Meythaler appointed chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at WSU School of Medicine, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan
DETROIT – April 28, 2004
Jay M. Meythaler, MD, JD, recently was named chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Wayne State University School of Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Dr. Meythaler’s appointment will be effective July 1, pending formal approval by the Wayne State University Board of Governors.
“I look forward to working with Dr. Meythaler in expanding our neuroscience programs,” said John Crissman, MD, dean of the medical school. “The School of Medicine is uniquely positioned to develop a comprehensive neuroscience and neurorecovery research program that will set the standard for quality care.”
Dr. Meythaler currently serves as co-director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Care System at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and director of Brain Injury Services at Spain Rehabilitation Center. A tenured professor, Dr. Meythaler is also medical director of the UAB Injury Control and Research Center and medical director of the Center for Injury Sciences.
“We are pleased that Dr. Meythaler has accepted this position and feel he will be a valuable asset to the staff of Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan,” said Terry Reiley, president, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in the Detroit Medical Center.
Dr. Meythaler’s research interests include spinal-cord injury, traumatic brain injury, spasticity, peripheral neurophysiology and Guillian-Barre Syndrome. He has a particular interest in neuropharmacology.
At WSU, Dr. Meythaler plans to develop an interdisciplinary center to support a comprehensive, nationally recognized neuroscience program. One key area he plans to explore is neurorecovery.
“Neurorecovery is one very important part of that process after managing the acute processes,” he said. “At this point in time, this type of research is analogous to stepping on an undiscovered continent. With neurological injury and illnesses responsible for much of the long-term disability in the United States, developing a better understanding for neuroscience will be paramount to improving the quality of life for current and future patients.”
With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with its clinical partner the Wayne State University Physician Group, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas, including cancer, genetics, the neurosciences and women and children's health.
With its 94-bed hospital and 20 outpatient therapy sites throughout southeast Michigan, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) is one of the nation’s largest hospitals specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The Institute was named by U.S. News and World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” and is nationally recognized as a center of excellence for the treatment of spinal cord and brain injuries. A member of the Detroit Medical Center, RIM serves as the teaching and clinical research site for Wayne State University School of Medicine.
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