinical research has encompassed such issues as hydrocephalus, neonatal hemorrhage, cerebrovascular disorders, cranial trauma, critical care, brain death, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and of course, spinal disorders.
He has been actively involved in the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgery, North American Spine Society (NASS), and Cervical Spine Research Society. He serves on numerous committees, and in different positions on the Board of Directors of the various societies. Dr. Benzel just recently completed his tenure as Chairman of the World Spine Society (WSS), whose mission is to "improve spine health worldwide."
Dr. Benzel holds several patents and has participated in many medical advances. He is perhaps best known as an educator. He directed the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program, and the Spine Fellowship Programs at the University of New Mexico, and currently directs these programs at the Cleveland Clinic. His innovation in Neurosurgery Resident Education has won accolades and numerous awards.
Contact Dr. Benzel.
Paolo A. Bolognese, MD
The Chiari Institute
Great Neck, New York
A native of Torino, Italy, Paolo A. Bolognese, M.D.,
graduated cum laude from the Medical School of the University of
Turin. In 1990, he completed his neurosurgical training at the same
university under the guidance of Professor Victor A. Fasano, an
international leader in the field of high-tech applied to
neurosurgery.
During this time, Dr. Bolognese became the leading worldwide expert in the field of laser Doppler flowmetry applied to neurosurgery and the top European figure in the field of neurosurgical intraoperative ultrasound. Upon the death of his former mentor, in 1992 he accepted the invitation of Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat to transfer his laser Doppler research to the United States and to be retrained under Dr. Milhorat at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn.In addition to his U.S. neurosurgical training, Dr. Bolognese became the first trainee of the Fellowship in the Surgical Management of Chiari I Malformation and Related Disorders under Dr. Milhorat.
In August 2001, Dr. Bolognese joined Dr. Milhorat at the Departments of Neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center and as Associate Director of the Chiari Institute.
Contact Dr. Bolognese.
Richard G. Ellenbogen, MD - Executive
Committee
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Dr. Ellenbogen is Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of
Washington. He is the Theodore S. Roberts Endowed Chair
in Pediatric Neurological Surgery. He is Past President of the
Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He focuses his clinical work on
pediatric and adult Chiari malformations, congenital brain and
spine anomalies, and brain tumors. His past and current NIH
research includes the fields of Chiari
malformations, nanotechnology and molecular imaging of
brain tumors.
Contact Dr. Ellenbogen
Timothy M. George, MD
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas
Austin, Texas
Dr. George moved to Austin, Texas in 2006 from Durham,
North Carolina where he was the Associate Professor of
Neurosurgery, Pediatrics and Neurobiology at Duke University.
He is currently Chief of Service of the Pediatric Neurosciences and
Neurosurgery at the Dell Children's Medical Center where he
oversees the clinical and translational research programs. Dr.
George completed his medical training at New York University; his
residency in Neurosurgery at Yale University School of Medicine;
and his Pediatric Fellowship at Children's Memorial Hospital in
Chicago. He is board certified by the American Board of
Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric
Neurological Surgery. Dr. George is also a member of the American
Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, Congress of Neurological
Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics and other scientific
societies and organizations.
Current areas of research include genomics and surgical outcomes of Chiari malformation, cranial nerve stimulation for pediatric epilepsy, genomics of neural tube defects, and molecular and cellular mechanisms and abnormal development of the spinal cord.
Contact Dr. George
Barth A. Green, MD
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
University of Miami School of Medicine
Miami, Florida
Dr. Green is presently Professor and Chairman, Department
of the Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami, Miller
School of Medicine. He specializes in the surgical management of
complex spine and spinal cord injuries and disorders.
In 1985, his research and clinical activities led to his joining hands with the Buoniconti family co-founding The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, today the largest and most productive spinal cord injury and paralysis research center in the world.
Dr. Green also co-founded Shake-A-Leg Miami with Harry Horgan which started as an adaptative watersport center and later added a major emphasis on combining education with recreation. Presently, the program annually serves over 12,000 thousand children and adults with physical, developmental, and economic challenges.
Project Medishare for Haiti is another collaborative effort that Dr. Green co-founded with Dr. Arthur Fournier. This organization provides community health services to over 70,000 Haitians living in one of the most underserved regions of the nation among its many educational and medical programs.
