George F. Wittenberg, MD, PhD brings his stroke rehabilitation expertise to Neuro-Innovators’ Scientific Advisory Board
Neuro-Innovators LLC, a Pittsburgh-based clinical-stage company developing drugs to promote neuroplasticity and treat brain injury and diseases, has welcomed Dr. George F. Wittenberg, MD, Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Wittenberg’s research focuses on rehabilitation following stroke and brain injury, and he has extensive experience in upper-body rehabilitation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), robotics for repetitive physical exercises, virtual reality training, and other methods. He is expanding the medical understanding of motor cortical reorganization and neuroplasticity in the brain and is excited to help NIV pursue a pharmacology solution to accelerating neuroplastic recovery from stroke.
Howison Schroeder, CEO at Neuro-Innovators, said, “We look forward to having Dr. Wittenberg’s expertise and foresight in neurology, neuroplasticity, and neurorehabilitation, as we prepare for clinical trials. George is that rare combination of a medical doctor and a rehabilitation specialist. He will be a tremendous asset as we validate our new neuroplastic stroke drug.”
Dr. Wittenberg joined the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2018 as a professor and physician. He is also the director of the Laboratory for Research on Arm Function and Therapy (RAFT). Studies at RAFT involve the basic science of movement representation in the brain’s motor cortex, examination of clinical technology for the improvement of arm function after stroke, and analyses of how aging and brain ailments impact individuals’ abilities to care for themselves.
Now in his sixth year at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Dr. Wittenberg serves in many roles and frequently publishes in peer-reviewed journals. He is a member of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, the Neural Control of Movement Society, the International Society of Motor Control, the American Neurological Association, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Society of Neurorehabilitation, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the American Heart Association Stroke Council.
His previous experience includes working as a professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and staff physician at the Geriatrics Research and Clinical Education Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, in Baltimore. He also was a professor in the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, and director of the Rehabilitation Program within the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest.
A graduate of Harvard College in Cambridge, MA, he earned degrees in engineering and applied Sciences and went on to receive his Ph.D. in biology from the University of California School of Medicine in San Diego, where he also completed medical school. He did his residency in neurology and neuro-rehabilitation at Washington University, St. Louis, before moving to Washington, D.C., and joining the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At NIH, he led studies of brain physiology in the context of intensive therapy during the chronic period after stroke.
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ABOUT Neuro-Innovators LLC: Neuro-Innovators is a clinical-stage drug company focused on engineering drugs to accelerate brain neuroplasticity (i.e., the capacity of the brain to remodel, rewire, and recover) for patients suffering from brain injuries and diseases. For our first neuroplasticity target, we have created a combinational drug designed for patients with chronic motor deficits from stroke (Chronic Stroke). Our three-drug combination (NIV-001) is designed to increase brain plasticity via multiple mechanisms of action or pathways within the brain. NIV-001 is a pharmacological solution to be used in conjunction with physical therapies to significantly improve patient outcomes. To find out more about Neuro-Innovators, contact Howison Schroeder, CEO, at h.schroeder@niv-neuro.com; 412-427-0998, and visit https://neuro-innovators.com