Richard S. Bedlack Jr., MD, PhD, MS

I grew up in a small town in central Connecticut and attended college at William and Mary in Virginia. I returned to Connecticut for an MD and a PhD in Neuroscience. Finally, I came to Duke where I completed my medicine internship, neurology residency, neuromuscular fellowship, and masters degree in clinical research science. I am currently an associate professor of medicine/neurology at Duke, director of the Duke ALS Clinic, and chief of neurology at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. I have won awards for teaching and for patient care, including: best neurology teacher at Duke; Health Care Hero; Strength, Hope, and Caring Award; America’s Best Doctors; the American Academy of Neurology's Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., MD, Patient Advocate of the Year Award, and the ALS Association's Rasmussen Award for ALS Patient Advocate of the Year. I have received research grants, participated in clinical trials, and published more than 70 articles. I am also a past chair of the North American ALS Research Group, and leader of the international ALSUntangled program, which utilizes social networking to investigate alternative and off-label treatment options for patients with ALS. I live in Durham with Shelly, my wife, and two mischievous kittens.