Clinical trials are critical to finding better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat neurological disorders.  They help us to move basic scientific research from the laboratory into actual treatments that help patients.  Patients coming to UVA can have a better chance of successful treatment because UVA runs and participates in many clinical trials.

Frequently Asked Questions about Clinical Trials

Our department chairman Mark Shaffrey is the hands-on medical director of our trials office that also has an administrative director, 5 clinical research coordinators, and several more dedicated support staff.  We have recently been conducting or collaborating on new drug and device trials with NIH, the Christopher Reeve Foundation, GE Healthcare, Genentech, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Medtronic, Amgen, and with many smaller companies on the cusp of medical breakthroughs. 

In current trials of note:

-        Dr. Jeff Elias is leading a trial for the treatment of Essential Tremor with the world’s first intracranial therapeutic application of focused ultrasound. He is also beginning a trial for Parkinsons.

-        Dr. Deric Park is coordinating a multi-center, phase I study for the treatment of chordomas.

-        In collaboration with the NIH, Dr. Ed Oldfield is leading a successful ongoing phase I trial for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm with sodium nitrite. 

You can learn more about all clinical trials being performed by all specialties across UVA at the UVA clinical trials search page.