Aaron Berkowitz, MD, PhD, FAAN
Professor
Neurology
School of Medicine
Aaron Berkowitz is a Professor of Clinical Neurology at UCSF, where he serves as a neurohospitalist, general neurologist, and clinician-educator at SF VA Medical Center and San Francisco General Hospital.
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He previously served as director of global neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, where he developed and directed the first year Mind, Brain, Behavior course.
He serves on the editorial boards of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology and Practical Neurology (BMJ), wrote the neurology chapter for the Oxford Manual of Humanitarian Medicine, and is the author of four books including the neurology textbook Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach and One by One by One: Making a Small Difference Amid a Billion Problems, which tells the stories of patients with brain tumors in Haiti and his efforts to seek care for them with Partners In Health.
His work as a neurology educator has been recognized by the Residency Teacher of the Year Award from the MGH/BWH/Harvard Neurology Residency program in both 2018 and 2019 and the O’Hara Excellence in Preclinical Teaching award from Harvard Medical School in 2016. He has taught neurology to students, residents, and primary providers around the world including in Haiti, Malawi, Zambia (virtually), and Japan.
As Health and Policy Advisor to Partners In Health and Senior Specialist Consultant to Doctors Without Borders, he has worked tirelessly to improve access to neurologic care and education worldwide including development of the first neurology residency in Haiti, neurologic consultation and CME for primary care providers in Navajo Nation, consultation on undergraduate medical education curriculum reform in Vietnam, and clinical teleconsultation for MSF. This work has been recognized by the Mridha Humanitarian Award from the American Brain Foundation in 2018 and the Viste Patient Advocate of the Year Award from the American Academy of Neurology in 2019.
Aaron completed his MD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his neurology residency at Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals, where he served as chief resident.
Awards
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- Kenneth Viste Patient Advocate of the Year Award, American Academy of Neurology, 2019
- Partners Neurology Residency Teacher of the Year Award, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital, 2019
- Mridha Spirit of Neurology Humanitarian Award, American Brain Foundation, 2018
- Partners Neurology Residency Teacher of the Year Award, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital, 2018
- Brigham and Women's Physician Organization Clinical Community Service Award, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 2016
- Donald O’Hara Faculty Prize for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching, Harvard Medical School, 2016
- Harvard Medical School Award for Excellence in Neuroanatomy Teaching, Harvard Medical School, 2015
- Senior Resident Teaching Award, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital, 2014
- Principal Clinical Experience Teaching Award, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 2014
- Trainee Award for Excellence in Medical Education in Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 2013
Education & Training
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- Residency in Neurology Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital 06/2014
- Internship in Internal Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital 06/2011
- MD Medicine Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 06/2010
Websites
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- Neurology for the Non-Neurologist (amazon.com)
- Continuum: Neuro-Infectious Diseases 2021 (journals.lww.com)
- Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach (accessmedicine.mhmedical.com)
- Clinical Pathophysiology Made Ridiculously Simple (medmaster.net)
- One by One by One (harperone.com)
- Amazon Author Page (amazon.com)
- Posts on X @AaronLBerkowitz (X.com)
Publications (96)
Top publication keywords:
Spinal Cord DiseasesNeurologistsInternationalityPublic Health PracticeDyskinesiasSyringomyeliaNeurologyNervous System DiseasesVision DisordersMyelitisGlobal HealthGuillain-Barre SyndromeBrain DiseasesProblem-Based LearningGait Disorders, Neurologic
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Education Research: Making a Tweetorial Fly: Features of Educational Social Media Posts Associated With High Sharing and Engagement.
Neurology. Education 2024 Albin CSW, Ma T, Pucci GF, Zelikovich AS, Lawson EC, Dhruva N, Masiero S, Sarwal A, Dangayach NS, Berkowitz AL, Morris NA, Jones LK -
"A safe, non-judgmental space where I can really challenge myself:" learner experiences in a virtual, case-based diagnostic reasoning conference for students.
