Neuroscience Research Foundation

Index:

  • What is the Neuroscience Research Foundation?
  • What Does the Neuroscience Research Foundation Support?
  • How to Donate to Neuroscience Research Foundation
  • What is the Neuroscience Research Foundation?
  • Who is Dr. Joseph Maroon?
  • Publications Supported by Neuroscience Research Foundation

 

Dr Joseph MaroonWhat is the Neuroscience Research Foundation?

Dr. Joseph C. Maroon founded the Neuroscience Research Foundation (NRF)  in 1985.  The NRF is dedicated to promoting the advancement of neuroscience. It is a not for profit funding source that supports both basic and clinical neuroscience research.  Donations that support the foundation have come from corporations, other foundations and primarily individual donors and patients.  The research supported by the foundation has contributed to the development of many neurosurgical procedures for safer and minimally invasive approaches.

The research has focused on:  methods to diagnose, prevent and treat traumatic injuries to the brain and nervous system; the development of new minimally invasive surgical techniques; the funding of students and residents for projects to advance patient care and holistic, natural approaches to the treatment of pain and inflammation.

Many incapacitated patients now have a much fuller and productive life due to research projects supported by the Neuroscience Research Foundation.   The unique aspect is that it is primarily funded by donations from appreciative patients.

What Does the Neuroscience Research Foundation Support?

The Neuroscience Research Foundation has provided support for numerous clinical studies dealing with diseases of the brain, spine and spinal cord. This has resulted in the publication of numerous research studies in the field of neuroscience (see list below). More recently, basic and clinical research studies have been published in conjunction with Dr. Thomas Seyfried at Boston University dealing with unique dietary approaches to malignant brain tumors. It is believed that this approach, in conjunction with standard therapy, may have significant benefit for patients with this terrible disease. Also, studies with cannabis have resulted in several publications and presentations at national and international meetings.

A primary focus has been the education of undergraduate students in assisting them with acceptance into medical school. We have provided externships for over 15 students—all of whom subsequently have been accepted into various medical school programs. Ongoing research with resident education and support has resulted in several publications and IRB approval for ongoing studies.
The ultimate goal and result are to benefit the patients in preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases of the central nervous system.

Donations to the Neuro Research Foundation

NRF is a Pennsylvania registered charitable organization.  Donations can be made to –

Neuroscience Research Foundation”

Sent to  – 318 Academy Ave., Sewickley, PA 15143

Questions- Call 412-647-9333

Who is Dr. Joseph Maroon?

Dr Maroon SidelinesJoseph Charles Maroon was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He was educated in the parochial schools in Bellaire, Ohio where his athletic abilities earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. As an undergraduate he was selected as a Scholastic All American in Football in Indiana. Following his undergraduate education, he obtained his medical and neurosurgical training at Indiana University, Georgetown University, Oxford University in England and a microsurgical Fellowship at the University of Vermont under R.M. Peardon Donaghy. He began his practice at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972 and was promoted to Professor and Director of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh-Presbyterian University Hospital.

In 1984, he joined Allegheny General Hospital as Chairman of Neurosurgery and in 1995 assumed the additional role as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital/Medical College of Pennsylvania. In 1999, he rejoined the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh as Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department.

Maroon OR

In 1999 he was recruited back to the University of Pittsburgh where he was appointed Vice Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurological Surgery and designated the Dennis and Rose Heindl Scholar in Neurosciences. He has been the team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club for the past 30 years and has developed innovated programs for the management of athletes with cerebral concussions. ImPACT© (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) was developed by Doctor Maroon and his colleague, neuropsychologist Mark Lovell, Ph.D. It is the first computerized evaluation system used that may help determine concussion severity and when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports. This program has now been adopted by the NFL, NHL, NBA, and over 12,000 high schools and colleges throughout the United States. Over 23 million athletes have now been base line tested with this study, which is the only FDA approved neurocognitive test for determining return to play in the United States. His research into brain tumors and diseases of the spine have led to many innovative techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders.

Maroon Ryan and Hoge Dec 16 2018In 1986, he was honored by his peers when they elected him President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the largest society of neurosurgeons in North America. He has since been honored for his contributions in neurosurgery by the national neurosurgical societies of many foreign countries including Japan, Korea, Thailand, Egypt, Brazil and Lebanon.  He has been the invited lecturer to many universities including Stanford, Harvard, Case Western Reserve, University of Buffalo, University of Indiana and many more.

His publications number more than 280 and he is on the editorial board of five medical journals. He has authored or co-authored 40 book chapters and has published 6 books. He is on three neurological journal editorial boards and has introduced microsurgical and percutaneous techniques for the minimally invasive treatment of herniated lumbar discs. In 2002, he was nominated a Health Care Hero Lifetime Achievement Award finalist by the Pittsburgh Business Times and has been listed, for 15 consecutive years, as one of “America’s Best Neurosurgeons” in the publication of America’s Best Doctors. He was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Indiana University.

dr maroon kona ironmanDespite his busy professional schedule, Doctor Maroon has maintained his athletic interest by competing in over 70 triathlon events including Ironman triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run) in Hawaii (1993, 2003, 2008, 2010 and 2013), Canada (1995), New Zealand (1997) and Europe (2000). In 1999 he, along with Joe Montana and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar were inducted into the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame for his athletic accomplishments and contributions to sports medicine. In 2012 he was inducted into the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. He received the Pioneer Award from the UPMC Center for Cranial Base Surgery at their 25th anniversary in 2012. In 2016 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his pioneering work in concussion research and practice. He was named Circus Saints and Sinners Man of the Year in 2017 and in 2018 was named Humanitarian of the year by the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation.

