About Us
Within Johns Hopkins University, the Brain Sciences, which span both campuses, is one of the largest recipients of NIH funds and represents a very significant research enterprise. Within the School of Medicine, the Departments are Neurology, Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, Pathology, and Psychiatry.
The Hopkins Brain Sciences are characterized by their unique degree of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration. At Hopkins, investigators work in disease-specific teams but maintain close contact with scientists exploring other conditions. The success of this cross-disciplinary approach relies upon responsive research funding, proximal lab space, and innovative researchers.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
The Neurodegenerative Diseases including Alzheimers Disease, Parkinsons Disease, Huntingtons Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) represent key areas of expertise and opportunity. These diseases represent the most feared consequences of aging. The magnitude of these diseases is staggering, and as our population demographics shift with the aging of the Baby Boomer cohort, they will continue to grow. At the present time, there are no cures or effective treatments available.
- 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimers Disease.
- Over 1 million Americans have Parkinsons Disease.
- ALS is responsible for the death of 1/1000 individuals worldwide
All of these disorders have in common progressive dysfunction and degeneration of the nerve cells, and discoveries in one disease impact the understanding and treatment of the other diseases. The neurodegenerative diseases are adult onset diseases that destroy part of the nervous system. In all of these diseases, the basic processes are the same, although the locations differ. They share many of the same pathways, and there is great crossover between research laboratories. Advances in different laboratories have impacted the ability of other researchers to move forward.
The time is right for intensive investigation of these diseases in a multidisciplinary fashion, going from bench to bedside. We believe Johns Hopkins has the ability to accelerate the development of new and effective treatments for these diseases.
Brain Tumor Research
Brains tumors are the most common solid malignancies in children. In 1997, 24% of cancer deaths in persons up to 19 years of age were from brain tumors, making them the leading cause of death from malignancy in children.
A number of different brain tumors can arise in children, and they are named based on the type of brain cell they resemble under the microscope. The type of brain tumor, and its location in the brain, plays a large role in the therapy used, and in the ultimate outcome for the patient. Our research is particularly focused on the most common brain tumors in children: medulloblastoma/PNET and pilocytic/pilomyxoid astrocytomas.