Department of Translational Neuroscience

Our Mission

Scientists at Barrow Neurological Institute are focused on research that improves the lives of patients with neurologic diseases. Barrow scientists work to discover the underlying mechanisms of diseases of the central nervous system, and work directly with our clinical colleagues to both advance our basic understanding of neurological diseases and translate these findings to the clinic, where they directly impact patient care.

Barrow scientists and physician-scientists within the Department of Translational Neuroscience are world leaders in neurodegenerative disease research, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, as well as neuroimaging, traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular diseases and stroke. They incorporate new and cutting edge technologies to explore disease pathogenesis as well as develop and test new therapies. Scientists in the Ivy Brain Tumor Center explore the mechanisms of brain tumor development and metastases, accelerate precision medicine approaches in neuro-oncology, and contribute to the largest Phase 0 clinical trials program in the world. 

Barrow is a leading institution for the development and testing of medical devices that ultimately impact neurosurgery and neurology. The Barrow Neuroimaging Innovation Center develops novel brain and spinal cord imaging techniques that create new strategies to detect and monitor neurological diseases. The Barrow Innovation Center is a unique program directed by Neurosurgery Residents that work with faculty and other trainees from Barrow and our neighboring institutions to develop new device technologies, spin out new biotech companies, and advance our core mission of innovative educational opportunities for our next generation of physician-scientists.

We have joint PhD training program with Arizona State University and offer many training opportunities for postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate students, and high school students. Our faculty are international leaders in their respective fields and, together with our trainees, actively collaborate with scientists located throughout the country and around the world.

Through our innovative and collaborative culture, we strive to better understand the biologic mechanisms underlying neurologic disorders, develop and translate improved treatments to our patients, create new surgical devices used worldwide, and train the next generation of neuroscientists and clinician-scientists.

I welcome you to further explore the research interests of our investigators, develop collaborative projects with our scientists and clinicians, and inquire about our many training programs and career opportunities.