Joseph R. Madsen, MD 1981
-Associate Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery), Harvard Medical School
-Medical Director, Neurosurgical Clinic, Children's Hospital
-Director, Neurodynamics Laboratory, Children's Hospital
Research:
Dr. Madsen's research interests focus on
application of signal processing and biophysical modeling to understand such
problems in pediatric neurosurgery as hydrocephalus and epilepsy. A major
thrust is the integration of multiple levels of study and understanding of
molecular, dynamic, functional, and clinical phenomena. Some projects
culminate in device and therapeutical protocol design.
Career Highlights:
Dr. Madsen received his BA in chemistry
from the University of Utah in 1976 and his MD from Harvard Medical School and the
Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology in 1981. He completed his
internship in surgery at the Beth Israel Hospital and his residency in
neurosurgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Following his residency,
Dr. Madsen completed an Elsberg Fellowship in Neurological Surgery and a Clinical
Investigator Development Award (CIDA) fellowship.
An epilepsy neurosurgeon, Dr. Madsen is known as an innovator in clinical as well
as research realms. He organized the Laboratory of Neurodynamics in 2000 to
combine clinical research with the opportunity to do truly basic research involving
data from human subjects, This opportunity is uniquely available because the need
and benefits of neurosurgical intervention, Advanced technologies, such as digital
signal processing (DSP), wavelet analysis, and cutting edge cognitive science
combine in this new laboratory. Another exciting clinical issue involves the
growing technology of electrostimulation (of the vagus nerve presently, and in the
future other targets) in the treatment of epilepsy. Quantitative approaches are
employed to advance understanding of the mechanism of these new technologies, as
well as the pioneering investigation of new methods.