Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast

What does it take to sustain a meaningful, impactful career in neurology education over decades? This month, I am joined by legendary neurology educator Dr. Ralph F. Józefowicz, MD, a pioneer clinician educator in neurology and a giant in our field. We discuss his lifelong passion for neurology education, his advice for “becoming the best” in education administration and leadership, and his international educational partnership with Jagiellonian University in Poland. 

Plus, a spooky twist for the month of Halloween: listen through to hear the origin story behind how Dr. Józefowicz coined the now infamous term, “neurophobia.” 

Dr. Józefowicz is Professor of Neurology and Medicine and Associate Chair for Education in the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester. Previously, he served as the Neurology Residency Program Director between 1996-2021, the third-year Neurology Clerkship Director from 1994-2019, and the director of the Mind, Brain and Behavior preclinical neurosciences course between 1998-2020. In 2003 he was made an Honorary Professor at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, one of the oldest Universities in Europe.

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

This month we are joined by two neurologist-educators and members of the SEQUINS early career network, Dr. Javier Suarez, MD, and Dr. Jillian Berkman, MD to discuss DEI in neurology education. Dr. Suarez is the site director for the University of Minnesota neurology clerkship and co-director of the Regional Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Dr. Jillian Berkman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology’s Stroke Division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she also serves as the director of community health education in the Office of community health and engagement at VUMC. Our conversation focuses on the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in neurology education – how to promote it, how to teach it, and why it matters. 

Learn more about the SEQUINS early career network here: Suarez JA, O'Neill KA, Berkman J. Finding community for early career health equity researchers. Equity Neuroscience. 2026 Apr;2(1):100018. doi: 10.1016/j.neuros.2025.100018. Epub 2025 Dec 23. PMID: 41626036; PMCID: PMC12857917.

See the Curriculum Resource Report by Javier Saurez and his colleagues on Simulation Based Education to Promote Health Equity Skills here: https://www.neurology.org/media/blog-post/simulation-based-education-promote-health-equity-skills-neurology-residents

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

When life hands you an opportunity, you can try and make it excellent. That is the mantra that drives the work of Devin D. Mackay, MD, FAAN, founding director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology clinic at Indiana University School of Medicine, founder and director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology fellowship at IUSM and Statewide Assistant Neurology Clerkship Director at IUSM, the largest medical school in the country. On this month’s episode, we discuss how to build and sustain new educational programs, integrate the science of learning into curriculum design, and adapt teaching to different levels of learners, all while striving for excellence.

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

As academic schedules turnover in July, it's the perfect time to return back to the basics of bedside teaching. On this episode, I speak with Vijay Ganesh, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, a neuromuscular and neurogenetics physician-scientist at MGB and the Broad Institute, and two-time winner of our local excellence in clinical teaching award. We discuss how rehearsal behind the scenes makes "on the fly" clinical teaching effective, balancing the right measure of expertise and curiosity at the bedside, and the practice of cultivating "conscious competence" as we role-model for our learners.

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

What does it take to learn neurology on the job, and how can we make this process smoother? 

A growing number of advanced practice providers (APPs) are joining the neurology workforce, yet few have neurology specific training in their educational programs. Many have to learn neurology on the fly -- on the job. Both MD and APP educators, like Shannon Anderson, MPAS, PA-C, are working to make this process better and smoother. Neurology fellowships, national educational programs, and local mentorship are helping to fill the gap. 

I speak with Shannon to learn about her journey -- how she got involved in neurology education, the joys of teaching students and patients, the growing need for APP neurology educators, and how every career in education depends just a little bit on luck: sometimes one is just in the right place at the right time. 

Shannon Anderson, MPAS, PA-C is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) School of Medicine and a physician assistant with a clinical specialty in movement disorders and deep brain stimulation. 

