Nicholas Race, MD, PhD

 

To me, brain injury is an immortal problem. So long as human folly and cruelty exist, so too will brain injuries. Brain injury physicians are tasked with fixing broken brains, the inner workings of which we do not understand to begin with. It is impossibly challenging and continuously evolving, with innovation and new evidence desperately needed to move the field forward. In addition, brain injury physicians get to accompany brain injury survivors and their support systems through the recovery process, which is extremely rewarding and often requires creative problem solving.

UPMC provides an excellent training ground for brain injury medicine. There is high volume, high case complexity, and physicians practicing on the leading edge of medical and procedural management of the sequelae of brain injuries. The program provides exposure to severe brain injuries including a disorders of consciousness program embedded in a locked inpatient unit capable of handling complex behavioral patients. The moderate to severe brain injury population is also encountered in outpatient clinics and on the acute care consult service, which has strong collaboration with neurosurgery and neuroICU colleagues seeking our input on active medical management. In the outpatient setting, we have ultrasound- and EMG-guided interventional spasticity clinics that include high-volume botulinum toxin chemodenervation, phenol neurolysis, and intrathecal baclofen pump refill/reprogramming. We also have a fellow continuity clinic, concussion clinic, and spend time with allied providers in therapy disciplines, neurology, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, and neuro-ophthalmology.