Neurologist shortage could affect research
Upcoming clinical trials need specialists to run them, says UCI Health expert
October 17, 2024
IN THE NEWS: The need for neurologists outpaces the supply in most states.
Dr. Claire Henchcliffe, a neurologist at UCI Health, recently spoke with Neurology Live about how the shortage could negatively impact research in the field.
“It’s not just a shortage of neurologists. We won’t have enough neurologists to run the number of clinical trials that are coming up. Not only do we want to be running clinical trials of new drugs, we want to be looking at a more precision medicine approach. And we want to be looking at combinations of drugs. So, that’s a lot of work to do.”
Henchcliffe, a professor and chair of neurology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, is a leading expert in Parkinson's disease and principal investigator of an early-phase clinical trial showing that lab-made neurons implanted into the brains of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease appear to reduce symptoms for at least some of them.
She is also the principal investigator of a phase 1 clinical trial for bemdaneprocel, an investigational cell therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, that has shown promising results.
Henchcliffe has more than 20 years’ experience treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions. A leading international expert on the condition, her research has focused on developing new treatments, including stem cell-based regenerative therapy and gene therapy.
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