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Jose G. Merino, MD, MPhil

Academic Title:

Adjunct Associate Professor

Primary Appointment:

Neurology

Education and Training

Medical School:

Universidad Anáhuac, Mexico City, Mexico

Residency:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY - Neurology and Psychiatry

Fellowship:

University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada - Vascular Neurology

Certifications:

Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology

Vascular Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology

Biosketch

Dr. Merino received his Medico Cirujano (MD) degree at the Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico City; a Master of Philosophy in the History of Medicine at the University of Cambridge in the UK; and a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.  Dr. Merino’s residency was a Dual Program in Neurology and Psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY and he did a fellowship in Cerebrovascular Neurology at The University of Western Ontario.

He has held academic appointments in Neurology with University of Florida, the Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH) and at Johns Hopkins University.  He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association. Dr. Merino is board certified in neurology with additional board certification in the subspecialty of vascular neurology. 

Dr. Merino has been the US Research Editor of The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) since 2012.

Research/Clinical Keywords

Stroke, Acute stroke management, MRI

Highlighted Publications

Hachinski V, Iadecola C, Petersen RC, Breteler MM, Nyenhuis DL, Black SE, Powers WJ, DeCarli C, Merino JG, Kalaria RN, Vinters HV, Holtzman DM, Rosenberg GA, Dichgans M, Marler JR, Leblanc GG. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network vascular cognitive impairment harmonization standards.  Stroke 2006;37:2220-2241 

Merino JG, Latour LL, Todd JW, Luby M, Schellinger PD, Kang DW, Warach S. Lesion volume change after treatment with tissue plasminogen activator can discriminate clinical responders from non-responders. Stroke 2007;38:2919-2923

Merino JG, Latour LL, An L, Hsia AW, Kang DW, Warach S. Reperfusion half-life: A novel pharmacodynamic measure of thrombolytic activity.  Stroke 2008;39:2148-2150

Merino JG, Warach S.  Imaging of acute stroke. Nat Rev Neurol 2010;6:560-571

Merino JG, Latour LL, Tso A, Lee KY, Kang DW, Davis LA, Lazar RM, Horvath KA, Corso PJ, Warach S. Blood brain barrier disruption after cardiac surgery. AJNR 2013;34:518-523

Merino JG, Luby M, Benson RB, Davis LA, Hsia AW, Latour LL, Lynch JK, Warach S. Predictors of acute stroke mimics in 8,187 patients referred to a stroke service. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2013; 22:e397-e403

Luby M, Warach SJ, Nadareishvili Z, Merino JG. Immediate changes in stroke lesion volume predict clinical outcome post-thrombolysis. Stroke 2014;45:3275-79

Nagaraja N, Warach S, Hsia AW, Adams HP, Auh S, Latour LL, Merino JG. Neurological improvement with decline in blood pressure may suggest recanalization in stroke. JAMA Neurol 2014;71:1555-58

Arauz A, Vargas-González JC, Argueyes-Morales N, Barboza MA, Calleja J, Martínez-Jurado E, Ruiz-Franco A, Quiroz-Compean A, Merino JG. Time to recanalization in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis undergoing anticoagulation therapy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2016;87:247-51

Additional Publication Citations

Nicolini H, Mejia J, Merino J, Sanchez M. Estudio del paciente obsesivo-compulsivo en una muestra mexicana: Experiencia del Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatría. Salud Mental 1992;15:1-11

Verghese J, Merino J. Temazepam overdose associated with bullous eruptions. Acad Emerg Med 1999;6:1071

Silver B, Demaerschalk B, Merino JG, Wong E, Tamayo A, Devasenapathy A, O'Callaghan C, Kertesz A, Young GB, Fox AJ, Spence JD, Hachinski V. Improved outcomes in stroke thrombolysis with pre-specified imaging criteria. Can J Neurol Sci 2001;28:113-119

Merino JG. Diagram makers or classical neurologists? The interaction of aphasiology and its history. Arch Neurol 2001;58:1494-1497

