Richard Finkel, MD

“[The goal is] to look at new diseases that are not being targeted for treatment. There are hundreds of these pediatric conditions that are begging for evaluation of treatment.”

St. Jude Research Hospital recently entered a new realm of neurology subspecialty care with the opening of its Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics. Its newly appointed director, Richard Finkel, MD, claims that the focus will be on diseases that do not, as of right now, have a defined treatment.

Finkel understands that with this new position comes new responsibility and a culmination of long-term goals not only for the new center, but for himself as well. Culminating a list and recruiting a group of highly trained experts in the field will be 1 of the first tasks Finkel must complete in order to bolster the staff.

, Finkel gives an overview at how the new Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics will operate, the long-term goals, and the challenges he’s expecting to face ahead of him as the new director.

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The newly appointed director for the Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital details his personal responsibilities and the long-term goals for the new center.

Richard Finkel, MD: Goals of St. Jude Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics

“In particular, we are going to focus on diseases that do not, as yet, have a defined treatment—so where there is great unmet need.”

For decades, St. Jude Research Hospital has sought cures for catastrophic childhood diseases such as cancer, sickle cell, and HIV. Now, they enter a new realm of research with the opening of the Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics, headed up by Richard Finkel, MD, as the center’s appointed director.

Finkel, along with help with researchers from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and faculty from the department of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, will dedicate and delegate their time to specific neurological disorders found mainly in pediatric populations.

, the director for the new Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics explains which specific neurological disorders the new center will assess and treat, and the overall goals of the initiative from all of the researchers involved.

The newly appointed director for the Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital gives an overview on what neurologic disorders the new center will focus on.

Richard Finkel, MD: Specific Neurologic Focus at New St. Jude Center 

“This is where we can really utilize the strengths that are at St. Jude, harness those, and develop new treatments for the area of neurologic diseases.”

Earlier this month, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced that Richard Finkel, MD, a leading pediatric neurologist in the US, will head up the hospital's new Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics.

Already known for its vast history in research for treatments for childhood diseases such as cancer, sickle cell, and HIV, St. Jude’s new center marks an expansion of the institution’s approach to catastrophic pediatric diseases into neurologic disorders. Finkel was previously the chief of neurology at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, and is professor of neurology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.

, Finkel discusses why the new center is such a monumental move and what impact it will have on future research and care of this pediatric population that has such a dire need for treatments.

Finkel discussed his new role at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he'll head up the new Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics.

Richard Finkel, MD

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