STUART D. COOK, M.D.
Professor

Specialty area:  Multiple Sclerosis 
 

Education:  University of Vermont, MD 
 

Residency:  Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY 
 

Current Research Interests/Projects:
 

Research centers around epidemiology, immunology, viral studies and therapeutic trial in multiple sclerosis(MS). We are particularly interested in explanations for differences in incidence and prevalence rates of MS in different parts of the world, as well as epidemiologic and laboratory evidence for canine distemper (CDV) as a cause of MS. These studies involve measurement of CDV titers in serum and CSF, (collaborations with Dr. Christine Rohowsky-Kochan) and searches for viral genome in MS brain tissue (collaboration with Dr. Peter Dowling). In addition, our group is involved in therapeutic trials in MS including the use of interferons, IVGG, immunomodulators and immunosuppressive drugs in MS. 
 

Research Support:
 

Robert Wood Johnson-PRI, Leustatin clinical trial in chronic non-remitting progressive multiple sclerosis.
 

Biogen Inc., A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of AvonexTM (Interferon Beta-1a) in the treatment of subjects at high risk for development of multiple sclerosis following the onset of 
an isolated  demyelinating event 
 

Elan Pharmaceutical Research Corporation, Assessment of ambulation measures protocol 
 

Athena Neurosciences, Inc., An open-label study to assess the long-term safety of Zanaflex (Tizanidine HCL) in patients treated with 28 to 36 mg/day
 

L'Hommedieu Research Grant, Multiple sclerosis studies on etiology pathogenesis and treatment 
 

Biogen Inc., A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of Avonex in the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) 
 

Biogen Inc., Assessment of neutralizing antibodies to beta interferon in multiple sclerosis 
 

Representative Publications:
 

Cook, S.D., Devereux, C., Troiano, R., et al., Modified Total lymphoid irradiation  and low dose corticosteroids in progressive multiple sclerosis, J. Neurol. Sci., 
152: 172-181, 1997. 
 

Rohowsky-Kochan, C., Molinaro, D., Devereux, C., et al.  The effect of total  lymphoid irradiation and low-dose steroids on lymphocyte populations in multiple  sclerosis correlation with clinical and MRI status, J. Neurol. Sci., 152: 182-192, 1997. 
 

Dowling, P., Husar, W., Menonna, J., Donnenfeld, H., Cook, S.D., Sidhu, M., Cell death and birth in multiple sclerosis brain, J. Neuro. Sci., 149: 1-11, 1997. 
 

Lavietes, M.H., Smeltzer, S.C., Cook, S.D., Modak, R.M., Smaldone, G.C., Airway Dynamics, Esophageal Pressure, and Cough, Eur Respir J, 11: 156-161, 1998. 
 

Ilyas A.A., Cook, S.D., Mithen, F.A., Taki, T., Kasama, T., Handa, S., Hamaski, H., Singhal, B.S., Li, S.C., Li, Y.T.  Antibodies to GT1a ganglioside in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome J. Neuroimmunology, in press.