Merino JG, Silver B, Wong E, Demaerschalk B, Tamayo A, Hachinski V. Physician's knowledge of the benefits, risks, and contraindications of tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. Stroke 2001;32:2208-2209

Merino JG, Silver B, Wong E, Taylor-Foell B, Demaerschalk B, Tamayo A, Poncha F, Hachinski V. Extending tissue plasminogen activator use to community and rural stroke patients. Stroke 2002;33:141-146

Merino JG. Clinicians and the economic evaluation of health. Salud Publica Mex 2002;44:153-157

Meschia JF, Brott TG, Brown RD Jr, Crook RJP, Frankel M, Hardy J, Merino J, Rich SS, Silliman S, Worrall BB. The Ischemic Stroke Genetics (ISGS) Protocol. BMC Neurology 2003;3:4

Foell RBT, Silver B, Merino JG, Wong EH, Demaerschalk B, Poncha F, Tamayo A, Hachinski V. Thrombolysis in acute stroke patients with pre-existing disability. CMAJ 2003;169:193-197

Meschia JF, Merino JG. Reporting of informed consent and ethics committee approval in genetic studies of stroke. J Med Ethics 2003;29:371-372

Meschia JF, Merino JG. Willingness of ischemic stroke patients to donate DNA: A systematic review. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2003;12:228-231

Silliman SL, Quinn B, Hugget V,Merino JG. Use of a field-to-stroke center helicopter transport program to extend thrombolytic therapy to rural residents. Stroke 2003;34:729-733

Merino JG.Laennec y la creación de signos auscultatorios. Gac Med Mex 2003;139:143-146

Price CC, Jefferson AL, Merino JG, Heilman KM, Libon DJ. Subcortical vascular dementia: integrating neuropsychological and neuroradiological data. Neurology 2005;65:376-382

Demaerschalk B, Silver B, Wong E, Merino JG, Tamayo A, Hachinski V. ASPECT scoring to estimate greater than 1/3 middle cerebral artery territory infarction in acute ischemic stroke. Can J Neurol Sci 2006;33:200-204

Luby M, Bykowski J, Schellinger PD, Merino JG, Warach S. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of ischemic lesion volume measurements on diffusion-weighted, mean transit time, and FLAIR MRI. Stroke 2006;37:2951-2956

Romano JG, Muller N, Merino JG, Forteza AM, Koch S, Rabinstein AA. In-hospital delays to stroke thrombolysis: paradoxical effect of early arrival. Neurol Res 2007;29:664-666

Tso AR, Merino JG, Warach S. The interleukin-6 174 G/C polymorphism and ischemic stroke: a systematic review. Stroke 2007;38:3070-3075

Copenhaver BR, Hsia AW, Merino JG, Burgess RE, Fifi JT, Davis L, Warach S, Kidwell CS. Racial differences in microbleed prevalence in primary intracranial hemorrhage. Neurology 2008;71:1176-1182

Lee KY, Latour LL, Luby M, Hsia AW, Merino JG, Warach S. Distal hyperintense vessels on FLAIR: An MRI marker for collateral circulation in acute stroke? Neurology 2009;72:1134-1139

Mathew A, Eliasziw M, Deveraux PJ, Merino JG, Barnett HJM, Garg AX. Carotid endarterectomy benefits patients with CKD and high-grade stenosis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2010;20:145-152

Taylor A, Castle A, Merino JG, Hsia A, Kidwell CS, Warach S. Optimizing stroke clinical trial design: estimating the proportion of eligible patients. Stroke 2010;41:2236-2238

Luby M, Ku KD, Latour LL, Merino JG, Hsia AW, Lynch JK, Warach S. Visual perfusion-diffusion mismatch is equivalent to quantitative mismatch. Stroke 2011;42:1010-1014

Hernandez DA, Bokkers RPH, Mirasol RV, Luby M, Henning EC, Merino JG, Warach S, Latour L. Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling Quantifies Relative Cerebral Blood Flow in Acute Stroke. Stroke 2012;43:753-758