Most recently, Dr. Green and Kathy Andersen with the support of Dean Pascal Goldschmidt co-founded the University of Miami Global Institute for Community Health and Development. This is a university-wide program focused on improving healthcare and advancing community development in our hemisphere.
Even after more than 30-years of his academic practice, Dr. Green pursues his work every day with a passion and energy admired by his peers and colleagues.
Contact Dr. Green.
Victor Haughton, MD
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Victor Haughton is Professor of Radiology at the
University of Wisconsin. He graduated from Harvard College in 1961
and Yale University School of Medicine in 1968. He has, during his
academic career, written scientific reports and chapters on imaging
the spine. He has studied arachnoiditis, spine anatomy and spine
imaging with NIH support. Recently he has applied dynamic imaging
and quantitative MR to the study of disk degeneration. With Medical
Physics, he has initiated studies in the measurement of CSF flow in
patients with Chiari I malformation. His present interests include
MR Spectroscopy and functional MR imaging of the brain.
Contact Dr. Haughton.
John D. Heiss, MD
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
Dr. Heiss is Head, Clinical Unit, in the Surgical
Neurology Branch, NINDS, at the National Institutes of Health in
Bethesda, Maryland and Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, George
Washington University, Washington, DC. He is the Principal
Investigator of clinical research protocols that examine the
pathophysiology of syringomyelia and the genetics of Chiari I
malformation. He is Vice-Chair of the NINDS Institutional Review
Board and former Chairman of the Surgical Administrative
Committee.
An expert in surgery for brain tumors, syringomyelia, and epilepsy, Dr. Heiss has lectured extensively on various topics in neuroscience and neurosurgery, and has published dozens of original research papers, review articles, and abstracts based on his research. He has served on grant review panels for the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Heiss is board certified in neurological surgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Contact Dr. Heiss.
Bermans Iskandar, MD - Executive
Committee
University of Wisconsin Hospitals
Madison, Wisconsin
At Duke University, where he obtained his residency
training, Dr. Iskandar developed a special interest
in pediatric neurosurgery as well as studying
regeneration of the central nervous system. Currently, Dr.
Iskandar's research focuses on the relationship between the
folate pathway, folic acid, and repair of the brain and spinal cord
after injury. His clinical research focuses
on foramen magnum flow analyses in Chiari I and
syringomyelia. Dr. Iskandar conducts the Pediatric
Neurosurgery Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and
Clinics.
Contact Dr. Iskandar.
Roger W. Kula, MD - Executive
Committee
The Chiari Institute
Great Neck, New York
Roger W. Kula, M.D., has been Medical Director of the
Chiari Institute since 2003. He received his neurology
training at the University of California Hospitals, San Francisco,
where his exposure to the influence of then-chairman Robert A.
Fishman, M.D., first stimulated his interest in spinal fluid
physiology.
In 1977, he established a neuromuscular disease program at the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn as assistant professor of neurology. He went on to establish one of the most clinically active Muscular Dystrophy Association clinics in the tri-state area and developed a national reputation in the study and treatment of autoimmune neuromuscular diseases, motor neuron diseases and muscular dystrophy. He was honored for his dedication to the clinical care of patients by being named the first recipient of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Ade T. Milhorat Humanitarian Award in 1998.
After an increasingly close collaboration with Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat through the 1990's, his interests expanded to include the diverse and subtle neurological symptoms plaguing Chiari and syringomyelia patients. He has been a funded investigator with grants supported by the American Syringomyelia Alliance Project, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and numerous pharmaceutical groups such as Amgen, Regeneron, Ahhott Labs and Burroughs-Wellcome.
Contact Dr. Kula.
Francis Loth, PhD
University of Akron
Akron, Ohio
Francis Loth has an appointment at the University of
Akron as the F. Theodore Harrington Endowed Chair in Mechanical
Engineering as an Associate Professor. Along with his teaching
duties, he conducts research in the area of biofluids which is the
fluid dynamics of biological flows. Dr. Loth is conducting research
directed towards determining the fluid dynamics parameters which
are present in vivo using experimental and numerical techniques.
