The primary goal of the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh is to improve patient care and treatment - this is accomplished through state of the research practices. The department has sustained a commitment to excellence in the three major components of academic medicine: teaching, clinical care and research that help advance medical knowledge and therapies.

With a significant number of patients with neurological diseases rising and enrolling in clinical trials, clinical research within the department continues to expand. The publicity of participating in clinical trials is an invaluable resource for not only the continued development of research, but also attracting patients to our medical center (UPMC). The department’s clinical research program has two major research centers: The UPMC Stroke Institute and the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Other clinical research concentrations include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, headache and neuromuscular disorders.

The department’s basic research has a strong program that aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases and develop new treatment strategies for these disorders. The Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Geriatric Research Education Center and Clinical Center make up the department’s basic research program; other areas of focus include neuromuscular disorders, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy.

Research funding for clinical, basic and translational training has steadily increased over the last several years; in FY2022 the neurology department received $13,326,682 in total federal support.