Robert Joseph Buchanan

Last updated
Robert Joseph Buchanan
KM+
Born
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Alma mater
OccupationPhysician
Medical career
ProfessionNeurosurgeon and Psychiatrist
FieldNeurosurgery and Psychiatry
Institutions
ResearchNeuroscience
Scientific career
Doctoral advisors Francis Crick, Larry Squire, and Fred Gage
Website https://robertjbuchananmd.com/

Robert Joseph Buchanan KM+ is an American neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, and bioethicist who is best known for his contributions to the field of neuroscience, psychosurgery, and neuroethics. He is an associate professor of neurosurgery at Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin and maintains courtesy associate professor appointments in the school's department of neurology and department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Buchanan grew up on the south side of Chicago, and is of Irish and Polish ancestry. He attended the Bishop Noll Institute where he was an all-state tennis player. [2]

Buchanan prepared for his career in medicine by attending the University of Chicago before earning a Doctor of Medicine with honors from the St. Louis University School of Medicine. His post-doctoral training began with an internship at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in conjunction with the University of Miami before he completed separate residencies in both psychiatry and neurosurgery at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Buchanan completed his formal education with an epilepsy / functional neurosurgery fellowship at Yale University, a psychobiology and psychopharmacology fellowship with the National Institute of Health at UCSD, and a fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. [3]

Career and research

Buchanan has published research work regarding various aspects of neurosurgery in a range of peer-reviewed journals, including the Cerebral Cortex, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, SCIENCE Advances, Hippocampus, and Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. He has also penned book chapters for medical education texts such as Adult Neurology and the Textbook of Neurological Surgery. He is currently the Editor in Chief of the Clinics In Surgery journal [4] and a member of the editorial board of Neurological Surgery. He is a reviewer for Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry; Epilepsy and Behavior; and Frontiers in Epilepsy.

Buchanan was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 to the serve on the Vatican's international bioethics committee called the Pontifical Academy for Life. [5] [6] He chairs its Consciousness, Neuroscience, and Ethics working group which looks to address intersecting issues confronting humanity such as the irreducibility of the moral conscience and the question of free will in the no-freedom theory, libertarianism, and compatibilism; the levels of consciousness and alterations in temporary and persistent consciousness; cognitive and emotional neuroenahncement and deep brain stimulation; the governance of neurotechnologies; and human dignity between functionalist-actualistic theories and substantialistic theories. [7] Buchanan was re-appointed for another five-year term in 2017. [8]

His most recent practice and area of research has been focused on neuromodulation using deep brain stimulation to attenuate neuropsychological and movement related disorders such as Major Depression and Parkinson's respectively. He is the director of the Human Brain Stimulation and Electrophysiology lab as well as the co-director of the Electrophysiology of Learning and Memory (ELM) Lab at UT Austin. In 2014, Buchanan and his team were the first to be able to make in vivo neurochemical measurements using microdialysis from the human basal ganglia while study participants engaged in memory tasks. [9]

In 2019, Buchanan was the first surgeon in Texas to perform a deep brain stimulator surgery for refractory seizures. [10] As of 2020, he is the principal investigator of the University of Texas site for the ADvance II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the fornix for patient's with mild Alzheimer's disease. [11] [12]

Other distinctions

He is a knight in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. [5] [13]

Personal life

He currently lives in Austin, Texas.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurology</span> Medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system

Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurosurgery</span> Medical specialty of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system.

Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgery as a medical specialty also includes non-surgical management of some neurological conditions.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to neuroscience:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep brain stimulation</span> Neurosurgical treatment

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure that implants a neurostimulator and electrodes which sends electrical impulses to specified targets in the brain responsible for movement control. The treatment is designed for a range of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, as well as for certain neuropsychiatric conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and epilepsy. The exact mechanisms of DBS are complex and not entirely clear, but it is known to modify brain activity in a structured way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centromedian nucleus</span> Anatomical part

In the anatomy of the brain, the centromedian nucleus, also known as the centrum medianum, is a nucleus in the posterior group of the intralaminar thalamic nuclei (ITN) in the thalamus. There are two centromedian nuclei arranged bilaterally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corpus callosotomy</span> Surgical procedure for epilepsy

A corpus callosotomy is a palliative surgical procedure for the treatment of medically refractory epilepsy. The procedure was first performed in 1940 by William P. van Wagenen. In this procedure, the corpus callosum is cut through, in an effort to limit the spread of epileptic activity between the two halves of the brain. Another method to treat epilepsy is vagus nerve stimulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vagus nerve stimulation</span> Medical treatment that involves delivering electrical impulses to the vagus nerve

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a medical treatment that involves delivering electrical impulses to the vagus nerve. It is used as an add-on treatment for certain types of intractable epilepsy, cluster headaches, treatment-resistant depression and stroke rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallidotomy</span> Surgical procedure to damage the globus pallidus

Pallidotomy is a neurosurgical procedure. It is used to treat Parkinson's disease and some other conditions, often as an alternative to deep brain stimulation. It involves placing a tiny electrical probe in the globus pallidus, one of the basal ganglia of the brain, to damage it. Unilateral pallidotomy can cause side effects including problems with language learning, visuospatial constructional ability, and executive functions. Bilateral pallidotomy is not effective, with many severe side effects.

