It is a privilege to welcome you to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurology – our department is proud to have a strong history and tradition of excellence in the delivery and development of neurologic care. Our main location in the neighborhood of Oakland in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania provides quaternary care with transfers and referrals regionally, nationally, and internationally. Our department has a strong commitment to the community – we have physicians located in UPMC centers of excellence in Pittsburgh and other regional locations around Pennsylvania.
The faculty and staff of our department is a group of immensely talented and hardworking individuals working in one of the nation’s top medical centers. We deliver the best possible care and advance the field of neurology through innovative and high-impact research, all while training the next generation of neurologic leaders.
There are several incredible, technical approaches our clinicians use to treat patients, and we also have close partnerships with physicians in other departments; personalized treatment for each patient is always possible and we strive to be as precise as possible. As clinicians, patient care and recovery are our top priority, but we are also committed to advancing and improving how neurologic care is delivered. Our faculty members and trainees are tenacious, brilliant individuals who are always ready for the opportunity to be part of innovations that will lead the future of neurologic patient care.
Through excellent academic leadership, I am proud to say that our neurology residency training program is thriving! With more than ninety clinical faculty members bringing substantial expertise in every area of neurology, our residents have ample opportunities to become accomplished neurologists by learning from experienced teachers and the many patients who trust us to provide their medical care. Given the large scope of clinical neurology services at UPMC, residents provide care for patients with almost every neurological diagnosis; through these diagnoses they can see the manifestations of underlying illnesses.
Our department’s research funding has also drastically increased over a five-year period. In the fiscal year of 2022, the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurology had a total federal budget of $13,326,682, thirty-one NIH-funded investigators and thirteen NIH-funded physician-scientists. We have also partnered with the University of Pittsburgh Department of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement to raise a considerable amount of philanthropic donations through the Grateful Patient donation program.
Our department is currently in the midst of a growth and development phase – in addition to recruiting new faculty and advancing current faculty into leadership roles, we are working relentlessly to reimagine our administrative structure to improve communication across the department and within the many internal teams. By restructuring and expanding our administrative team, we will therefore be able to expand clinical services and our geographical footprint not only in our main Oakland location, but in our community locations as well.
The field of neurology is on the brink of major breakthroughs, and I cannot think of a better place than the to help shepherd these changes than the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. I am so grateful and motivated to lead a team that chooses – day after day – to work relentlessly towards advancing neurologic patient care.
Please feel free to contact me or any member of our leadership team with questions.
Cheers and hope to see you in the future in Pittsburgh,
Page B. Pennell, MD, FAES (she/her/hers)
Chair, Department of Neurology
Henry B. Higman Professor of Neurology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
pennellpb@upmc.edu