Medical education online 2024 Penner JC, Alemán MJ, Anampa-Guzmán A, Berkowitz AL, Nematollahi S -
Diagnostic Approach to the Patient with Altered Mental Status.
Seminars in neurology 2024 Lieberman OJ, Berkowitz AL -
Diagnostic reasoning in challenging cases.
Practical neurology 2024 Berkowitz AL -
Global impact of a virtual neurology morning report.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2024 Alemán MJ, Roldan V, Pucci GF, Penner JC, Nematollahi S, Berkowitz AL
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Development and implementation of a case-based collaborative learning flipped classroom preclinical neurology course.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2024 Berkowitz AL, Chang BS -
Neurology in Underserved and Marginalized Populations.
Seminars in neurology 2024 Wahlster S, Berkowitz AL -
Metabolic and Toxic Myelopathies.
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) 2024 Holroyd KB, Berkowitz AL -
Pragmatic solutions to reduce the global burden of stroke: a World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission.
The Lancet. Neurology 2023 Feigin VL, Owolabi MO, World Stroke Organization–Lancet Neurology Commission Stroke Collaboration Group -
Clinical Features and Diagnosis of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Abscess in Adults: A Systematic Review.
Neurology 2023 Harrold GK, Ali AS, Berkowitz AL, Bhattacharyya S -
The case of a 49-year-old man with involuntary toe movements.
Annals of clinical and translational neurology 2023 Pucci GF, Berkowitz AL -
Historical Perspectives on the Neurologic Manifestations of Viral Pandemics.
Seminars in neurology 2023 Holroyd KB, Berkowitz AL -
Consensus Competencies for Postgraduate Fellowship Training in Global Neurology.
Neurology 2023 Schiess N, Kulo V, Anand P, Bearden DR, Berkowitz AL, Birbeck GL, Cervantes-Arslanian A, Chan P, Chishimba LC, Chow FC, Elicer I, Fleury A, Kinikar A, Kvalsund M, Mateen FJ, Mbonde AA, Meyer AL, O'… -
A 47-Year-Old Man Presenting With Seizures and Prior Stroke.
The Neurohospitalist 2022 Camacho-Caballero K, Malaga M, Peixoto de Barcelos I, Prentice AF, Berkowitz AL -
Engaging teaching strategies in neurology: the flipped classroom and simulation training.
Practical neurology 2022 Albin C, Berkowitz AL -
Clinical Problem-Solving: 72-Year-Old Woman With Multifocal Strokes and an Intracardiac Mass.
The Neurohospitalist 2022 Roy AT, Gheihman G, Berkowitz AL -
Inpatient Management of Acute Stroke of Unknown Type in Resource-Limited Settings.
Stroke 2022 Prust ML, Saylor D, Zimba S, Sarfo FS, Shrestha GS, Berkowitz A, Vora N -
Seizures and Headaches in a 34-Year-Old Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
The Neurohospitalist 2022 Pucci GF, Fontes RS, Roque RT, Nobrega VC, Berkowitz AL -
Primary stroke prevention worldwide: translating evidence into action.
The Lancet. Public health 2021 Owolabi MO, Thrift AG, Mahal A, Ishida M, Martins S, Johnson WD, Pandian J, Abd-Allah F, Yaria J, Phan HT, Roth G, Gall SL, Beare R, Phan TG, Mikulik R, Akinyemi RO, Norrving B, Brainin M, Feigin VL, … -
#NeuroTwitter 101: a tweetorial on creating tweetorials.
Practical neurology 2021 Albin C, Berkowitz AL -
Beyond electives: Rethinking training in global neurology.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2021 Ravishankar M, Berkowitz AL -
Expanding Global Access to Neurology Education.
JAMA neurology 2021 Alemán MJ, Nematollahi S, Berkowitz AL -
Approach to Neurologic Infections.
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) 2021 Berkowitz AL -
Meningitis.
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) 2021 Aksamit AJ, Berkowitz AL -
Clinical-Radiologic Dissociation in Post-traumatic Syringomyelia.
World neurosurgery 2021 Pucci GF, Akita J, Berkowitz AL -
The state of stroke services across the globe: Report of World Stroke Organization-World Health Organization surveys.
