Louise D. McCullough, MD, PhD

Neurologist
Professor, Chair, and Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Distinguished Chair, Department of Neurology
Director, BRAINS Research Laboratory
Co-director, UTHealth Neurosciences McGovern Medical School at UTHealth

Dr. Louise McCullough is an internationally recognized physician-scientist acknowledged for her clinical practice and research in cerebrovascular disease. She is known for her research identifying sex differences in cell death pathways during stroke, which now are recognized as major factors in the response to stroke and in stroke treatments. Her laboratory also studies aging and inflammation, and how these factors influence recovery after stroke.

Dr. McCullough received her doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, followed by her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed residency training in neurology and fellowship training in cerebrovascular disease at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She subsequently joined the Johns Hopkins faculty and began her translational research career. In 2004, she returned to Connecticut as a professor in the Department of Neurology and Department of Neuroscience at the University of Connecticut Health Center and John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington.

She directed stroke research and education at Hartford Hospital, one of the largest stroke centers in New England. She joined McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, and UTHealth Neurosciences as professor and chair of the Department of Neurology in 2015, with a joint appointment as chief of neurology at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

An energetic investigator, Dr. McCullough conducts research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. She has published more than 200 papers and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with subspecialty board certification in vascular neurology and vascular ultrasound. She is a respected educator who is passionate about mentoring students and nurturing junior scientists. She has made numerous presentations nationally and internationally, and is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the prestigious Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award and the Landis Mentorship Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Dr. McCullough is an active clinician and has been recognized among America’s Top Doctors since 2008.

Collaboration with Referring Physicians

Physicians affiliated with UTHealth Neurosciences engage referring physicians in the care of their patients, keeping them informed about patient progress throughout the evaluation and treatment process. After a patient’s treatment, referring physicians receive a summary and a plan for follow-up. Our physicians encourage continued communication about each patient.