Rossouw JE, Johnson KC, Pettinger M, Cushman M, Sandset PM, Kuller L, Rosendaal F, Rosing J, Wasserthal-Smoller S, Martin LW, Manson JE, Lakshminarayan K, Merino JG, Lynch J. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor, activated protein C resistance, and risk of ischemic stroke due to postmenopausal hormone therapy. Stroke 2012;43:952-957

Bokkers PH, Warach S, Hernandez DA, van Osch MJ, Mirasol RV, Hendrikse J, Merino JG, Latour L. Whole-brain arterial spin labeling perfusion MR imaging in patients with acute stroke. Stroke 2012;43:1290-94

Wiley JZ, Ortega-Gutierrez S, Petersen N, Khatri P, Ford AL, Rost NS, Ali LK, Gonzalez NR, Merino JG, Meyer BC, Marshall RS. Impact of acute ischemic stroke treatment in patients over age 80: the SPOTRIAS consortium experience. Stroke 2012;43:2369-2375

Albright KC, Savitz SI, Raman R, Martin-Schild S, Broderick J, Ernstrom K, Ford A, Khatri R, Kelindorfer D, Liebeskind D, Marsall R, Merino JG, Meyer DM, Rost N, Meyer BC, on behalf of the SPOTRIAS Investigators. Comprehensive stroke centers and the “weekend effect”: the SPOTRIAS Experience. Cerebrovasc Dis 2012;34:424-428

Willey JZ, Khatri P, Khoury J, Merino JG, Ford A, Rost NS, Gonzales NR, Ali LK, Meyer BC, Broderick JP. Variability in the use of intravenous thrombolysis for mild stroke: experience across the SPOTRIAS network. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2013;22:318-322

Freeman JW, Luby M, Merino JG, Latour L, Auh S, Song SS, Magadan A, Lynch JK, Warach S, Hsia AW. Negative diffusion-weighted imaging after IV tPA is rare and unlikely to indicate averted infarction. Stroke 2013;44:1629-1634

Luby M, Hong J, Merino JG, Lynch JK, Hsia AW, Magadan A, Song SS, Latour LL, Warach S. Approximate stroke volume using “XYZ/2” is equivalent to planimetric stroke volume mismatch evaluation. AJNR 2013;34:1901-07

Mirasol RV, Bookers RPH, Hernandez DA, Merino JG, Luby M, Warach S, Latour L. Assessing reperfusion with whole-brain arterial spin labeling: a non-invasive alternative to gadolinium. Stroke 2014;45:456-61

Arauz A, Patiño-Rodríguez HM, Chavarría-Medina M, Becerril M, Merino JG, Zenteno M. Embolic stroke secondary to spontaneous thrombosis of unruptured intracranial aneurysm: report of three cases. Interv Neuroradiol 2016;22:196-200

Sedrakyan A, Campbell B, Merino JG, Kuntz R, Hirst A, McCulloch P. IDEAL-D: A rational framework for evaluating and regulating medical devices. BMJ 2016;353:i2372

Tahsili-Fahadan P, Simplins AN, Leigh R, Merino JG. Stuttering lacunar infarction captured on serial MRIs. Neurol Clin Pract (in press)

Non-peer reviewed journal articles and editorials

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Leukoaraiosis. Reifying rarefaction [editorial]. Arch Neurol 2000;57:926-927

Merino JG, Spence JD. Avances en la prevención de la enfermedad cerebrovascular. Revista Argentina de Medicina 2000;2:219-229

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Neurology: from nihilism to the beginnings of hope [editorial]. UWO Medical Journal 2001;71:27-30

Merino JG. Dementia after stroke; high incidence and intriguing associations [editorial]. Stroke 2002;33:2261-2262

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Stroke related dementia. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2002;4:285-290

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Abriendo arterias y salvando cerebros: Trombolisis en pacientes con ictus [editorial]. Med Clin (Barc) 2003;120:17-18

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Demencia e ictus: la importancia de la patología cerebral coexistente. Rev Neurol 2003;36:61-63

Merino JG, Heilman KM. The measurement of cognitive deficits in acute stroke [editorial]. Stroke 2003;34:2396- 2398

Merino JG. Strategies to lower the risk of stroke related dementia. Consultant 2004;44:1198

Chalela JA, Merino JG, Warach S. Update on stroke. Curr Opin Neurol 2004;17:447-451

Merino JG. Functional and cognitive outcome in patients with lacunar infarcts [editorial]. Journal Watch Neurology 2006;8:10.

