Vascular Neurology Fellowship

Vascular Neurology Fellowship

The Vascular Neurology Fellowship is a 1-year clinical program with an option for a second year in clinical research and stroke trials training as part of the NIH-funded Coordinating Stroke Center at UCSF. We are seeking to train leaders in the fields of stroke neurology and clinical research. The program is ACGME accredited. The clinical year provides the necessary rotations in vascular neurology, neuroradiology and neurorehabilitation medicine required for Vascular Neurology board eligibility. Clinical rotations include outpatient stroke clinic, inpatient stroke care, rehabilitation medicine and electives. Fellows obtain extensive experience in the management of acute ischemic stroke with intravenous thrombolytics and endovascular methods, including intra-arterial thrombolysis and thrombectomy. Fellows administer and interpret transcranial Doppler testing for vasospasm and learn to interpret duplex ultrasonography of the carotid. Additionally, fellows obtain extensive experience in interpreting neuroimaging including MRI, CT angiography, CT perfusion and conventional angiography.

Applicants who wish to pursue a career in clinical stroke research should apply for the 2-year fellowship. The second year of fellowship will focus on clinical research methodology. This additional year will offer didactic teaching in the basics of biostatistics, epidemiology and study design. Fellows will be matched with a research mentor and will carry out his or her own research project, with the expectation that fellows will complete a first-authored manuscript and/or present at a national meeting.

Current Unique Clinical interests:

The Stroke Recovery Initiative at UCSF is designed to help people who have had a stroke connect with researchers who are applying the latest science and technology to test new treatments for stroke recovery. http://strokerecoveryinitiative.ucsf.edu/.

We are designated as a center of excellence for patient’s with cavernomas: Angioma Alliance.

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia is also a disease which we participate in a multidisciplinary treatment approach https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/specialty-imaging/HHT#accordion-professional-staff

Pulsatile tinnitus clinic is the only multidisciplinary resource for patients who suffer from this condition, which can be caused by a vascular malformation or other neurologic conditions. https://radiology.ucsf.edu/pulsatile-tinnitus

Neuro-Emergency Research Group Stroke Studies

NIH-sponsored trials:

StrokeNet

ARCADIA—AtRial Cardiopathy and Antithrombotic Drugs In prevention After cryptogenic stroke

  • UCSF PI: Karl Meisel, MD
  • ZSFGH PI: Wade Smith MD, PhD
  • Study populations: Ischemic stroke (ESUS with atrial cardiopathy)
  • Purpose: The primary objective is to test the hypothesis that apixiban is superior to aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke in subjects with ESUS and atrial cardiopathy. The primary aim is to test the hypothesis that apixaban is superior to aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke in subjects with cryptog
  • Enrolling at: UCSF; ZSFGH

Industry-sponsored:

BASE—Biomarkers for Acute Stroke Study

  • PI: Debbie Madhok, MD
  • Study Population: Ischemic Stroke
  • Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of clinically developed blood tests to stratify ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack patients by cause.
  • Enrolment at: UCSF; ZSFGH

Stroke AF – Rate of Atrial fibrillation through 12 months in patients with recent ischemic stroke of presumed known origin.

  • PI: Karl Meisel, MD
  • Study Population: Ischemic stroke (suspected large or small vessel cervical or intracranial atherosclerosis)
  • Purpose: The purpose of the Stroke AF study is to compare the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) through 12 months between continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring with the Reveal LINQ™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) (continuous monitoring arm) and standard of care (SoC) medical treatment (control arm) in subjects with a recent ischemic stroke of presumed known origin.
  • Enrolling at: UCSF

Department/Gift Funded:

EPISODE-- Measuring cardiac head impulse to detect acute large vessel ischemic stroke

  • PI: Wade Smith, MD, PhD
  • Study Population: All code strokes who have undergone stroke imaging
  • Purpose: Obtain physiological measurements within 30 minutes of baseline stroke imaging in order to develop algorithms for Head Pulse as well as Ceribell portable EEG that differentiate between emergent LVO, ICH and stroke mimics
  • Enrolling at: UCSF

How to Apply

All Vascular Neurology fellowship applicants will use a centralized application through eras. Please follow instructions on the link below: https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/eras/fellowship_applicants/ .

Please check http://www.nrmp.org/participating-fellowships/ for details about the fellowship match.

Please direct any questions to our Program Coordinator, Virginia Schuler, at [email protected].

UCSF Department of Neurology
505 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0114
San Francisco, CA 94143-0114

Phone: 415-502-1453 or 415-476-1489
Fax: 415-476-3428

Lauren Patrick, MD
Vascular Neurology Fellowship Program Director