Position Overview
The Department of Neurology at the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine is conducting a national search for a stroke physician-scientist with established research interests. Qualified candidates will be board certified in neurology with advanced training and expertise in vascular neurology and laboratory-based or other translational research interests. Ideal candidates will have a track record of success in obtaining extramural funding. The clinical team and infrastructure is in place, anchored by UK’s award-winning Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. The UK/Norton Health 27-facility Stroke Care Network is aimed at improving stroke care throughout the region. The institutional commitment to research is also in place, as evidenced by the appointment of Dr. Robert DiPaola as the new Dean of the College of Medicine; Dr. DiPaola is an accomplished translational researcher who increased external research funding to $100+ million annually as leader of the Rutgers Comprehensive Cancer Center. Consistent with the vision for the College of Medicine, the Department of Neurology, a principal component of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, is committed to the continued growth of its clinical/translational stroke program. In addition to Gregory Bix, MD, PhD, Keith Pennypacker, PhD recently joined the department to help spearhead UK’s translational stroke science efforts.

Stroke and Vascular Neurology Program
The UK Stroke and Vascular Neurology Program provides comprehensive patient care to a population of roughly 2 million across a 25,000 square mile region located in the “Stroke Belt,” an area of the country with a particularly high stroke-related mortality rate. Inpatient care is provided through UK’s Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. The center’s rapid “door-to-needle” approach is aimed at maximizing the potential benefit of treatment with intravenous tPA. Acute neurointerventional therapy is available 24/7. After inpatient care, patients are referred to the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital for neurological rehabilitation therapy as appropriate.

A unique aspect of the program is the Stroke Care Network in which the UK Comprehensive Stroke Center and Norton Healthcare joined with area hospitals to help develop the first community-based stroke program in the region. The Stroke Care Network strives to the best, timely stroke care for patients throughout the state and western West Virginia. UK stroke program physicians help provide educational programs at affiliated Stroke Care Network facilities to optimize administering intravenous tPA and other vital care so treatment can be initiated as rapidly as possible; a large number of patients with acute stroke seen at the UK Comprehensive Stroke Center are first evaluated at other facilities. Additionally, the Stroke Care Network has screened more than 15,000 people for stroke risk and educated children on stroke prevention through its Stroke Community Outreach Prevention and Education Program (SCOPE).

Center for Advanced Translational Stroke Science
The Center for Advanced Translational Stroke Science (CATSS) was established in 2015 to support basic and translational stroke research at UK, provide an interactive and collaborative environment for research development between basic/translational and clinical faculty (and strengthen interactions with other clinical departments), and provide a support structure for successful funding of research in stroke at the University of Kentucky. The center includes more than 10 clinical and translational stroke researchers and provides several research cores to support its mission of improving the understanding of stroke pathophysiology, neurorecovery, and to discover new and effective stroke therapies.

Department Overview
UK Neurology, led by Dr. Larry Goldstein, boasts some of the leading clinical and research centers in the country for cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, including a Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, Level 4 NAEC Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, and NIA-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) that has become an international referral center and research powerhouse. The Department of Neurology Neurology offers ACGME-accredited neurology adult and child neurology residency program and three post-residency neurology fellowships. The nationally recognized UK Department of Neurology is comprised of a team of more than 30 neurologists and other providers dedicated to patient care, research, and education, and is actively expanding. The UK Department of Neurology is a principal component the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute with inpatient services provided at the UK Chandler Hospital, one of the fast growing academic medical centers in the country. Additionally, The UK Comprehensive Stroke Center and Norton Healthcare joined with area hospitals to help develop the first community-based stroke program in the region.

UK Healthcare & College of Medicine
UK Healthcare is a fully integrated health system that includes the UK Colleges of Medicine, Health Sciences, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, allowing for ease of access and collaborations among peers – UK owns all of the hospitals within the UK HealthCare system. New COM leadership is in place with a new Dean, Robert DiPaola, MD and CMO, Philip Chang, MD. UK COM leadership has identified the neurosciences as 1 of 4 strategic pillars of growth, which supports further expansion and growth. In 2011, UK opened a $532 million, 1.2 million sq. ft. expansion pavilion in its Albert B. Chandler Hospital, which will help to serve a 25,000 square mile area with a catchment population of 8 million people. Additional UK Healthcare System facilities:

• Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH): KCH is the only facility in Central and Eastern Kentucky dedicated to the expert medical and surgical care of infants, children, and adolescents. KCH admits approximately 5,000 patients per year and houses the state’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma & Tertiary Referral Center and Level 4 NAEC Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. It has 66 NICU beds, currently expanding to an 80-single family bed unit, and 12 PICU beds.
• UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital: Two patient floors with a total of 128 beds (48 intensive care and 80 acute care beds in all private rooms) were the first to open: Floor 6 for neuroscience services and Floor 7 for trauma and acute care surgery patients. The hospital also houses the state’s only adult Level 1 Trauma & Tertiary Referral Center and Level 4 NAEC Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
• Shriner’s Children’s Hospital: Located in Lexington, is relocating to the UK medical campus. Shriner’s Hospital will bring a wealth of Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy patients, increasing opportunities for collaborative care, while approximately 75% of Shriner’s patient base has child neurology needs. Additionally, all of Shriner’s orthopedists will become UK faculty.
• Good Samaritan: 302 beds, more than 600 clinical and ancillary staff, and a medical staff of more than 600 physicians, 50,000sq ft medical office space, and the 2nd-largest orthopedic and joint replacement program in KY.
• Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital: After inpatient care, patients are referred to the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital for neurological rehabilitation therapy as appropriate.

Research
For fiscal year 2016, UK COM reached $129.2 million in grants and contracts, including $66 million in NIH funding. Coupled with the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science’s recent Clinical and Translational Science Award from the NIH, UK is part of a select national biomedical research consortium and is on the way to becoming a top 20 research institution.

Lexington, Kentucky
UK is located in Lexington, KY, and with a population of about 310,000 people, it is the second-largest city in the state and 61st in the country. Based in the heart of the Kentucky bluegrass region, Lexington is home to numerous horse and stock farms that all lend to its apt “Horse Capital of the World” nickname. While horseracing is a billion-dollar industry, Lexington has also emerged as one of the leading American cities in economic growth due to a concerted effort to diversify the area's economy toward more manufacturing and high-technology ventures. More than 100 major companies have headquarters or facilities located in Lexington, including Toyota, Xerox, Lexmark International, Lockheed-Martin and IBM, all Fortune 500 companies. Lexington ranks 6th on “America’s Best Value Cities,” and 10th and 13th in education and literacy, respectively.