Rhonda Voskuhl

Biography

Dr. Voskuhl attended Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma on full basketball and academic scholarships. She received her M.D. from Vanderbilt Medical School and completed a neurology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern. She did a five year fellowship in the Neuroimmunology Branch, NINDS, NIH including work in both MS and its animal model. Dr. Voskuhl joined UCLA as Assistant Professor of Neurology in 1995, was promoted to Associated Professor in 2000 and Professor in 2004. She is Director of the UCLA MS Program. She received the Jack H. Skirball Endowed Chair in Multiple Sclerosis in 2006. She has received numerous grants from both the NIH and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), and received the prestigious Harry Weaver Award from the NMSS

Research Interest

Dr. Voskuhl's laboratory is focused on understanding the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) through use of the mouse model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). She employs a “Bedside to Bench to Bedside” approach where basic research starts with known clinical observations. These observations are investigated for underlying mechanism in the laboratory. Findings in the laboratory then reveal new treatments to be tested in clinical trials. One clinical observation of interest is sex differences in MS. She has been a leader in the field of sex differences research by investigating the effect of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on both inflammation and neurodegeneration. Voskuhl has been the Principle Investigator on 4 treatment trials in MS, two of which were multicenter trials at several sites across the U.S. An extension of her interest in finding a treatment to prevent cognitive decline in MS includes investigation of new treatments to prevent cognitive decline in normal aging, menopause and andropause.