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

Now you know ... how to launch a successful neurology education commercial resource! Hear the behind the scenes story with Dr. Brian Hanrahan, cofounder and mastermind behind one of the most popular multi-modal commercially available resources for neurology board preparation: NowYouKnow Neuro. We discuss how the product was born, best practices in marketing, and how Brian and his team are swiftly adapting AI to improve their product and workflows. Where education and business meets! 

Brian Hanrahan, MD is tripled boarded in Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Epilepsy. He is a practicing neurologist at St. Luke's University Health Network where he also serves as the Neurology Residency Associate Program Director and the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program Director. He is the co-founder, with Steven Gangloff, MD of the board preparatory resource NowYouKnow Neuro (NYKY) and NowYouKnow Psych. 

Website: https://www.nowyouknowneuro.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowyouknowneuro/

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

A lifelong passion for education never dies if you stay open and curious. Tracey A. Milligan, MD, MS, is an epileptologist and general neurologist, distinguished clinician educator, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center Health Network. Dr. Milligan has held every educational leadership role from Clerkship Director, to Program Director, and Vice Chair of Education in her long and storied career. She is this year's recipient of the American Academy of Neurology's AB Baker Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed annually upon a neurology educator. Hear from Tracey as she shares the power of curiosity, creating safe and psychologically safe learning environments, and the importance of finding one's passion -- so that having fun becomes the engine for perseverance.

And for those attending in person, don't miss Dr. Milligan's keynote address and the acceptance of her award on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 11:30 am at AANAM.

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

Multi-site collaborative investigations, randomized controlled trials, and longitudinal follow-up over years. Who said it can't be done in neurology education research? 

On this episode, I speak with Dr. Daniel Harrison, MD an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a neurointensivist at Boston Medical Center. Dan shares how he built a career as a neurology education researcher and lessons learned along the way. He advises us to ask important questions, use rigorous methods, and surround yourself with a team of mentors who can support you. He shows us what is possible if we dream BIG in education research and let curiosity and a scientific approach be our guide. 

Follow Dan's work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsharrison/

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

What brings you joy in your teaching? 

Dr. Casey Albin is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and a neurointensivist at Emory University School of Medicine. She completed her Neurology Residency and Medical Simulation Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital and her Neurocritical Care Fellowship at Emory University. 

On this episode, Casey and I dive into how to build a niche in digital neurology education, the marvelous power of FOAMed (Free Open Access Meducation), and how even the most successful career paths in education look less like a straight line and more like a drunken (ataxic?) stagger. Listen along for some “sauna-hot” tips on finding joy in one's hobby of teaching and the secret to rest & recovery. 

For more from Dr. Casey Albin, follow her on Instagram or check out her textbook:

@DrCaseyAlbin: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyalbin/?hl=en

The Acute Neurology Survival Guide: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-75732-8?source=shoppingads&locale=en-us&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23209516270&gbraid=0AAAAADu685NGzKzYlQHgCjdfET5L3uHIf&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkPzLBhD4ARIsAGfah8hWOF3Iy2hFGDgaj6SKM_CxB8-AcTYjSVPi15_Yma9wn8_OLxUBQwAaAqicEALw_wcB

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 

Step into the exciting world of education research with Dr. Rachel Gottlieb-Smith.

Dr. Gottlieb-Smith is a general child neurologist and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School. She is also the Director of Education for the University of Michigan Pediatric Neurology Division, and serves as the Child Neurology Residency Program Director.

On this episode, we discuss how Rachel first got started in education research, and how she integrates education research, administration, and leadership into her current role. Take a listen to learn Rachel's tips for success in education research and hear about her incredible contributions to the future of precision education in neurology.

For those interested in reading more (including a Table on qualitative terminology), check out Rachel's paper here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8382411/

Neuropraxis: The Neurology Educator's Podcast is not recorded as an official podcast of any institution or organization. The views and opinions are those of the individual speakers themselves. Music from Pixabay. Cover art by Carolin Wollny. Editing by Valeria Roldan. New episodes drop first Monday of the month!

Ideas, suggestions, questions? Contact us at [email protected].