Department of Neurology
Highly personalized treatment by collaborative teams of experts
What We Do
The faculty in the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Department of Neurology are leaders in their fields, providing comprehensive care in:
Who We Are
The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Department of Neurology provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary care for stroke, movement disorders, brain injuries, headache disorders, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, sleep medicine, neuromuscular disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Through its teleneurology and telestroke partnerships as well as multidisciplinary teams like that of our Memory Health Clinic, the neurology team cares for thousands of patients around the state of West Virginia and beyond.
The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute’s Department of Neurology has received U.S. News & World Report’s High Performing designation for 2024-2025. Each year, U.S. News evaluates hospital performance in both complex and routine care to support patient decision-making for acute and chronic conditions.
Evaluations are based on criteria that include patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, the availability of advanced technologies, nursing quality, specialty-specific certifications, services for patients and their families and expert opinions of specialists in the field.
Movement Disorder Program
Essential tremor and Parkinson’s are often confused with each other. Both are brain diseases that cause tremors, but they are very different.
Meet Dave
Dave Kolbe from central Ohio has Parkinson’s disease and found his way to the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) after several subpar experiences with other neurologists.
Leading Innovation
The Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) program consists of three state-of-the-art TMS laboratories. All systems utilize integrated neuronavigation, electroencephalography, electromyography, and virtual reality. In addition to clinical use for the improvement of treatment resistant depression, our researchers are exploring other possible applications for TMS in the management of conditions across neuroscience domains. These areas include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke rehabilitation, tics, chronic pain, and addiction.
Focused Ultrasound (FUS) World Leader
The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute team has become a world leader in non-invasive focused ultrasound (FUS) procedures for essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. The team is also pioneering innovative research with first-in-the-U.S. clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and addiction.
Neurology Graduate & Post-Grad Education
The WVU Department of Neurology offers a robust training program with multidisciplinary internships, residencies, and fellowships for all of our clinical sections. The WVU Neurology Residency Program is the only categorical training program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the state.
Our residency and all affiliated fellowships are fully accredited by the ACGME.
Our postdoctoral programs include fellowships in Vascular Neurology and Headache Medicine.
Clinical Leadership
See all Neurology Faculty
Umer Najib, MD, FAAN, FAHS
Muhammad Alvi, MD, MBA
Joseph Malone, MD
Melanie Ward, MD
Shumaila Sultan, MD