Karen Furie, MD, Appointed Chief of Neurology at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Bradley hospitals, Chair of Neurology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Posted Thursday, June 07, 2012

Karen L. Furie, MD, MPH, has been appointed chief of neurology at Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Bradley Hospital, effective Aug. 6, 2012. In this role, Furie will be responsible for managing clinical services, educational and research activities, and administration of the department of neurology on each of the three campuses. Furie also will serve as chair of the department of neurology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and as executive chief of neurology at each of the Alpert Medical School’s affiliated hospitals including Butler Hospital and the Providence VA Medical Center.

“The recruitment of Dr. Furie further demonstrates our commitment to becoming a national leader in the neurosciences,” said Timothy J. Babineau, M.D., president and chief executive officer at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. “Dr. Furie is a true leader, and I am confident that she will be instrumental in the continued development of the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute. Additionally, Dr. Furie will play a key role in strengthening our relationship with Brown University and the Brown Institute for Brain Science, further enhancing our collaborative research efforts, as well as patient care.”

Edward J. Wing, MD, dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown, said of Furie’s appointment, “Karen Furie has a proven track record of strong leadership expertise in research and education. Hers is the second of three critical hires that position Brown as a leader in brain science research and teaching. Her appointment will boost our potential to be one of the top destinations in the country for clinical and academic neurology. Over the past several years Brown has made substantive investments in the sciences of the brain and continues to see brain science as a signature strength in the University.”

Physicians in the department of neurology diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system including stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, movement disorders, epilepsy and much more.

“Dr. Furie is an outstanding physician and scientist,” said John Donoghue, a professor of neuroscience and engineering at Brown and director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science. “We are excited to welcome her to the Institute for Brain Science, where she will be a leader in the Institute's initiative in brain health, one of our three research focus areas.”

Furie, who will serve as president of the Neurology Foundation, comes to Rhode Island Hospital from Massachusetts General Hospital where she serves as associate neurologist and director of the stroke service. She also holds the roles of associate faculty at the Center for Human Genetic Research and associate professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. She has played a prominent role in national and international efforts to advance the field through participation in the development of guidelines such as Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) recommendations, Guidelines for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack, and Stroke: Working Toward a Prioritized World Agenda, in addition to holding leadership positions within the American Stroke Association, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the American Academy of Neurology.

Furie, of Milton, Mass., was enrolled in Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education and received her medical degree from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her master’s in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency in neurology and a fellowship in stroke/neurosonology at Rhode Island Hospital.

She has received numerous awards, including the Women’s Health Research Award from Massachusetts General Hospital, the Aronson Award for Excellence in Neurosciences from Brown University, and was named to the Best of Boston list for three consecutive years.

Her research interests include stroke prevention, translational clinical trials, stroke biomarkers and genetics; insulin resistance after stroke; and the role of brain involvement in chagas disease, which is a major cause of heart disease, stroke and cognitive impairment in Latin America. Her research also has provided evidence that sophisticated neuroimaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) angiography and CT perfusion can help determine stroke outcome.

Filed under: Neurosciences Institute,