Publications Supported by Neuroscience Research Foundation

Partial List Below:

Maroon, JC: The Evolution of Life and Career. Congress Quarterly, pp 16-17, Summer 2014.

Rousseau G, Bailes J, Maroon J (Guest Editors): Current Concepts in Sports Concussion. NEUROSURGERY October 2014 Supplement, pp S1-S155.

Okonkwo DO, Tempel ZJ, Maroon JC: Sideline assessment tools for the evaluation of concussion in athletes: a review. NEUROSURGERY, 75:S82-S95, October 2014 Supplement. www.neurosurgery-online.com

Paluzzi A, Gardner PA, Fernandez-Miranda JC, Tormenti MJ, Stefko ST, Snyderman CH, Maroon JC. “Round the clock” surgical access to the orbit. J Neurol Surg B. 2015 Feb; 76(1):12-24.

Maroon JC, Winkelman BS, Bost J, Austin A, Mathyssek C, Miele V: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in contact sports: a systematic review of all reported pathological cases. In Press, PLOS ONE, Feb 2015.

Tempel ZJ, Bost JW, Norwig JA, Maroon JC: Significance of T12 hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following cervical cord injury and return to play in professional athletes. Neurosurgery 0:1–8, 2015 DOI: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000000728

Maroon JC, Mathyssek CM, Bost JW, Amos A, Winkelman R, Yates AP, Duca MA and Norwig JA: Vitamin D profile in national football league players. Am J Sports Med. Published online February 3, 2015.

Maroon JC, Seyfried TN, Donohue JP, Bost J: The role of metabolic therapy in treating glioblastoma multiforme. Surg Neurol Int 2015;6:61. Available free in open access from: http://www.surgicalneurologyint.com/text.asp?2015/6/1/61/155259.

Mathyssek CM, Bost JW, Maroon JC: Vitamin D and muscle function and performance – a perspective. Austin J Nutri Food Sci. 3(2), page 1064, June 8, 2015.

Tempel ZJ, Bost JW, Maroon JC: Contact sport athletes with persistent cervical cord MRI T2 hyperintensity following trauma may safely return to play. University of Pittsburgh Neurosurgery News, Vol 16(3), Summer 2015.

Lucke-Wold BP, Logsdon EF, Nguyen L, Eltanahay A, Turner RC, Bonasso P, Knotts C, Moeck A, Maroon JC, Bailes JE, Rosen CL: Supplements nutrition and alternative therapies for the treatment of traumatic brain injury, Nutritional Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2016.1236174. To link this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2016.1236174

Mai HT, Burgmeier RJ, Mitchell SM, Hecht AC, Maroon JC, Nuber GW, Hus WK: Does the level of ervial disc herniation surgery affect performance-based outcomes in national football league athletes? Spine, 2016 Dec 1;41(23): 1785-1789.

Collins MW, Kontos AP, Okonkwo DO, et al: Statements of agreement from the Targeted Evaluation and Active Management (TEAM) Approaches to Treating Concussion Meeting Held in Pittsburgh, October 15-16, 2015. NEUROSURGERY, 0:1-18, 2016 Special Article, published ahead of print, DOI: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000001447

Seyfried TN, Yu G, Maroon JC, D’Agostino DP: Press-pulse: a novel therapeutic strategy for the metabolic management of cancer. Nutrition & Metabolism (2017) 14:19. DOI: 10.1186/s12986-017-0178-2.

Maroon JC, Coury S, Coury C, Bost J: How are concussion severity and return to play determined? medicallawperspectives.com, Wordsworth Law Publications, Inc., NY, NY, August 2017.

Mai HT, Chun DS, Schneider AD, Hecht AC, Maroon JC, Hsu WK: The difference in clinical outcomes after anterior cervical fusion, disk replacement and foraminotomy in professional athletes. Clin Spine Surg 31(1): E80-E84, 2018.

Moshayedi P, Thomas D, Rinaldo CR, Moossy JJ, Maroon JC: Subacute histopathological features in a case of varicella zoster virus myelitis and post-herpetic neuralgia. International Spinal Cord Society, https://doi.org/10/1038/s41394-018-0068-5 April 4, 2018.

Maroon JC, Bost J: Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids. Surg Neurol Int 2018, 9.9.1. http://surgicalneurologyint.com/Review-of-the-neurological-benefits-of-phytocannabinoids/

McDowell M, Parry P, Miele V, Maroon J, Agarwal N: Long term delay in onset of prevertebral hematoma following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. DOI: https//doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2018.12.031