Neurology Research

At The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, we have received notable NIH and elite foundation funded grants for the advanced study of one of the widest ranges of neurological diseases worldwide and are also spearheading numerous complementary clinical trial initiatives to further define treatments and discover new and innovative research initiatives and comprehensive programs to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure neurologic diseases. Our internationally-renowned physician-scientists and biomedical researchers continue to pave the way for novel treatments and diagnostic breakthroughs through our novel clinical, translational and basic science research portfolio. This encompasses pioneering work in neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, neuro-oncology, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, pediatric and adult epilepsy, neurogenetic disorders, migraine, headache and facial pain, sleep-wake disorders, neurotoxicology, pediatric communication disorders, neurological infectious disease, neuropsychology and additional classes of rare disorders. Our Einstein Aging Study, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging and Center for the Aging Brain have been cornerstones of our aging research focus and unique clinical care models that continue to represent national and international resources for collaborative scholarship, training and breakthrough technologies that extend beyond Montefiore Einstein.

Our interdisciplinary culture has allowed us to develop the paradigm-shifting “lifespan” concept that neurological conditions represent “lifespan disorders”. This has two important implications for advanced diagnosis and treatment. First, with regard to childhood and early onset disorders, we have pioneered the concept and practice that as the brain changes during critical periods of adult life and aging, different treatment modalities are required to most efficaciously provide continuing care. We represent one of the few institutions internationally that focuses on preserving and enhancing neurological functions and quality of life for adult survivors of serious developmental disorders. As medical breakthroughs have increased the median survival of these profound developmental disorders, we offer a destination site encompassing the latest and emerging knowledge, treatments and advanced technologies that offer patients and families hope that their loved ones can lead increasingly productive and fulfilling lives as they age. From our world-defining Center for Autism and Pediatric Communication Disorders to our Center for Rett Syndrome, Center for Neurocutaneous Disorders and the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, as well as the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Montefiore Einstein continues to lead the nation and the world in these essential initiatives.

Second, our “lifespan” concept has also enabled us to advance our understanding and management of aging and neurodegenerative disorders. This has led to the revolutionary understanding that both normal and pathological aging may, in fact, start as early as conception, dramatically changing the view that neurodegenerative disorders represent a novel class of developmental disorders, with profound implications for diagnosis and treatment for currently untreatable and rapidly progressive and debilitating disorders. Our revolutionary “lifespan” concept that neurological diseases may appear throughout life, as early as conception, not only allows us to form insights into common mechanisms, but also enables us to identify molecular targets through specialized laboratory studies, develop better treatments, and identify biomarkers for early disease detection as well as advanced diagnostics to track the efficacy of therapeutics. We also have one of the leading neural stem cell laboratories in the world and are at the forefront of emerging technologies employing advanced cellular birth-dating, neural cell fate mapping in single-cell multi-omics analysis incorporating the fields of epigenetics, proteomics, lipid biology and neuroimmune memory states. Through the discovery of the epigenome and by studying advanced molecular technology, we can better understand the complex patterns of genes that control memory and higher-order behavioral functions, with the anticipation that the combination of cellular reprogramming/rejuvenation and dynamic pathological tissue remodeling including the development of biodynamic scaffolds will be utilized to reestablish healthy states from injured tissues.