Cerebrovascular Disease Center (Stroke)

The Duke-VA Center for Cerebrovascular Disease was originally conceived as a joint venture between Duke University Medical Center and the Durham Veteran's Administration Hospital. The center has been an integral part of the Division of Neurology since its inception and is composed of four components:

1. a stroke care unit;

2. clinical research;

3. basic research;

4. fellowship training.

A multidisciplinary team meets regularly to monitor and improve stroke related cases. An acute stroke team is on duty at all times for evaluation and management of patients with stroke-related emergencies.

Twice weekly teaching rounds are held on the Stroke Acute Care Unit. Other regular stroke-related conferences include bimonthly clinically-oriented teaching/research conferences and half-day seminars stressing fundamental and clinical aspects of cerebrovascular research. State-of-the-art facilities for patient care include magnetic resonance technologies, Spiral-CT scanning, SPECT, and transcranial Doppler. Duke has active vascular surgery, neuro- vascular surgery, and interventional neuroradiology services. Residents are also exposed to ongoing clinical trials in cerebrovascular disease.

Following residency, the Duke University Cerebrovascular Disease Fellowship offers further post-graduate training. Two training tracks are available, one emphasizing clinical research and patient care, and the other emphasizing laboratory research. These tracks may be sequentially combined to provide fellowship training in both areas. Areas of clinical concentration include clinical research (i.e., thrombolytic agents, neuroprotective agents), critical care training, epidemiologic and public health research, rehabilitation/recovery of function, neuroradiology, and neurosurgery. Areas of concentration for laboratory work include animal models of stroke, neuroprotective agents, molecular genetics, molecular biology, neuronal plasticity, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, developmental neurobiology, thrombosis and clotting, and neuropathology. Fellows are encouraged to design a training program suited to their specific career plans.

Cheryl Bushnell, M.D.

Vani Chilukuri, M.D.

Larry B. Goldstein, M.D.

Carmelo Graffagnino, M.D.

Daniel Laskowitz, M.D.

John R. Lynch, M.D.

For more information:

Duke Center for Cerebrovascular Disease