Merino JG. Untangling vascular cognitive impairment [editorial]. Stroke 2008;39:739-740

Merino JG, Latour L. The Boston Acute Stroke Imaging Scale: ready for use in clinical practice? [editorial]. Nat Clin Pract Neurol 2008;4:592-593

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Vascular cognitive impairment: evolution of the concept. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2009:15:924-926

Barinagarrementería F, Arauz A, Ruiz-Sandoval JL, Cantú C, Leyva A, Murillo L, Villareal J, Vargas RD, Alegría MA, Merino JG, Romano J. Antiplaquetarios en la prevención del infarto cerebral o isquemia cerebral transitoria aterotrombótica. Rev Invest Clin 2010;62(2):135-140

Alegría MA, Arauz A, Roa LF, Márquez J, Calleja J, Leyva A, Cantú C, Barinagarrementería F, Ruiz-Sandoval JL, Villareal J, Romano J, Merino JG, Murillo L, Escamilla JM. Anticoagulación en la prevención secundaria de la enfermedad vascular cerebral (recomendaciones de la AMEVASC). Rev Invest Clin 2010;62(2):141-151

Cantú C, Villareal J, Barrinagarrementería F, Ruiz-Sandoval JL, Arauz A, Leyva A, Murillo L, Fernández-Vera JA, Amaya LE, Venegas A, Merino JG, Romano J. Estatinas en la prevención secundaria de enfermedad vascular cerebral. Rev Invest Clin 2010;62(2):162-169

Villareal-Careaga J, Murillo-Bonilla L, Góngora-Rivera F, Leyva-Rendón A, Barinagarrementería F, Cantú C, Ruiz-Sandoval J, Romano J, Merino JG, Arauz A, Márquez J. Guía clínica para el tratamiento quirúrgico (endarterectomía) y endovascular (angioplastia con protección distal y colocación de stent) para la prevención secundaria de la isquemia cerebral asociada a enfermedad ateroesclerosa carotídea. Rev Invest Clin 2010;62(2):170-180

Ruiz-Sandoval JL, León-Jiménez C, Chiquete-Anaya E, Sosa-Hernández JL, Espinosa-Casillas C, Cantú C, Villareal J, Barinagarrementería F, Arauz A, Leyva A, Murillo L, Alegría MA, Merino J, Romano J, González-Vargas O. Estilos de vida y prevención primaria y secundaria de la enfermedad vascular cerebral. Rev Invest Clin 2010;62(2):181-191

Sanosian N, Merino JG. Blogging about stroke. A new chapter for the journal [editorial]. Stroke 2012;43:3157

Merino J. What will 2013 bring? [editorial]. BMJ 2013;346:f171

Merino JG. Slowing the opioid analgesic overdose epidemic [editorial]. BMJ 2013;346:f730

Merino JG. Learning from a crisis [editorial]. BMJ 2013;346:f2321

Merino JG. Publishing your research study in the BMJ [editorial]. BMJ 2013;346:f2433

Merino JG. Profiling patients [editorial]. Neurology 2013;80:1632-33.

Merino JG. Physician Payment Sunshine Act; some answers, many questions [editorial]. BMJ 2013;347:f4828.

