Center for Global Neurology
The Center for Global Neurology is a joint effort between the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health and the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology. The center's broad goal is to improve the realized outcomes of people living with — and at risk for — neurological disorders across the globe, with a prioritization on vulnerable populations and low- and middle-income countries. Our priorities include:
- Improving awareness of neurological disorders globally through our work
- Building and sustaining partnerships in neurology and global health
- Serving as a resource to the next generation of global neurology clinicians and researchers
- Incorporating emerging technologies to respond to pressing issues
The Center for Global Neurology works toward a more prepared, supported and engaged global community in neurology."
Farrah J. Mateen, MD, PhD
Director, Center for Global Neurology
Dr. Charles L. Mix Research Professor of Neurology
Neurological disorders are highly prevalent, under-addressed and emerging threats to populations across the lifespan. Globally, there is a need to improve the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological disorders for maximal brain health. The number of neurologists working in global health remains too low.
The center encompasses major and emerging disorders of the nervous system. This includes major brain disorders, such as stroke, dementia, headache and epilepsy. It also includes the rising burden of traumatic injuries to the brain and spinal cord. Finally, the center includes neurological infections, spanning emerging pathogens, tropical neglected diseases, epidemic infectious conditions and chronic sequelae of nervous system infections.
Our Projects
A Cross-Continental Comparative Analysis of the Neurological Manifestations of Long COVID
Igor Koralnik, MD, and his collaborators in Colombia, Nigeria and India have compared how long COVID affects the nervous system in patients from each country. They have found that patients from the U.S. and Colombia suffer from a higher symptom burden than those from Nigeria and India. These findings suggest that sociocultural factors, healthcare access, and differences in perceptions and reporting of mental health and cognitive symptoms may contribute to variations in the experience of long COVID across countries.
Principal Investigator: Igor Koralnik, MD
Guinea Epilepsy Project
This is a prospective cohort that has enrolled more than 1000 people with epilepsy in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. The program provides free anti-seizure medications and serves as a platform for a range of patient-centered research initiatives, including mobile electroencephalography studies and outcomes-based research. The team also provides training for physicians from across West and Central Sub-Saharan Africa and collaborates closely with the Guinean government and other key stakeholders to strengthen epilepsy care and research in the region.
Principal Investigator: Farrah J. Mateen, MD, PhD
Multidisciplinary NeuroAIDS Research and Training Program to Improve Outcomes in Nigeria and Africa
This D43 training grant is designed to train the next generation of scientists focused on addressing HIV-related complications, including stroke, mental health disorders and other neurological conditions. Every two years, three early-career investigators and two mid-career faculty members from the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria, are selected to participate in the program. Under the guidance of Northwestern and other faculty mentors, trainees receive support in research design, writing and exploratory research projects as a prelude to future external funding applications.
Principal Investigator: Phillip Gorelick, MD, MPH
Nigeria Stroke Project
The Global Neurology Program collaborates with academic physicians at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, Nigeria. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability across sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for a substantial proportion of hospital admissions, with reported 1- and 3-year case fatality rates reaching approximately 40 percent and 80 percent, respectively. While dedicated stroke units have been shown to significantly reduce mortality and disability in high-income settings,access to these specialized models of care remains limited in many low-resource regions. To address this gap, Professor Owolabi and colleagues are conducting a study to compare usual care to low-resource stroke unit care in order to identify scalable strategies to improve stroke outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Principal Investigator: Phillip Gorelick, MD, MPH
Point of Care Aquaporin-4 Testing for Low-Income Settings
This collaborative study from Northwestern University, Mayo Clinic, and the Ignace Deen Hospital in Guinea aims to improve existing infrastructure for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroimmunological disorders in West African settings. The prevalence of neuroimmunological disorders in populations of African descent has historically been underappreciated due to the barrier of cost for patients pursuing diagnosis and treatment. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is one of these neuroimmunological disorders and is diagnosed by accurate detection of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody. Advancement of a low cost, point of care AQP4 antibody blood test expands access for antibody testing to be included in the standard of care for sites in the West African Republic of Guinea. The establishment of a subcohort of AQP4+ NMO patients by this point of care blood test in Guinea thus serves as a base for future clinical study and medical treatment in West Africa, which can be further scaled for expanded point of care testing in other resource-limited settings.
Principal Investigator: Farrah J. Mateen, MD, PhD
Protein Biomarkers of Cerebral Malaria in Malawi
Cerebral malaria is the deadliest manifestation of Plasmodium falciparum infection, killing more than 100,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa annually. In his Robert J. Havey Institute for Global Health Catalyzer Project, Rafal Sobota, MD, PhD will compare a previously identified group of candidate protein levels in sera from children in Blantyre, Malawi, who present with cerebral malaria to those who have a milder, uncomplicated infection. Additionally, Rafal Sobota, MD, PhD and his colleagues will compare clinical outcomes of cerebral malaria using the same subset of candidate proteins to differentiate children who go on to have a full recovery from those who die of the disease. The results of this project will serve as preliminary data for subsequent grant proposals seeking to identify molecular signatures of disease progression and ultimately facilitate the discovery of malaria severity biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Principal Investigator: Rafal Sobota, MD, PhD
The Center for Global Neurology includes more than 10 faculty members engaged in academic work in global neurology or neurosurgery. This includes efforts in 18 countries (three high-income, 15 low- or middle-income). We encourage you to apply for membership to join us in our work.