The Department of Neurosciences announces a major initiative to improve its educational program in association with the new millennium. The twenty-first century will very likely be the century of the brain and we will need to be leaders in this field.

The Department is committed to neurosciences education as one of its three fundamental missions, the other two being research and patient care. The Department educates three groups primarily:
 

• medical students 
• graduate student
• neurology residents

The strength of the teaching in the Department derives from the excellence of its faculty and from the combined basic and clinical strengths of the programs within it. E.g., medical students learning the neuroanatomy of the cerebral vasculature will benefit from basic researchers discussing the anatomy and from clinicians presenting patients with strokes referable to the particular part of the central nervous system affected. 

An organizational meeting of the heads of the various programs of the department was held on 9/29/99 to outline the future improvements and expansions. Prior to enacting any changes in the current curriculum, benchmarks for assessing improvement will be identified for each of the target groups of the educational programs. The initial focus will be medical student and neurology resident teaching since there is considerable overlap in these areas. Input from medical students and residents will be appreciated and can be emailed to campeka@umdnj.edu
 

The following faculty will be pivotal in development of our educational programs:

Dr. Pachner received his MD from Yale University School of Medicine in 1975. He was a Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University before joining the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School in 1998. He is both a clinician and well funded researcher with extensive expertise in the field of Lyme disease. He is currently the Principal Investigator on two active NIH grants.

Dr. Siegel received his PhD from SUNY, Buffalo in 1966.  He did his postdoctoral training in the Physiology Department at Yale University School of Medicine. He joined the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School in 1967.  Dr. Siegel is a dedicated teacher who served as the Course Director for the first year Medical Neurosciences course for a period of almost 20 years.  He assumed that role again in 1999.  From 1988-1992, Dr. Siegel also served as the Director of the Graduate Program in Neurosciences. His research interests include neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies concerning basic neural substrates of aggressive behavior. He has been the Principal Investigator on an NIH grant which has been continuously funded for the past 32 years.

Dr. Kamin received his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1984. He joined the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School in 1988.  Dr. Kamin is the Program Director for the Neurology Residency Program and the Coordinator of the Fourth Year Neurology Clerkship.  He has served as the Vice Chair of the Clinical Curriculum Subcommittee since 1997.  He is also a member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee.  Dr. Kamin was nominated for the Golden Apple Award in 1992, 1994, and 1998. He also serves as the Associate Medical Director Bernard W. Gimbel Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, NJ. 

Raymond Troiano, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Neurosciences
Dr. Troiano received his MD from the New Jersey Medical School (formerly Seton Hall Medical School) in 1964.  He joined the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School in 1969.  He has served as Director of the Neurology Service since 1979.  Dr. Troiano is an experienced teacher who has worked closely with both residents and medical students over the last 30 years.  He assumed the role of Division Director of Adult Neurology in July 1999.

Diego Cadavid, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosciences
Dr. Cadavid received his medical degree with distinction from Javeriana University, in Colombia in 1991. He joined the faculty of the Department of Neurosciences in July 1999.  Dr. Cadavid did his neurology residency at Georgetown University Hospital from 1995-1998 where he also served as Chief Resident in 1998. Dr. Cadavid is an experienced teacher and well published researcher.