Zachary David Threlkeld, MD, and David Yi-Gin Hwang, MD, FAAN, FCCM, FNCS

The guest editors of this issue of Seminars in Neurology are Drs. Zachary Threlkeld and David Hwang.

Dr. Threlkeld is clinical associate professor in the Division of Neurocritical Care at Stanford School of Medicine, where he also serves as medical director for the Neuro-ICU and associate medical director for critical care. Dr. Threlkeld is interested in the pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie disorders of consciousness due to severe, acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). His research uses advanced methods such as functional MRI to investigate how functional brain networks are disrupted in severe TBI, how these disruptions affect consciousness, and how such disruptions may be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Dr. Threlkeld has published numerous manuscripts, review articles, book chapters, and podcasts on these subjects. He has received funding support from the Neurocritical Care Society and National Institutes of Health. He is a recipient of the Stanford Neurology Excellence Award, selected by department faculty to recognize excellence in clinical care, research, and education. He is a highly active clinical trialist and active contributor to the research community in the field of neuroprognostication.

Dr. Hwang is professor and chief of the Division of Neurocritical Care at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Hwang has developed a nationally recognized, original clinical research portfolio centered upon two major neuroscience ICU themes: (1) the varying accuracy and thought processes of clinicians when predicting functional outcomes of patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) and (2) the decision-making and psychosocial support of family members of SABI patients who lack capacity, particularly those families who are making difficult goals-of-care decisions. He has a strong track record of both leading and participating in successful multicentre collaborative research studies on these topics. To date, he has authored or co-authored more than 100 academic articles, books, and chapters, mainly centered around these themes. Dr. Hwang has been a recipient of grant and project support from the American Brain Foundation, the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and the Apple Pickers Foundation (a philanthropic foundation based out of Rhode Island). His scholarship has been recognized nationally with the Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award at the International Stroke Conference, an Outstanding Oral Presentation Award at the NCS Research Conference, and several awards at SCCM Congress: the First-Place Patient and Family Support Abstract Award, the Family-Centered Care Innovation Award, and the Grenvik Family Award for Ethics. As an academic leader in neuroprognostication and ICU family support, he is now the invited lead author for both the upcoming NCS guidelines for prognostication of intracerebral haemorrhage and the upcoming SCCM guidelines on family support in adult critical care. In addition to investigator-initiated work, he has served as a site principal investigator or co-investigator for more than 20 multicenter neurocritical care and vascular neurology clinical trials.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of Drs. Threlkeld and Hwang, as well as all of the contributing authors, for their wonderful work in this issue of Seminars. Neuroprognostication is central to much of what we do in neurology, particularly in the intensive care unit, and this review is timely to present the most up-to-date information to help neurologists and practitioners to feel well informed and prepared in this setting. I wish to personally thank Drs. Threlkeld and Hwang to their dedication to this issue, helping to ensure that it is highly educational, accurate, and current. We hope you enjoy this wonderful issue!

Publication History

Article published online:
02 November 2023