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Spotlight Alan Berger, M.D.

Alan Berger, M.D.

UF Professor and Chair of Neurology
Assistant Dean for Research Affairs, UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville

Leader, collaborator, educator

When it comes to building programs in neurology and neuroscience, you might say Alan Berger, M.D., is the brains behind the operation.

Berger, assistant dean for research at the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville and chair of the department of neurology, has been the driving force behind the development of the Shands Jacksonville Neuroscience Institute and the rapid expansion of the UF neurology department. When he arrived in 1995, the department consisted of only two faculty members. So he focused on recruiting physicians, such as Scott Silliman, M.D., an associate professor of neurology and director of the Shands Jacksonville Comprehensive Stroke Program, and others whose specialties range from epilepsy, movement disorders, neuromuscular disease and stroke to behavioral neurology.

In July 2003, the Neuroscience Institute was created to integrate neurology and neurosurgery services so referrals are seamless and patients benefit from a team approach to their care. The institute functions under a single administrative team that Berger directs. Today, the institute consists of 14 neurology faculty, 8 neurosurgery faculty, 11 mid-level providers, a neuropychologist, social worker, program coordinators, and doctorates of pharmacy who provide multidisciplinary services at Shands Jacksonville.

"When residents and faculty take ownership of the programs, they automatically become involved in the growth, not so much for the financial aspects, but because of their commitment to patient care," he said. "You nurture your patients, you support your patients, and you're very involved in the care of each one."

He and his staff look for innovative ways to make patients feel appreciated. Take, for example, the annual support group appreciation luncheon for those battling epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis or stroke. Berger said the support groups, which he and other physicians frequently lead, allow patients to receive advice and encouragement from one another in a less intimidating and more relaxed environment. "Last year, about 110 people attended the luncheon, where we thanked them for being part of our practice," Berger said.

Silliman also supported Berger's efforts to build a strong department by developing a stroke program that utilized the trauma one helicopters to fly stroke patients to Shands Jacksonville from as far west as the Gulf Coast. Berger believes it has been this type of commitment and innovative thinking that drives the department's success.

The Neuroscience Institute offers a number of services, including a comprehensive stroke program; a comprehensive epilepsy program, including surgical epilepsy management; a movement disorder program and Parkinson's center, including deep brain stimulation; a neuromuscular program, including an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinic and peripheral neuropathy center; a multiple sclerosis center (one of only a few in the Southeast that treats children with MS); a neuro-oncology program, a sleep disorders center; critical care neurology, neuro-ophthalmology; neurotrauma, neuropsychology; and general neurology and neurosurgery.

Berger, who was appointed assistant dean of research affairs in February 2007, has also overseen efforts to develop robust research and educational programs both within his department and across campus. At any given time, his department has 35 to 50 clinical trials underway, many of them sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. As assistant dean for research, Berger oversees the more than 400 campus-wide clinical trials. In collaboration with Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, a research partnership was formed, creating a $5 million investment that has helped recruit neuro-rehabilitation scientists to the Jacksonville campus and Brooks.

Robert C. Nuss, M.D., dean of the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville regional campus, said Berger is an exceptional leader who has a broad vision of interdisciplinary research and strong program development.

"Dr. Berger serves as the College of Medicine representative for research both internally and externally and actively participates in institutional planning, implementing and evaluating research activities. Under his leadership, there have been a number of innovative methods developed for promoting research and scholarly activity on our campus," said Nuss. "He is responsible for promoting investigator-initiated scholarship within the faculty and directing the faculty in planning and securing resources, evaluating and implementing activities for the research program, and managing the procurement of funds."

In 2005, Berger helped found the campus's first neurology residency program.

"This year, we will graduate our first class," Berger said. "Our neurology residency program is our prized jewel. We are very proud to have started from nothing and developed services and faculty adequate to be granted a residency program."

The department also has an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved vascular neurology fellowship and is an active participant in a highly regarded clerkship for UF medical students. In addition, it sponsors a specialized training platform for physicians to study epilepsy.

Berger, a graduate of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., completed an internship in internal medicine at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center in New York. From there, he finished a residency in neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. Berger also completed a fellowship in electromyography and neuromuscular disease at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Berger's determination to help his patients successfully live with their conditions is equally matched by his determination to continue building upon the success of his department and the college.

"I have found people with great skills who have been able to form a cohesive unit," he said. "As they grow their programs, they concern themselves with the bigger picture of the department and its growth, which is unique."

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