Ablative brain surgery is the surgical ablation by various methods of brain tissue to treat neurological or psychological disorders. The word "Ablation" stems from the Latin word Ablatus meaning "carried away". In most cases, however, ablative brain surgery does not involve removing brain tissue, but rather destroying tissue and leaving it in place. The lesions it causes are irreversible. There are some target nuclei for ablative surgery and deep brain stimulation. Those nuclei are the motor thalamus, the globus pallidus, and the subthalamic nucleus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Ojemann</span> American neurosurgeon

George Ojemann is a professor emeritus of neurologic surgery in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The Mischer Neuroscience Institute is a combined research and education effort between the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann Hospital. Located in Houston, the Institute draws patients from around the world for specialized treatment of diseases of the brain and spine. It was the first center in Texas and one of only a few institutions in the country to fully integrate neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neuro-oncology, spine surgery, pain medicine and neurorehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael L. J. Apuzzo</span> American academic neurological surgeon

Michael L. J. Apuzzo is an American academic neurological surgeon, the Edwin M. Todd/Trent H. Wells, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics at the Keck School of Medicine, of the University of Southern California. He is also editor emeritus of the peer-reviewed journals World Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery. He is distinguished adjunct professor of neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine, distinguished professor of advanced neurosurgery and neuroscience and senior advisor, at the Neurological Institute, Wexner Medical School, The Ohio State University, and adjunct professor of neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery & Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center.

N. K. Venkataramana is an Indian neurosurgeon and the founder of ANSA Research Foundation, a non-profit non governmental organization promoting research on neuroscience, neurological disorders, cancer biology, stem cells and tumor tissue repository. He is a recipient of Dr. B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category and the Rajyotsava Prashasti, the second highest civilian award of the Government of Karnataka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krembil Research Institute</span> Academic medical research institute in Toronto

The Krembil Research Institute, formerly known as the Toronto Western Research Institute, is an academic medical research institute in Toronto. It is one of the largest research institutes in Canada focusing on human neurological disease.

John F. Alksne is a Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery and former Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

Hal Blumenfeld is a professor of neurology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery at Yale University. His focus is on brain mechanisms of consciousness and on altered consciousness in epilepsy. As director of the Yale Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center, he leads multi-disciplinary research and is also well known for his teaching contributions in neuroanatomy and clinical neuroscience.

Ali R. Rezai is an Iranian-born American neurosurgeon and neuroscientist. His work and research has focused on neuromodulation treatments for patients with neurological and mental health conditions, including neuromodulation techniques such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) through brain chip implants to treat Parkinson's disease tremors, obsessive–compulsive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and addiction. Recent research since 2020 has focused on deep brain stimulation for addiction treatment, as well as focused ultrasound to treat tremor, addiction and Alzheimer's disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute</span> Hospital in West Virginia, United States


The Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is an independent, non-profit institution focused on the study of human memory and memory diseases. Founded in 1999, the institute is part of the West Virginia University Medicine Health Sciences Campus, located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The institute is one of the world's leading research centers focusing on innovative procedures to treat Alzheimer's disease and to expand clinical, research and academic missions of neurosurgery, neurology, behavioral medicine, psychiatry and other neuroscience issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Budson</span> American neurologist

Andrew E. Budson is an American neurologist, academic and researcher. He is a Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology and Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, where he also serves as a Director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience. He is Associate Director and Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core Leader at the Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandi Lam</span> Canadian pediatric neurosurgeon

Sandi Lam is a Canadian pediatric neurosurgeon and is known for her research in minimally invasive endoscopic hemispherectomy for patients with epilepsy. Lam is the Vice Chair for Pediatric Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University and the Division Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Lurie Children's Hospital. She has spent her career advancing pediatric brain surgery capabilities globally through her work in Kenya performing surgeries as well as training and mentoring local residents and fellows.

References

  1. ↑ "Robert Buchanan, M.D." Dell Medical School. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  2. ↑ "Commencement speaker 2018 - Bishop Noll Institute". www.bishopnoll.org. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  3. ↑ "Robert J. Buchanan, MD". healthcare.ascension.org. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  4. ↑ "Clinics in Surgery™ | Editor-in-chief :: Remedy Publications LLC". Clinics in Neurosurgery. Remedy Publications. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  5. 1 2 "Seton Brain & Spine Surgeon Joins Prestigious Vatican Academy". doctors.seton.net. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  6. ↑ "Corresponding". www.academyforlife.va. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  7. ↑ "Consciousness, Neuroscience and Ethics". www.academyforlife.va. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  8. ↑ "New Members of the Academy". www.academyforlife.va. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  9. ↑ Buchanan, Robert; Darrow, David; Meier, Kevin; Robinson, Jennifer; Schiehser, Dawn; Glahn, David; Nadasdy, Zoltan (2014). "Changes in GABA and glutamate concentrations during memory tasks in patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing DBS surgery". Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 8: 81. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00081 . ISSN   1662-5161. PMC   3945932 . PMID   24639638.
  10. ↑ Nguyen, Tien. "Dell Seton Medical Center first in Texas to offer new cutting-edge treatment to epilepsy patients". The Daily Texan. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  11. ↑ "Dell Medical School, Dell Seton Partner as Only Site in Texas to Offer Surgical Study for Alzheimer's Disease | UT Research Showcase". research.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  12. ↑ Villalpando, Nicole. "University of Texas' Dell Medical School studying deep brain stimulation in people with Alzheimer's". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  13. ↑ Beach, Patrick. "Seton neurosurgeon meets his third pope". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
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