Pittsburgh, March 1, 2004 -- The Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh ranked second in the nation in funding for neurosurgery departments from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) according to a recent survey. The survey, published on the residentphysician.com website, includes data from 2002 and lists the University of Pittsburgh department with $5,756,056 in funding received in 15 grants. Only the University of California at San Francisco received more grants or total money in the nation, according to the survey.

With over 30 faculty and investigators, our department has remained a world leader in various aspects of neurosurgical research and development. The department, and the University of Pittsburgh as a whole, have been leaders in the area of multi-center trials which continue to be and remain the gold standard for answering clinical questions.

"Research has been and will be a major component of our mission as we provide care and try to drive future neurosurgical innovation," said L. Dade Lunsford, MD, Lars Leksell professor and department chairman. "In addition, Department of Neurosurgery faculty also have funded grant projects from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, private foundations and industry. Taken as a whole, this places the department at the forefront of neurological research in this country."

The NIH is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services and is considered the steward of medical and behavioral research for the United States.