These parameters are correlated with biological information about
the disease progression. The overall goal is better understanding
of disease for improved treatment and diagnosis. He is
investigating the fluid dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid. CSF motion
can be measured by magnetic resonance imaging and may be of
clinical importance in the diagnosis of several brain-related
disorders such as Chiari malformation and syringomyelia.
Contact Dr. Loth.
Dominic J. Marino, DVM, DACVS
Long Island Veterinary Specialists
Plainview, New York
Dr. Dominic J. Marino is the Chairman of the Department
of Surgery and Chief of Staff of Long Island Veterinary
Specialists, an internationally recognized veterinary specialty
center with a staff of over 180. Dr. Marino was honored with both
the Martin and Beatrice Weiser Outstanding Research Award and the
North Shore Animal League Petering Scholarship Award during his
residency. He is board certified by the American College of
Veterinary Surgeons and is the former head of
Orthopedic/Neurosurgery service at the Animal Medical Center in New
York City.
Dr. Marino has published many scientific articles, and authored chapters in veterinary medical textbooks. He lectures extensively on many surgical topics including soft tissue, orthopedic and neurosurgery. Dr. Marino served as chairman of the Eastern Veterinary Orthopedic Society for several years and is on the National Advisory Board of North Shore Animal League America. He serves as the surgical consultant to: The Humane Society of New York, NY; Nassau University Medical Center, Uniondale, NY; North Shore Animal League America, Port Washington, NY; Bide-A-Wee Animal Adoption Center, Wantagh, NY; The Guide Dog Foundation, Smithtown, NY; Sweet Briar Nature Preserve, Smithtown, NY; and is an active executive board member of the Police Surgeons Benevolent Association. NY.
Contact Dr. Marino.
Arnold Menezes, MD
University of Iowa College of Medicine
Iowa City, Iowa
Dr. Arnold Menezes is Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of
Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa.
He has played a significant role in the development of the department and its
teaching activities. His main areas of interest have been pediatric and spinal
neurosurgery as well as the posterior skull base. He has been active in
furthering these sections of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
as well as the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and is a founding member of
the North American Skull Base Society.
He has authored over 175 peer-reviewed publications, 102 book chapters and serves on seven editorial boards. His major textbooks include the first textbook on Craniovertebral Junction Abnormalities and Principles of Spinal Surgery, in addition to numerous monographs including "Spinal Neurosurgical Issues in the Pediatric Patient" and "The Craniovertebral Junction". He has made over 850 scientific presentations, including 56 visiting professorships throughout the United States and abroad. He was instrumental in setting up spinal neurosurgery programs and fostering specialty education in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.
Dr. Menezes was the honored guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in 2004. He is the president elect of the Neurosurgical Society of America (President 2008-2009).
Contact Dr. Menezes.
Miseo Nishikawa, MD, Japan
The Chiari Institute
Great Neck, New York
Dr. Misao Nishikawa graduated from Osaka City University Medical
School in 1987, with dual degrees: Doctorate of Medical Science and
Physiopathology (D.M.Sc. and Ph.D.) His major field of research and
interest centered on Chiari malformation and syringomyelia. Dr.
Nishikawa then went on for additional training, serving as a
Scholar for Developmental Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, at
the Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon (focusing in
developmental biology: neural crest cell segregation and
migration). He has been a member of the Japanese Society of Spinal
Surgery since 1989, and a Teaching and Board member of the Japanese
Society of Spinal Surgery since July 2004 and the Japanese Society
for Pediatric Neurosurgery since 1993.
Dr. Nishikawa is categorized as an outstanding researcher and surgeon at the Japanese Society of Spinal Surgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery. For example, his research into the morphometry and embryology of the posterior cranial fossa, craniovertebral junction and spine resulted in the discovering of the pathogenesis of Chiari.
Dr. Nishikawa joined The Chiari Institute as Research Director of Neurosurgery in 2007. He has been studying about Chiari malformation and its related disorders with Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat and Dr. Paolo A. Bolognese, and created new diagnostic assessments in concordance with the unique pathophysiology of these disorders. He has authored many chapters and articles about Chiari malformation, syringomyelia and cranio-vertebral junction diseases.
Contact Dr. Nishikawa.