Department of Neurology

Since its establishment in 1921, the Department of Neurology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital has continuously developed into a nationally renowned neurology specialty, being one of the earliest institutions to confer doctoral and master's degrees in neurology and to establish postdoctoral workstations. It is a leader in handling and resolving difficult and severe cases. Currently, it has 11 specialized groups (Clinical Neurophysiology, Electroencephalography and Epilepsy, Dementia and Cognitive Disorders, Cerebrovascular Diseases, Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, Neuropathology, Neuromuscular Diseases, Infection and Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytology, Neuroimmunology, Neurogenetics, and Sleep), and offers 9 specialized outpatient services (Neuromuscular Disease Clinic, Dystonia and Botulinum Toxin Treatment Clinic, Parkinson's Disease and Dementia Clinic, Epilepsy Clinic, Cerebrovascular Disease Clinic, Motor Neuron Disease, Myasthenia Gravis Clinic, Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, and Headache Clinic), providing high-level medical services to a large number of patients. It has consistently ranked among the top in the Fudan University version of the national hospital specialty reputation rankings.

The department has a comprehensive professional setup and strong technical capabilities. With solid clinical fundamentals and overall strength, it is particularly leading in handling and resolving difficult and severe cases, attracting a large number of patients with complex diseases from across the country. The department currently has over 90 beds, treating more than 160,000 outpatient and emergency patients annually, with over 1,600 inpatient cases. The neurology specialty laboratory is well-equipped, with electromyography, brain evoked potentials, neuropathology, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, neurobiochemistry and immunology, and molecular biology laboratories being among the best in the country, providing high-level laboratory support for patient diagnosis and treatment.

The department emphasizes conducting clinically oriented scientific research aimed at exploring innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods to improve clinical treatment levels. Research covers major areas of neurological diseases, with clinical and basic research complementing each other, promoting the advancement of the discipline. It undertakes numerous national-level major R&D programs, key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, and provincial and ministerial research topics, with ample research funding. It has received the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class) multiple times, the Chinese Medical Science and Technology Progress Award, and several provincial and ministerial scientific achievement awards.

The department undertakes a significant amount of teaching responsibilities. It provides education for undergraduate students, graduate students, and resident physicians from the eight-year program at Peking Union Medical College, and is a standardized training base for resident physicians in Beijing. It hosts five national-level continuing education courses annually, including advanced courses on neurological diseases, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, electromyography and brain evoked potentials, electroencephalography and epilepsy treatment advancements, and dystonia diagnosis and treatment courses, training a large number of specialized talents in neurology for the country.

The department currently has 57 physicians, including 11 professors, 17 associate professors, 18 attending physicians, and 11 resident physicians, with 7 doctoral supervisors and 8 master's supervisors. There are 50 nursing staff at various levels. The department places great emphasis on talent cultivation, with senior experts remaining active, mid-career experts being vigorous, and young physicians rapidly growing. 90% of senior faculty have experience studying and training abroad. The current department head, Professor Cui Liying, serves as the current Chair of the Neurology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association (7th term) and Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Neurology, and has previously served as the Chair of the 4th term of the Neurology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association. Twenty members of the department hold positions in various professional groups of the Chinese Medical Association, and over ten serve as deputy editors and editorial board members for several core domestic journals.