Neurological Disorders & Stroke

Biography

Dr. Pappolla's training included 3 complete medical residencies and 2 fellowships (Neurology, Clinical Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, Neuropathology, Pain Medicine), a PhD in human aging with a postdoc/sabbatical in molecular biology and over 20 years of academic practice. He holds active board certifications in these 5 areas (Neurology, Clinical Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, Neurology, Pain Medicine). Some of his research work is cited in several thousand textbooks worldwide, with many papers reaching from 300 to over 1000 citations in peer reviewed journals. His lab was among the first to identify evidence of oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease brain. In collaborations with Dr. Larry Refolo, Dr Suzana Petanceska at the NIH, Dr. Daniel Zambon in Spain and others, we conducted groundbreaking research on hypercholesterolemia as an early risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. As a neuropathologist, he described several unique neuropathologic lesions including the colloid body of Parkinson's disease (later renamed "pale body") and the ubiquitinilated "dot like inclusions" in aged brains. One other important contribution was the development of neuroprotective drugs as potential therapeutic agents. He identified of several naturally occurring neuroprotective substances like indole-3-propionic acid and others. Dr. Pappolla served as a consultant for the National Institutes of Health in the United States including being a chartered member of numerous study sections for over 25 years and as a full professor or faculty at several medical schools (LSU New Orleans, Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, University of Texas) where he taught Neurosciences to medical students and medical residents for over 20 years. Currently, he holds a hybrid academic-private practice position in the Houston area. Dr. Pappolla can be contacted at www.SMPSClinic.com

Research Interest

Alzheimer's Disease, Neuropathology, Interventional Pain Management