A Medical Device Daily

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health , has appointed Alan Koretsky, PhD, as scientific director.

He will direct the NINDS Division of Intramural Research, which conducts studies on the biomedical processes involved in the more than 600 disorders and conditions that affect the nervous system.

“Dr. Koretsky is an outstanding choice to manage our science program’s intellectual and financial resources,” said Story Landis, PhD, NINDS director. “We looked for someone whose breadth of knowledge and scientific experience is equally broad. Dr. Koretsky is internationally known for developing imaging techniques that allow us to better see and understand brain structure and nerve system mechanics.”

Koretsky’s major research interest is in the development of novel MRI techniques to visualize brain structure and function. He has used these techniques to study cellular energy metabolism, to monitor the regulation of blood flow, and, most recently, to map changes in the brain that occur in a variety of normal and pathological conditions.

Koretsky will plan, lead and assess all aspects of the NINDS intramural research program, which focuses on the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of neurological disorders. He will also oversee all aspects of the institute’s intramural multidisciplinary research efforts, develop new research programs, recruit new investigators to the NINDS intramural program and build networks of scientists involved in various fields of neuroscience and neurobiology.

Koretsky has been chief of the NINDS Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging since June 1999. He also directs the NIH Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Facility/Mouse Imaging Facility.