Barrow Blog:
Breakthroughs in Neuroscience
Stay informed about the latest advancements, research, and impact from Barrow Neurological Institute.
Barrow Neurological Foundation DNA
At Barrow Neurological Institute, not only do we offer hope to patients suffering from devastating neurological conditions, but we also offer results. Since 1962, Barrow has led the treatment of...
From Classroom to the Lab: Inside Barrow’s 2025 Undergraduate Research Internship
The Summer Undergraduate Internship Program at Barrow Neurological Institute offers aspiring student-scientists a unique, hands-on opportunity to immerse themselves in...
Supporting Patients and Families Living with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease
A Parkinson’s disease diagnosis is a life-changing event for both patients and their loved ones. Parkinson’s is the second most...
Advice from Alzheimer’s Disease Experts
Is it Alzheimer’s? If you’re an adult in your late 40s to early 60s, you may have asked yourself this...
Create a Facebook or Instagram Fundraiser
More than 1 in 3 people worldwide are living with a brain or spine condition. Neurological conditions are now the...
Understanding Neurological Research
Caring for Patients Today and Finding the Treatments of Tomorrow Neurological diseases impact more than one billion people worldwide and...
Underserved Populations in Healthcare
Medical Education and Training Benefiting Underserved Populations Worldwide Nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide lack access to healthcare–a number expected to...
Glioblastoma Research
The Ivy Brain Tumor Center is Accelerating New Therapies for Brain Tumor Patients Brain tumors encompass a broad spectrum of...
Neuroscience Nurses Week
Barrow Recognizes its Neuroscience Nurses' Commitment to Caring for Patients Every May is National Nurses Month in the United States....
AVM: Before and After
Transforming Lives Through Leading-Edge Brain Aneurysm and AVM Research Looking back on our high school years, we might remember the...
Register today to take advantage of the early bird special! ➡️ https://bar.rw/47iX893. 🔗 Link in bio.
Join us on Saturday, February 7, 2026, for the 20th Annual Walk the Fight and Run the Distance! 🥊 This walk/run supports community outreach and wellness programs at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. We can`t wait to see you then!
📅 When: Saturday, February 7, 2026
📍 Where: Tempe Beach Park | 80 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281
"The Sattler Lab and the Barrow community as a whole are so ingrained, and they made me feel appreciated. It’s something I will forever be grateful for." - Garv Sharma, from the University of Arizona, class of 2028, and a participant in the Barrow Summer Undergraduate Internship Program.
Garv spent the summer as an undergraduate intern in the Sattler Laboratory, performing neurodegenerative disease research under the mentorship of Rita Sattler, MSc, PhD, and Kim Preller, MS. He says this opportunity provided him with valuable new lab techniques and cherished relationships with his Barrow mentors. Read more of his story at the link in our bio, ☝️ or by visiting https://bar.rw/47mExJb
We extend our gratitude to the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) for sponsoring Garv and facilitating this remarkable experience in neuroscience.
"Without philanthropic support, it would be incredibly hard to maintain and advance what we are doing here at Barrow Neurological Institute." Robert Bowser, PhD, John P. and Betty Van Denburgh Chair for Neuromuscular Disease.
What began as a handful of researchers and clinical trials decades ago has blossomed into a research powerhouse where dozens of research scientists conduct translational work, clinical trials, and work to bring the latest discoveries from the lab, to the bedside quicker than ever before. This incredible success is only possible with your support. Join us in transforming human lives through research with a gift today ➡️https://bar.rw/3JlOFdd. Link in bio.
We are thrilled and honored to announce that Barrow Neurological Foundation received the Global Leadership Award at The Mayor`s International 2025 gala on Friday, October 17. Barrow President and CEO Michael T. Lawton, MD, and Foundation Board Chair Mitch Sayare, PhD, accepted the award on behalf of Barrow. Dr. Lawton shared, "This recognition belongs to our entire Barrow community – our donors, our staff, and our global partners. Together, we’re building a future of neurological excellence." Our profound thanks go to Phoenix Sister Cities, Mayor Kate Gallego, and our donor community, whose support empowers Barrow to impact lives worldwide.
Congratulations to the Najafi families, recipients of the Global Citizen Award at the event! Cheryl Najafi (a member of our Board of Trustees) and her husband Jahm, alongside Dionne Najafi (a member fof the Barrow Women`s Board) and her husband Francis, have made an extraordinary impact on the neurosciences at Barrow. We are deeply grateful for their influential leadership.