International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society 2021 Owolabi MO, Thrift AG, Martins S, Johnson W, Pandian J, Abd-Allah F, Varghese C, Mahal A, Yaria J, Phan HT, Roth G, Gall SL, Beare R, Phan TG, Mikulik R, Norrving B, Feigin VL, Stroke Experts … -
Metabolic and Toxic Myelopathies.
Seminars in neurology 2021 Slama MCC, Berkowitz AL -
Pseudo-Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
The Neurohospitalist 2020 O'Hare M, Berkowitz AL -
Protocolized emergency department observation care improves quality of ischemic stroke care in Haiti.
African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence 2020 Rouhani SA, Marsh RH, Rimpel L, Anderson K, Outhay M, Edmond MC, Checkett KA, Berkowitz AL, Kwan GF, Baugh CW, Schuur JD -
A Clinical Approach to Diagnosing Encephalopathy.
The American journal of medicine 2019 Erkkinen MG, Berkowitz AL -
Development of a neurology training program in Haiti.
Neurology 2019 Israel K, Strander SM, Pierre S, Martineau L, Morse ME, Berkowitz AL -
Cephalosporin neurotoxicity: An overlooked cause of toxic-metabolic encephalopathy.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2019 Bhattacharyya S, Berkowitz AL -
Tetanus, Botulism, and Diphtheria.
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) 2018 Berkowitz AL -
Antiepileptic Drug Management in Hospitalized Epilepsy Patients With Nil Per Os Diets: A Retrospective Review.
The Neurohospitalist 2018 Bank AM, Lee JW, Ehlert AN, Berkowitz AL -
Patterns of Hydrocephalus in Rural Haiti: A Computed Tomography-Based Study.
World neurosurgery 2018 Barthélemy EJ, Valtis YK, Cochran MF, Martineau L, Park K, Mendel JB, Warf B, Berkowitz AL -
Neurology Training Worldwide.
Seminars in neurology 2018 Hillis JM, Berkowitz AL -
Clinical Reasoning: A 48-year-old woman with confusion, personality change, and multiple enhancing brain lesions.
Neurology 2018 Hillis JM, Ruan AB, Lazarus JE, Montgomery MW, Berkowitz AL -
Diagnosing and caring for MS in Haiti.
Multiple sclerosis and related disorders 2018 Waubant E, Berkowitz A, Giovannoni G, Hawkes C, Levy M -
The Many Faces of Neurocysticercosis.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2018 Raibagkar P, Berkowitz AL -
Glioblastoma arising within sites of encephalomalacia from cerebrovascular insult: two cases and a review of the literature.
Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2018 Ferenczi EA, Saadi A, Bhattacharyya S, Berkowitz AL -
Improvement of distal acquired demyelinating symmetric (DADS) neuropathy after exposure to factor Xa inhibitor.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2018 Lizarraga AA, Cochrane TI, Berkowitz AL -
Paraneoplastic Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder as Presentation of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.
The Annals of thoracic surgery 2018 Wiener DC, Kaplan TB, Bravo-Iñiguez CE, Miller J, Berkowitz AL, Jaklitsch MT -
Clinical Reasoning: A 60-year-old man with arm weakness and numbness.
Neurology 2018 Foster LA, Amato AA, Berkowitz AL -
Clinical Reasoning: An 82-year-old man with worsening gait.
Neurology 2017 Chew S, Vodopivec I, Berkowitz AL -
Neurenteric cyst at the dorsal craniocervical junction in a child: Case report.
Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2017 Lai PMR, Zaazoue MA, Francois R, Dupervil DG, Berkowitz AL, Alexandrescu S, Proctor MR -
Head CT findings at a public hospital in rural Haiti.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2017 Valtis YK, Cochran MF, Martineau L, Lamour B, Mendel JB, Berkowitz AL -
Teaching NeuroImages: Fahr syndrome caused by hypoparathyroidism.
Neurology 2017 Dade E, Saint-Joy V, Haynes NA, Berkowitz AL -
What to do when patients with epilepsy cannot take their usual oral medications.
