Neuroscience is one of Wake Forest Baptist’s strategic areas of research, featuring interdisciplinary teams with unique translational models for a variety of neurologic diseases and conditions, particularly pain, substance abuse and addiction.

Our researchers are investigating safer analgesics, how pain influences drug-seeking behavior and the neurobiology of substance abuse. With more than 30 years of experience using nonhuman primate models to study addiction and drug abuse, they are experts in study design and implementation. In addition to our expertise, we have established and benchmark resources, such as the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and a dedicated comparative pathology lab available to evaluate both non-invasive and terminal end points. Clinical-grade imaging modalities (PET/CT, MRI, etc.) and an in-house cyclotron are available to visualize various pathophysiological endpoints.

Cross-disciplinary teams, an extensive patient population and top-notch support services make Wake Forest Baptist an ideal location for clinical trials in neurology and the neurosciences. Industry can access our diverse group of clinicians to conduct research in stroke, brain cancer, movement disorders and many other areas. Our dedicated research centers and laboratory cores for neuroscientific research, such as the ALS Center, the Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Telestroke Network, serve as a hub for our investigators and are a gateway to regional patient populations.

All studies are supported by state-of-the-art diagnostics, therapies and surgical techniques. We are home to one of the nation’s leading and most active Gamma Knife Centers—providing highly targeted radiation treatment for brain abnormalities. Additionally, deep brain stimulation and its use in neuromuscular and movement disorders therapies were pioneered by our researchers.