Merino JG. The team physician (US Editor’s Choice) [editorial]. BMJ 2014;348:g2102

Merino JG. Loder E. PCORI’s ambitious efforts to promote transparency and dissemination of research findings [editorial]. BMJ 2014;349:g6261

Merino JG. Clinical stroke challenges; a practical approach [editorial]. Neurol Clin Pract 2014;4:376-377

Merino JG. Response to Ebola in the US: misinformation, fear, and new opportunities [editorial]. BMJ 2014;349:g6712

Weber W, Merino JG, Loder E. Trial registration ten years on [editorial]. BMJ 2015;351:h3572

Doshi P, Stahl-Timmins W, Merino JG, Simpkins C. Visualizing childhood vaccination schedules across G8 countries. BMJ 2015;351:h5966

Loder E, Groves T, Schroter S, Merino JG, Weber W. Qualitative research and The BMJ [editorial]. BMJ 2016:352:i641

Merino JG. Endovascular treatment for stroke [editorial]. BMJ 2016:353:i2098

Book Chapters

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Classification of cerebrovascular disease. In Waldstein SR, Elias MF (eds.). Neuropsychology of cardiovascular disease (p. 257-277). Mahaw, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Vascular factors in Alzheimer disease. In Chan PK (ed). Cerebrovascular Disease. 22nd Princeton Conference (p. 393-403). New York, Cambridge University Press, 2002

Merino JG. Demencia Mixta. In Alberca R, López-Pousa S (eds.) Enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras demencias, 2ª edición (p. 531-536). Madrid, Editorial Médica Panamericana, 2002

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Preventing dementia. In Lang R, Hensrud DD (eds.) Clinical preventive medicine, 2nd edition (p. 743-754). Chicago. American Medical Association Press, 2004

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Diagnosis of vascular dementia-conceptual challenges. In Paul RH, Cohen RA, Ott BR, Salloway S (eds.) Vascular dementia: cerebrovascular mechanisms and clinical management (p. 57-71). Totowa, NJ. Humana Press, 2004

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Dementia after stroke. In Bogousslavsky J, Barnes MP, Dobkin B (eds.) Recovery after stroke (p. 540-557). Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 2005

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Evolución histórica del concepto de demencia vascular. In Mangone CA, Allegri RF, Arizaga R, Ollari B (eds.), Demencia. Enfoque multidisciplinario. Buenos Aires. Editorial Polemos, 2005

Merino JG, Warach S. Neuroimaging in ischemic stroke. In Bhardwaj A, Alkayed NJ, Kirsch JR, Traystman RJ (eds.) Acute Stroke: Bench to Bedside (p. 205-215). New York. Informa Health Care, 2007

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Demencias vasculares y transtorno cognitivo vascular. In Labos E, Slachevsky A, Fuentes P, Manes F (eds.) Tratado de neuropsicología. Buenos Aires. Librería Akadia Editorial, 2008

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Historical perspective. In Festa JR, Lazar RM (eds.) Neurovascular Neuropsychology (p. 1-6). Springer Science Publishers. New York, 2009

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Vascular Cognitive Impairment. In Goldstein LB (ed.) ASA/AHA Stroke Guidelines and Statements Handbook (p. 219-232). Blackwell Publishing. Oxford, 2009

Merino JG, Magadán A, Restrepo L. La neuroimagen en la evaluacíon del ictus agudo (p. 69-80). In Barinagarrementería Aldatz F, Arauz Góngora A (eds.) Temas selectos en enfermedad vascular cerebral. Elsevier Doyma. México 2012

Merino JG, Brott TG. Revascularización carotidea: endarterectomía o angioplastía con stent (p. 251-260). In Barinagarrementería Aldatz F, Arauz Góngora A (eds.) Temas selectos en enfermedad vascular cerebral. Elsevier Doyma. México 2012

Merino JG, Hachinski V. What is Vascular Cognitive Impairment? In Godefroy O (ed.) Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (2nd edition) (p. 1-8). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2013

Merino JG, Hachinski V. Vascular Cognitive Impairment. In Waldstein SR, Elias MF (eds.) Neuropsychology of cardiovascular disease (2nd edition) (p. 477-494). Psychology Press, New York, 2015

Merino JG. Unidades de ictus vascular. In Asociación de Médicos Egresados del Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía. Abordaje diagnóstico y terapéutico de las enfermedades neurológicas.(in press)

Awards and Affiliations

The Fisher Family/Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Fellowship 

Fellow, American Heart Association

Fellow, American Academy of Neurology