Practical neurology 2017 Bank AM, Lee JW, Krause P, Berkowitz AL -
Antibiotic-associated encephalopathy.
Neurology 2016 Stip E, Darby RR, Bhattacharyya S, Berkowitz AL -
Glioproliferative Lesion of the Spinal Cord as a Complication of "Stem-Cell Tourism".
The New England journal of medicine 2016 Berkowitz AL, Miller MB, Mir SA, Cagney D, Chavakula V, Guleria I, Aizer A, Ligon KL, Chi JH -
Managing acute stroke in low-resource settings.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2016 Berkowitz AL -
Zika virus-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome variant in Haiti.
Neurology 2016 Kassavetis P, Joseph JM, Francois R, Perloff MD, Berkowitz AL -
Psychosis Secondary to Anti-N-methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis.
Harvard review of psychiatry 2016 Raynor G, Bader C, Srikanth M, Kroll D, Gutheil T, Berkowitz A -
Clinical Reasoning: A 58-year-old woman with loss of vision in her left eye.
Neurology 2016 Ho GP, Brizzi KT, Meredith DM, Laws ER, Berkowitz AL -
Antibiotic-associated encephalopathy.
Neurology 2016 Bhattacharyya S, Darby RR, Raibagkar P, Gonzalez Castro LN, Berkowitz AL -
Primary angiitis of the central nervous system: avoiding misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of a rare disease.
Practical neurology 2016 Bhattacharyya S, Berkowitz AL -
Clinical Reasoning: A 50-year-old man with headache and cognitive decline.
Neurology 2015 Batra A, Berkowitz A -
Development of a neurology rotation for internal medicine residents in Haiti.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2015 Berkowitz AL, Martineau L, Morse ME, Israel K -
Cardiovascular Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis.
The neurologist 2015 Kaplan TB, Berkowitz AL, Samuels MA -
Development of a track in global and humanitarian health for neurology residents.
Neurology 2015 Berkowitz AL, Milligan TA, Cho TA -
Clinical Reasoning: A 56-year-old man with cognitive impairment and difficulty tying his necktie.
Neurology 2015 Baker JM, Salinas J, Berkowitz AL -
Availability, accessibility, and affordability of neurodiagnostic tests in 37 countries.
Neurology 2015 McLane HC, Berkowitz AL, Patenaude BN, McKenzie ED, Wolper E, Wahlster S, Fink G, Mateen FJ -
A PIECE OF MY MIND. All for One.
JAMA 2015 Berkowitz AL -
Reversible splenial lesion syndrome.
Practical neurology 2015 Kaplan TB, Berkowitz AL -
A global health delivery framework approach to epilepsy care in resource-limited settings.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2015 Cochran MF, Berkowitz AL -
Integrated Genomic Characterization of a Pineal Parenchymal Tumor of Intermediate Differentiation.
World neurosurgery 2015 Kang YJ, Bi WL, Dubuc AM, Martineau L, Ligon AH, Berkowitz AL, Aizer AA, Lee EQ, Ligon KL, Ramkissoon SH, Dunn IF -
Stroke and the noncommunicable diseases: A global burden in need of global advocacy.
Neurology 2015 Berkowitz AL -
Neurology mission(s) impossible.
Neurology 2015 Lee L, Berkowitz AL -
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2015 Chen A, Kim J, Henderson G, Berkowitz A -
A 20-year-old man with back pain and lower extremity weakness.
JAMA neurology 2015 Etherton MR, Neagu MR, Oakley DH, Koch MJ, Shin JH, Frosch MP, Berkowitz AL, Dietrich J -
Neurologic manifestations of the neglected tropical diseases.
Journal of the neurological sciences 2015 Berkowitz AL, Raibagkar P, Pritt BS, Mateen FJ -
Recommendations from the international stroke genetics consortium, part 2: biological sample collection and storage.