What if neurosurgery residents could master surgical techniques before setting foot in the operating room? That`s where the VR Lab within the Sonntag Spine Center comes in. Using advanced simulation technology, Barrow can significantly shorten the learning curve for junior residents. Results from the Lab’s initial validation study showed that novice learners using VR training for basic procedures performed better than those learning from conventional methods, such as textbooks and videos, demonstrating the benefits of hands-on surgical education.
With your support, Barrow can continue to advance and integrate this technology into training programs, revolutionizing neurosurgery and improving patient outcomes worldwide. Learn more: https://bar.rw/4ovBCF2. Link in bio!
Small gifts, big impact! 💙 Each year, physicians and specialists at Barrow Neurological Institute treat more than 73,000 patients, and its surgeons perform more than 6,000 brain, spine, head, and neck surgeries. Because of its high volume, Barrow`s subspecialized physicians and clinicians are familiar with the rarest and most challenging conditions. It’s not uncommon for patients from around the globe to travel to Barrow for treatment.
Even a small, monthly donation provides consistent support to ensure our Barrow experts can continue providing life-changing, life-saving care. Join our Monthly Giving Program by visiting the link in our bio. https://bar.rw/4ncb62l
Meet David Wang, a student at Johns Hopkins University. David participated in the Summer Undergraduate Internship Program at Barrow Neurological Institute in the Spinal Biomechanics Lab under the mentorship of Brian Kelly, PhD. Check out this video to see what he worked on this summer, what he learned about spine health; his gratitude to you, our donors who support this program; and how his mentors guided him through this experience, solidifying his passion for spine health.
Thanks to your generosity, students like David can cultivate their interest in the field of neuroscience. Learn more about how philanthropy supports spine health at the link in our bio!
What makes a great neurosurgeon? @michael_t_lawton, MD, President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute, along with some of our neurosurgery trainees, discuss the meaning and importance of having humility in episode 1 of season 4 Neurosurgery Base Camp, "Traits of Greatness."
Whether you are a neurosurgeon or not - this episode is a must-watch and a great reminder of the importance of having humility.
Visit BarrowNeuro.org/BaseCamp (link in bio) to watch the full episode. More episodes are available - make sure you check them out! A special thank you to @medtronic for their partnership!
Video by @barrowneuro.
"Working with Dr. Mehta, and everything brain tumor-related is something I am very passionate about...being able to work with people that work at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and making those connections for the future as well, I think it’s a great opportunity for myself and for everyone who comes after me." - Steffi Verbeeck, from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, participant in the Barrow Summer Undergraduate Internship Program.
Thanks to the Franke family, who fund the Franke Global Undergraduate Internship Program, Steffi spent the summer conducting #research at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. ➡️ Read more about her experience at the link in our bio, or by visiting https://bar.rw/4h9wVhK.
Thank you to the Franke family for your unwavering support and dedication to global neuroscience education!
Barrow Neurological Institute has been selected as one of two beneficiaries of the paddle raise at the Aoki Games & Gala 2025 that took place in September. This will fund Barrow`s ongoing science to map neural circuits during and after brain surgery to advance the development of brain-computer interfaces. With the Aoki Foundation`s partnership, Barrow and Precision Neuroscience can make a transformative leap in understanding and interacting with the human brain - bringing us closer to a future where brain function can be preserved, restored, and even enhanced.
Thank you, to the Aoki Foundation for your support!
Brandon Fox, MD, PhD, a PGY-6 neurosurgery resident at Barrow Neurological Institute, recently gained recognition in the CNS Congress Quarterly for his donor-funded research project. Featured in the segment "There Must Be a Better Way: It’s Time to Modernize Noxious Stimulation," Dr. Fox shares the inspiration behind his novel neurostimulator device, designed to monitor the neurological health of comatose patients. He details how, with seed funding from generous donors like you and crucial grant awards, he and his team at the Thurston Innovation Center at Barrow Neurological Institute have brought this innovative vision to life.
👉 Discover more on page 17 of the article: https://bar.rw/48tRaEK. 🔗 Link in bio!
Learn more about your impact at the Thurston Innovation Center: https://bar.rw/3WCxzuG. 🔗 Link in bio!
Have you joined our email list yet?! Each month, we share stories of hope from, breakthroughs in neuroscience, and all the happenings at Barrow! Sign up today and get a bit of good news delivered to your inbox! 👉 https://bar.rw/3KHG4Ca. Link in bio!