Richard Finkel, MD: St. Jude Takes Major Step in Neurology Sphere

“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.

In an interview with NeurologyLive, 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.