Stroke 2014 Battey TW, Valant V, Kassis SB, Kourkoulis C, Lee C, Anderson CD, Falcone GJ, Jimenez-Conde J, Fernandez-Cadenas I, Pare G, Rundek T, James ML, Lemmens R, Lee TH, Tatlisumak T, Kittner SJ, Lindgren A,… -
Antibiotic-induced neurotoxicity.
Current infectious disease reports 2014 Bhattacharyya S, Darby R, Berkowitz AL -
Mystery case: cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL, Baker JM, Miller JJ, Greenberg SM -
Clinical Reasoning: a 75-year-old man with 3 years of visual difficulties.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL, Rose MF, Daffner KR, Prasad S -
Neurology mission(s) impossible.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL -
Clinical reasoning: a 42-year-old man who developed blurred vision and dropped his iPod while jogging.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL, Voinescu PE, Feske SK -
Aspirin for secondary prevention after stroke of unknown etiology in resource-limited settings.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL, Westover MB, Bianchi MT, Chou SH -
Aspirin for acute stroke of unknown etiology in resource-limited settings: a decision analysis.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL, Westover MB, Bianchi MT, Chou SH -
Cerebrospinal fluid shunt-induced chorea: case report and review of the literature on shunt-related movement disorders.
Practical neurology 2014 de Gusmäo CM, Berkowitz AL, Hung AY, Westover MB -
Clinical reasoning: a 24-year-old woman with progressive headache and somnolence.
Neurology 2014 Bhattacharyya S, Berkowitz AL, Jha RM -
Neurology education in resource-limited settings.
Neurology 2014 Berkowitz AL -
Modified target cancellation in hemispatial neglect.
Practical neurology 2014 Prasad S, Berkowitz AL -
The neurology of Sjogren's syndrome and the rheumatology of peripheral neuropathy and myelitis.
Practical neurology 2013 Berkowitz AL, Samuels MA -
Worldwide reported use of IV tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke.
International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society 2013 Berkowitz AL, Mittal MK, McLane HC, Shen GC, Muralidharan R, Lyons JL, Shinohara RT, Shuaib A, Mateen FJ -
Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy following malaria.
Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2013 Berkowitz AL, Thakur KT -
Bilirubin labeling of borderzone and anterior cerebral artery territory infarction.
Neurology 2013 Berkowitz AL, Sheu SH, Rose MF, Delalle I, Folkerth RD -
Indirect carotid-cavernous fistula presenting with unilateral ptosis, limitation of extraocular movements, proptosis, and conjunctival injection.
The Neurohospitalist 2013 Berkowitz AL, Chandra RV, Rordorf G, Rabinov JD -
Clinical Reasoning: a 44-year-old woman with headache followed by sudden neurologic decline.
Neurology 2013 Berkowitz AL, Kimchi EY, Hwang DY, Vaitkevicius H, Henderson GV, Feske SK, Chou SH -
Clinical reasoning: an 85-year-old man with paresthesias and an unsteady gait.
Neurology 2013 Berkowitz AL, Jha RM, Klein JP, Amato AA -
Evolution of hypoxic-ischemic injury.
The Neurohospitalist 2013 Jha RM, Berkowitz AL, Klein JP -
Does my dizzy patient have a stroke? A systematic review of bedside diagnosis in acute vestibular syndrome.
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne 2011 Tarnutzer AA, Berkowitz AL, Robinson KA, Hsieh YH, Newman-Toker DE -
Expertise-related deactivation of the right temporoparietal junction during musical improvisation.
NeuroImage 2009 Berkowitz AL, Ansari D -
Generation of novel motor sequences: the neural correlates of musical improvisation.
NeuroImage 2008 Berkowitz AL, Ansari D -
Sensitivity of prefrontal cortex to changes in target probability: a functional MRI study.
Human brain mapping 2001 Casey BJ, Forman SD, Franzen P, Berkowitz A, Braver TS, Nystrom LE, Thomas KM, Noll DC -
A developmental functional MRI study of spatial working memory.
NeuroImage 1999 Thomas KM, King SW, Franzen PL, Welsh TF, Berkowitz AL, Noll DC, Birmaher V, Casey BJ