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Stephen Strittmatter, MD, PhD, AB

Vincent Coates Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neuroscience
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Additional Titles

Chair, Neuroscience

Director, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience

Director, Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair

Director, Memory Disorders Clinic

Director, Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

Director, Ludwig Program for Neuroimmunity in Dementia

About

Titles

Vincent Coates Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neuroscience

Chair, Neuroscience; Director, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience; Director, Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair; Director, Memory Disorders Clinic; Director, Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; Director, Ludwig Program for Neuroimmunity in Dementia

Biography

Stephen M. Strittmatter earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College, summa cum laude, in 1980. He completed M.D. and Ph.D. training at Johns Hopkins in 1986 with mentorship from Solomon H. Snyder, M.D. He then moved to Massachusetts General Hospital for a medical internship and an Adult Neurology residency. While at Massachusetts General Hospital, he worked as a Research Fellow with Mark Fishman, M.D., exploring the molecular basis of axonal guidance. After a year as Fellow, he served briefly as an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School before moving to Yale University in 1993.

He currently holds the Vincent Coates Professorship of Neurology and co-founded the Yale Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair. His research has been recognized by honors from the King Faisal International Prize for Medicine, the Ameritec Foundation, the John Merck Fund, the Donaghue Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Jacob Javits Award of the NINDS and the American Academy of Neurology. He has been chair of the Department of Neuroscience since September 2021.

Appointments

Education & Training

Clinical and Research Fellow
Harvard Medical School, Mass. General Hospital (1991)
Resident
Resident in Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital (1990)
Intern in Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital (1987)
MD
Johns Hopkins University (1986)
PhD
Johns Hopkins University (1986)
AB
Harvard College (1980)

Research

Overview

Neural Repair and Neuro-Degeneration Neurological injury frequently interrupts connections while sparing nerve cells. Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is the epitome of a disconnection syndrome, in which surviving neural tissue fails to function due to lost communication at the level of injury. For the organism to regain function, new pathways must form by growth of cut or surviving nerve fibers. Unfortunately, the growth of axons and the rearrangement of brain circuitry are extremely limited in the adult brain and spinal cord.We focus on understanding the molecular pathways that limit fiber growth and functional rewiring of neuronal circuits during health and disease. Axonal growth encompasses both neural plasticity and repair. Technically, we utilize CRISPR-based genetic screens, single cell transcriptomic profiling, mutant mice and surgical lesions to model spinal cord injury. These activities support the development of novel therapies now in clinical testing.In Alzheimer's Disease and several other neurodegenerative conditions, nerve cells are lost over time. Molecular contributors to this pathology have been discovered by genetic methods, but their mechanism of action has remained poorly understood. We have focused on defining the pathophysiological action of Amyloid-beta (Aß) peptide oligomers in Alzheimer's Disease, and on the role of secreted Progranulin in Fronto-Temporal Dementia. For both of these molecules, interaction with the specific receptors on the neuronal surface is crucial. We utilize utilize receptor ligand binding assays, CRISPR-based genetic screens, single cell transcriptomic profiling, mutant mice, histopathology, PET imabehavior and cryo-electron microscope to define these pathways. These novel approaches are being translated to clinical trials.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Alzheimer Disease; Axons; Dementia; Frontotemporal Dementia; Regenerative Medicine; Spinal Cord Injuries

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Stephen Strittmatter's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • honor

    Elected Member

  • honor

    King Faisal Prize for Medicine

  • honor

    Outstanding Investigator R35 Award

  • honor

    Zenith Fellows Research Award

  • honor

    Senator Jacob Javits R37 Neuroscience Award

Clinical Care

Overview

Stephen Strittmatter, MD, is a neurologist at Yale Medicine specializing in memory disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. (Dementias are complicated conditions that involve changes to the connections between neurons in the brain that can affect basic human cognitive functioning.)

His interest in the brain and degenerative brain disorders originated at Johns Hopkins, where he completed his MD and PhD training. He went on to do his medical internship and Neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital before arriving at Yale University in 1993. Currently, Dr. Strittmatter teaches as the Vincent Coates Professor of Neurology and conducts research in the Strittmatter Lab on repair and regeneration of neurons in patients with dementia.

“Dementia and remembering who we are is really at the core of this whole problem of how the brain works and our personalities,” he says. “This disease can be the scariest thing, in the sense that we lose the essence of who we are.”

In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Strittmatter sees patients at the Memory Disorders Clinic. He spends a significant amount of time with each patient to get to know their medical history and how their condition has affected their lives. He also works closely with patients’ families, who are often heavily involved in the patient’s care.

He makes sure to take the time to explain the condition to his patients and their family members: “I hope for a good medical outcome, number one,” he says,” but I also hope that they feel as though we understand what’s going on with them and that we’ve done our best to give them a diagnosis, a prognosis, and to find the right treatment.”

Dr. Strittmatter applies the knowledge he gathers from research to help patients. “A key part of what we do in the clinic is determine which brain chemistries are affected. We may try different therapies to alleviate symptoms, and in rare cases, the root causes that are treatable,” he says.

Clinical Specialties

Neurology; Memory Disorders & Cognitive Neurology

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Neurology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
    Original Certification Date
    1991

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