Title(s)
- Chief of Neurology and Medical Director Neurology Service Line for UPMC Central and North Central PA
- Medical Director, UPMC Central and Northcentral PA Stroke Institute
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Bettermann is the chief of neurology for the UPMC Neurological Institute and hospital services in central and north central Pennsylvania. She has clinical oversight of eight UPMC Neurological Institute locations serving Annville, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Hershey, Lancaster, Mechanicsburg, Spring Grove, and Williamsport and leads the health system stroke program for those regions.
She specializes in vascular neurology and the treatment of strokes. Her research and clinical interests center acute stroke treatment and recovery, vascular dementia and around how chronic diseases like diabetes influences stroke. She is passionate about holistic health care, addressing health disparities, and understanding how partnerships with interdisciplinary care teams and community organizations can influence health outcomes.
Prior to joining UPMC Dr. Bettermann was most recently a professor of neurology and chief of the divisions of vascular and critical care neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Before that, she was a professor of neurology at Penn State College of Medicine and neurologist with Penn State Health. She has served as PI and Co-investigator in multiple clinical research studies and as mentor to students, postdocs, residents, and fellows in her research laboratory. She has authored multiple book chapters on cerebrovascular disease and has coauthored and edited reference textbooks on stroke and cerebral small vessel disease. She has extensive experience in clinical and translational stroke research and enjoys teaching of undergraduate and graduate students in the lab, at the bedside and in various didactic settings. She serves on the American Academy of Neurology subcommittee on clinical neurological research and co-leads the AAN’s Future in Neurology Research bootcamp.
Education & Training
- Fellow, Wake Forest University, Vascular Neurology
- Resident, Wake Forest University, Neurology
- Resident, University of Duesseldorf, Germany, Psychiatry
- Resident, Technical University of Munich, Germany, Neurology
- PhD, University of Heidelberg Germany
- MD, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Specialized Areas of Clinical, Research and/or Education Interests
- Clinical: Treatment of patients with stroke, TIA, cerebrovascular disease, vascular dementia; stroke recovery and secondary stroke prevention.
- Research: Acute stroke, stroke prevention, diabetic stroke, cerebral small vessel disease, retinal imaging, health disparities and health system influences on stroke outcomes.
- Education: Teaching students, residents, fellows and other learners in clinical neurology and cerebrovascular diseases. Foster the interest of students and residents in pursuing a successful career in neurological research.
Board Certifications
- Diplomate, Neurology, American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, 2004-present
- Diplomate, Vascular Neurology, American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, 2005-present
- Certification in Neurosonology, American Society of Neuroimaging, 2003-present
- Certification in the Interpretation of Neuroimaging studies (MRI and CT of the Central Nervous System), American Society of Neuroimaging, 2004-present
- Basic Training Certificate in Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine, University of South Carolina, 2003/2004-present
- Licensed Physician, State of Pennsylvania, 2007-present
- Licensed Physician, State of Virginia, 2022-present
- Licensed Physician, State of North Carolina, 2021-present
Professional Organization Membership
- American Academy of Neurology, Clinical Research Subcommittee, 2021-present
- American Academy of Neurology, co-lead for Future in Neurology Research Bootcamp, 2022-present
- American Neurological Association
- American Osler Society 2010-present
- World Stroke Organization, 2022-present
- European Stroke Organization 2022-present
- Virginia Stroke Task Force, 2021-present
- Virginia Medical Society 2022-present
- American Academy of Neurology, 2002-present
- Vascular Neurology Section, 2004-present
- Pediatric Section, 2004-present
Honors & Awards
- UPMC Physician Leadership Essentials Program training award, 2024
- Fellow, American Academy of Neurology, 2021
- American Academy of Neurology, Women Leading in Neurology Program, 2019
- Penn State University, Academic Leadership Academy Training Award, 2015
- Fellow, American Neurology Association, 2013
- Accountability Leadership for the Health Care Team, Training Award, Levinson Institute, Harvard Medical School , 2012
- Clinician Scientist Development Award, Penn State College of Medicine, 2008
Selected Recent Publications
- Sinha K, Bettermann K. Clinical Outcomes of Moderate to Severe Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Telemedicine Network. J Clin Neurosci. 2019 Nov;69:160-165. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2019.08.003. Epub 2019 Aug 27. PMID: 31471078.
- Kumari R, Bettermann K, Willing L, Sinha K, Simpson IA. The role of neutrophils in mediating stroke injury in the diabetic db/db mouse brain following hypoxia-ischemia. Neurochem Int. 2020 Oct;139:104790. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104790. Epub 2020 Jul 9. PMID: 32652270.
- Bettermann K, Sinha K, Kumari R, Fox C, Simpson IA. The peripheral immune response in hyperglycemic stroke. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2020 Aug;195:106061. doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.106061. Epub 2020 Jul 2. PMID: 32682204.
- Bettermann K, Sinha K, Kumari R, Simpson IA. The Stress-Immune Response in Acute Hyperglycemic Stroke. Med Res Archives 2020;8:1-14. doi: 10.18103/mra.v8i4.2081.
- Nyland E, Raja-Khan NT, Bettermann K, Haouzi PA, Kraschnewski, JL, Parent LJ, Grigson PS. Diabetes, Drug Treatment, and Mortality in COVID-19: A Multinational RetrospectiveCohort Study, Diabetes 2021; db210385.
