Dennis Choi
Encyclopedia
Dennis W. Choi, M.D., Ph.D., (born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
) was the Jones Professor and head of neurology at the Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury at Washington University in St. Louis
He was part of the team that treated Christopher Reeve
following the actor's notorious spinal cord
injury. At the end of 2001 he left the full-time faculty to join Merck Research Labs. Choi resigned from his position at Merck in 2006.
Choi grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts
, attended Harvard College
, from which he graduated in 1974, and went on to Harvard Medical School
and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
to receive an MD and a PhD in Pharmacology
in 1978. Choi also completed his residency and fellowship in Neurology
at Harvard. He currently sits on the boards of a number of national health and science-related organizations, and has published several papers in prominent journals, including Science and the Journal of Neuroscience.
For a few months in 2006, Choi played drums in the Philadelphia area surf band, Surf and Turf.
Choi arrived at Emory University
in August 2007, where he currently serves as the Director of the Comprehensive Neurosciences Center and the Neuroscience, Human Nature, and Society Initiative, both of which are under the umbrella
of Emory Healthcare
. He is also a professor
in the departments of neurology
and biology
.
In the Spring of 2009, Choi taught an undergraduate course entitled "Neurofunction and Artificial Intelligence" for the Emory University Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Program.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
) was the Jones Professor and head of neurology at the Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury at Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
He was part of the team that treated Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
following the actor's notorious spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
injury. At the end of 2001 he left the full-time faculty to join Merck Research Labs. Choi resigned from his position at Merck in 2006.
Choi grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
, attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, from which he graduated in 1974, and went on to Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology
Founded in 1970, the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, or HST, is one of the oldest and largest biomedical engineering and physician-scientist training programs in the United States and the longest-standing functional collaboration between Harvard University and the...
to receive an MD and a PhD in Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
in 1978. Choi also completed his residency and fellowship in Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
at Harvard. He currently sits on the boards of a number of national health and science-related organizations, and has published several papers in prominent journals, including Science and the Journal of Neuroscience.
For a few months in 2006, Choi played drums in the Philadelphia area surf band, Surf and Turf.
Choi arrived at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in August 2007, where he currently serves as the Director of the Comprehensive Neurosciences Center and the Neuroscience, Human Nature, and Society Initiative, both of which are under the umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
of Emory Healthcare
Emory Healthcare
Emory Healthcare is the clinical portion of Emory University's Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and is the largest health care system in the state of Georgia in the United States...
. He is also a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in the departments of neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
.
In the Spring of 2009, Choi taught an undergraduate course entitled "Neurofunction and Artificial Intelligence" for the Emory University Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Program.