Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mind

The brain is the most complicated and least understood part of the body. As the control center of the body and the source of emotion and thought, it has remarkable capabilities unmatched by even the most powerful computer.

But the brain is also vulnerable. An injury or malfunction that might easily be corrected elsewhere in the body can tear apart a personality, make everyday tasks near impossible—and utterly and devastatingly change a life.

From Alzheimer’s to tumors to schizophrenia, diseases and disorders of the brain affect millions of Americans of all ages. Schizophrenia patients alone account for about half the inpatient hospital beds in state hospitals. And as the population ages, some disorders will become only more prevalent, having a major economic and social impact.

Hundreds of School of Medicine scientists and physicians—in such areas as neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, anatomy and neurobiology, along with the multidisciplinary Program in Neuroscience—are at the forefront of this challenging and important mission to unlock the secrets of the brain:

Priority Funding Objectives and Naming Opportunities: Neurological Disorders Name the Program: $5 million Endowed Chairs in Neurology and Psychiatry: $2.5 million Endowed Directorship in Neuroscience: $2.5 million Third Century Research Funds: $500,000 Third Century Investigators: $500,000 1807 Funds for Discovery: $50,000

• The School of Medicine is known worldwide for its unique Brain Attack Team, a multidisciplinary, emergency approach that treats—and cures—certain types of acute stroke. With stroke the leading cause of adult disability, we are also leading the way with a revolutionary idea in stroke rehabilitation known as neuroplasticity, which may help paralyzed stroke patients regain brain function they have lost.

• Maryland is home to the region’s first Gamma Knife Center, where revolutionary, non-invasive surgery offers a safer, less traumatic and less expensive alternative for people with certain brain tumors.

• Our scientists are pioneers in investigating brain disorders that affect the mind. The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, a joint program of the School of Medicine and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is one of the most highly regarded research centers in the world focusing on schizophrenia and other neurological disorders.

For many disorders, the cause—and the cure—remain elusive. Because cures can take years or even decades, we also focus on finding ways to slow the progress of a disease. For instance, as the preeminent place for movement disorders in the mid-Atlantic, the school is part of an unprecedented nationwide National Institutes of Health effort to find a drug that will delay the gradual degeneration caused by Parkinson’s disease. With the right treatments, we can make a huge impact—helping patients to work a few years longer, to stay in their homes, to maintain a better quality of daily life.

To develop the treatments and drugs that will be most effective, we must better understand how the brain functions. Scientists throughout the School of Medicine are searching for clues, studying the brain on a molecular and cellular level. Advances in genomics and proteomics promise to accelerate our learning. For the School of Medicine, this is brainstorming of the most valuable kind.

Printer friendly Email this page