Neuroscience is an exciting and rapidly developing field that offers solutions for some of our most serious population health problems.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) and OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute (OSF INI) provide elective experiences, research opportunities and funding, career guidance and mentoring for students exploring a career in neuroscience research or neurological clinical care.

Our faculty members offer a challenging experience that helps prepare you for placement in competitive graduate programs.

Mentoring and Interest Groups

The mentor program provides students access to faculty members with extensive subspecialty expertise who can help you design your elective curriculum, evaluate various career opportunities and weigh graduate education decisions.

The Neurology and Neurosurgery department leadership can assist you in selecting a mentor appropriate to your interests.

Student neuroscience interest groups provide peer relationships and insights throughout your experience in Peoria.

Neuroscience Clinical Electives Offered:

• Neurosurgery senior elective
• Neurology senior elective
• Movement disorders
• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Sleep disorders
• Neuroradiology
• Neuropathology

Neuroscience Research at OSF INI and UICOMP

Neurological research enriches the medical student experience.

INI Medical Student Neuroscience Research Fund

OSF INI has established the OSF INI Medical Student Research Fund to support neurological research and create opportunities for students to expand their skills through application.

Two types of awards are provided for medical students:

1. OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute Medical Student Fellowship: A three-month award in support of short-term experiences with faculty and residents, with a stipend of $3,000. Funding supports participation in ongoing research activity.
2. OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute Research Scholar: A long-term yearly award, with a stipend of $12,000, with potential for renewal, in support of ongoing research. The research project must be developed by the scholar under the mentorship of a faculty member.

The applications are accepted on a rolling basis as funds are available.

The applications are reviewed by the OSF INI Research Program Council.  Research proposals should include an introduction, background, goal and specific aims, methodology (including timeline), and statistical analysis and references sections.  For projects involving human subject research, all required CITI training must be completed prior to submitting the research application.

Applications are submitted by email to: Stanca.Iacob@osfhealthcare.org.

Stanca Iacob, MD, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology, UICOMP
Research Director, OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute
530 NE Glen Oak Ave.
Peoria, Illinois 61637

For additional information, please contact:
Patrick W. Elwood, MD
Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery
Department of Neurosurgery, UICOMP
pwens@uic.edu

Neuroscience Clinical and Basic Sciences Research

To identify potential mentors, please see below.

Selected neurological subspecialties:

Cerebrovascular
Jeffrey D. Klopfenstein MD
Krishna K. Veeravalli, PhD - basic sciences research

Epilepsy
Michael Y. Xu, MD

Functional Neurosurgery
Andres Maldonado, MD

Neuromuscular
Christopher Zallek, MD

Neuro-Oncology
Andrew J. Tsung, MD
Kiran K. Velpula, PhD - basic sciences research

Simulation Research
Julian J. Lin, MD

Sleep
Sasikanth Gorantla, MD
Sarah N. Zallek, MD

Vestibular Disorders
Jorge C. Kattah, MD

Spine
Dzung H. Dinh, MD
Todd D. McCall, MD

Graduate Programs in Neurology and Neurosurgery

Neurology Residency

Four-year residency program
Residency Director:  Gregory M. Blume, MD

Please visit the department web site at https://peoria.medicine.uic.edu

Neurosurgery Residency

Seven-year residency program
Residency Director:  Julian Lin, MD

Please visit the department web site at https://peoria.medicine.uic.edu