Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD, the Sanford J. Larson, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), has been selected as the Founding Director of the newly created joint MCW/Froedtert Health/Children’s Wisconsin Neuroscience Institute, effective Jan. 7, 2022.
In his new role, Dr. Kurpad will be responsible for the overall strategy, growth, and operation of the Neuroscience Institute (NSI) in collaboration with associated clinical departments and programs, the Neuroscience Research Center (NRC) and research enterprises. Dr. Kurpad will have significant local, regional, and national exposure and will lead efforts to bring together hundreds of neuroscience and spine-related faculty and staff into a highly functioning team, capable of achieving the established goal of achieving Top 10 recognition in 7-10 years.
The new NSI is a collaboration among MCW, Froedtert Health, and Children’s Wisconsin to harness the vast clinical expertise and world-renowned research talent in neurosciences across the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus, synergize advancements in treating disorders affecting the brain, spine, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, and, importantly, further premier programs and discovery. The NSI also will expand and align the neuroscience and spine service lines that exist across the affiliated health systems and will work in partnership with MCW’s NRC to advance their research strategy.
“The new Neuroscience Institute will showcase the unmatched advancements that are possible through collaborative academic medicine,” said Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, provost and executive vice president of MCW and The Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the School of Medicine. “Dr. Kurpad’s vast experience and expertise across the field of neuroscience are invaluable in propelling the NSI mission forward.”