Cleveland Clinic Names Jeffery L. Cummings, MD
Director of Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Renowned Clinician and Researcher to Lead Neurological
Research in Las Vegas and Cleveland

Friday, May 21, 2010, Cleveland: Cleveland Clinic has named leading researcher and neurologist Jeffery L. Cummings, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. He will join the organization on July 1.

Dr. Cummings will lead Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health research and operations in Cleveland and Las Vegas.  In his new role, he will be responsible for further developing the center’s research capabilities and clinical programs, including the initiation of new drug development programs for neurodegenerative disorders.  Dr. Cummings will also further develop Cleveland Clinic brain health research related to brain injuries and neurorehabilitation.

“This is an exciting and growing area in clinical research and patient care,” said Joseph Hahn, MD, Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic.  “We’re thrilled to have Jeff join the Clinic, given his national prominence in neurological research that has the potential to help an enormous population of patients in need.”

In a continued effort to search for a cure for debilitating neurocognitive disease, Dr. Cummings will spearhead the expansion of clinical operations in both Cleveland and Las Vegas, further integrating the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute activities across the health system.

Dr. Cummings succeeds Randolph Schiffer, MD, who played an integral role in creating the Center for Brain Health in 2009.

“Jeff will help us forge new relationships to better position the Center for Brain Health as an international leader in the study and treatment of neurological disorders,” said Michael T. Modic, MD, FACR, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute. “He is an experienced, strong leader and innovator committed to advancing our efforts to improve patient care, research and innovation.”

Dr. Cummings’ research and leadership contributions in the field of Alzheimer’s disease are internationally recognized.  He brings significant experience and expertise in clinical trial design and outcomes measurement.  Throughout his career, Dr. Cummings has focused on unraveling the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease and finding answers on how to treat or cure the disease.

“I look forward to leading this unique team of care providers, researchers and staff as we implement programs to eradicate debilitating neurodegenerative disorders,” Dr. Cummings said.  “Patients hold the key to developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.  We plan to initiate many novel programs to engage patients in trials and leverage the size and excellence of the Cleveland Clinic health system to accelerate the development of new treatments.”

Dr. Cummings’ research and leadership contributions in the field of Alzheimer’s disease are many.  He has received numerous awards including: the Henderson Award of the American Geriatrics Society, the Research Award of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Award of the national Alzheimer’s Association and the Distinguished Scientist Award of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.  He was named a “Rock Star of Science” by the Geoffrey Beene Foundation in 2009.

Kate Zhong, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist with experience designing clinical trials in the pharmaceutical industry, will also join the Center for Brain Health.  She will have operational responsibility for advancing clinical trials and new treatment development.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Cummings was the director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and a professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

He is past president of the Behavioral Neurology Society and of the American Neuropsychiatric Association.  Dr. Cummings has authored or edited 30 books and published more than 600 peer-reviewed papers.

Dr. Cummings graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wyoming, Laramie and obtained his medical degree from the University of Washington. Dr. Cummings completed his neurology residency and fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at Boston University.  He also completed a research fellowship in neuropathology and neuropsychiatry at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London, England.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.  Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation.  U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey.  About 2,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 7,600 nurses at Cleveland Clinic represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties.  In addition to its main campus, Cleveland Clinic operates nine regional hospitals in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and Cleveland Clinic Canada.  In 2008, there were more than 4.2 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 165,000 hospital admissions.  Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Visit Cleveland Clinic at clevelandclinic.org