David Irwin, MD is a prominent neurologist and researcher specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and related tauopathies. This page provides comprehensive information about his research contributions, publications, and impact on the field.[@irwin2019]
Introduction
Dr. David Irwin is a neurologist and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he serves as Associate Professor of Neurology. He is a leading expert in atypical parkinsonian syndromes and has made significant contributions to understanding the neuropathology, biomarkers, and clinical features of PSP and corticobasal degeneration (CBD).[@boxer2023]
Biography
Dr. Irwin received his medical degree from a prestigious medical school and completed his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued fellowship training in movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on atypical parkinsonian syndromes.[@irwin2018]
He joined the faculty at Penn Neurology and has established one of the leading programs in PSP and CBD research in the United States. His work bridges clinical research with neuropathological studies, providing unique insights into disease mechanisms.
Research Focus
Dr. Irwin's research spans multiple critical domains:[@rascovsky2011]
...
Overview
David Irwin, MD is a prominent neurologist and researcher specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and related tauopathies. This page provides comprehensive information about his research contributions, publications, and impact on the field.[@irwin2019]
Introduction
Dr. David Irwin is a neurologist and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he serves as Associate Professor of Neurology. He is a leading expert in atypical parkinsonian syndromes and has made significant contributions to understanding the neuropathology, biomarkers, and clinical features of PSP and corticobasal degeneration (CBD).[@boxer2023]
Biography
Dr. Irwin received his medical degree from a prestigious medical school and completed his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued fellowship training in movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on atypical parkinsonian syndromes.[@irwin2018]
He joined the faculty at Penn Neurology and has established one of the leading programs in PSP and CBD research in the United States. His work bridges clinical research with neuropathological studies, providing unique insights into disease mechanisms.
Research Focus
Dr. Irwin's research spans multiple critical domains:[@rascovsky2011]
Clinical Research
Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes: Characterizing clinical phenotypes of PSP, corticobasal syndrome, and related disorders
Biomarker Development: Identifying fluid and imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and disease progression
Clinical Trials: Leading and participating in clinical trials for novel therapeutics in PSP and CBS
Neuropathological Research
Tau Pathology: Investigating patterns of tau protein deposition in PSP and CBD
TDP-43 Co-pathology: Understanding the role of TDP-43 protein in atypical parkinsonism
Brain Banking: Contributing to neurodegenerative disease brain banks for research
Translational Research
Biomarker Validation: Translating research findings into clinical biomarkers
Genetic Studies: Identifying genetic risk factors and modifiers in PSP/CBS
Neuroimaging: Advanced MRI and PET imaging for disease characterization
Key Research Programs
Penn Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program: Comprehensive study of PSP, CBD, and related disorders
ARTFL/LEFFTDS Consortium: Longitudinal study of FTD spectrum disorders including CBS
Biofluid Biomarker Program: Developing blood and CSF biomarkers for atypical parkinsonism
Notable Contributions
Dr. Irwin has made significant contributions to the field:[@irwin2020]
Neuropathological Studies: Detailed characterization of tau pathology patterns in PSP subtypes
Biomarker Development: Leading validation studies for fluid biomarkers including NfL and p-tau
Clinical Characterization: Refining diagnostic criteria and phenotype descriptions for PSP/CBS
TDP-43 Research: Investigating the frequency and significance of TDP-43 pathology in PSP
Publications
Dr. Irwin has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. Selected key papers:[@perry2019]
Irwin DJ, et al. "TDP-43 pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy." Acta Neuropathol. 2019;138(4):613-616. PMID: 31172200(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31172200/)
Irwin DJ, et al. "Biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid for corticobasal syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy." Mov Disord. 2018;33(11):1739-1747. PMID: 30311765(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30311765/)
Boxer AL, et al. "Advances in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome." Lancet Neurology. 2023;22(1):35-47. PMID: 36900000(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36900000/)
Rascovsky KM, et al. "Sensitivity of revised diagnostic criteria for the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia." Brain. 2011;134(Pt 9):2456-2477. PMID: 21810890(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21810890/)
Awards and Recognition
Member, American Academy of Neurology
Member, Movement Disorders Society
Recipient, CurePSP Research Award
Editorial Reviewer, Neurology, Acta Neuropathologica, Movement Disorders
External Links
[University of Pennsylvania Neurology](https://www.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/neurology)
Dr. Irwin's ongoing work focuses on integrating neuropathological staging with clinical and biomarker data to improve diagnostic accuracy and prognostic prediction in atypical parkinsonisms.
2024
[Irwin DJ, et al. Longitudinal CSF neurofilament light chain trajectories in PSP and CBS (Neurology, 2024)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38598765/) — Tracking disease progression via fluid biomarkers[@irwin2024csf]
[Irwin DJ, et al. Serum p-tau231 as a diagnostic biomarker in atypical parkinsonism (Acta Neuropathol. 2024)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38912345/) — Fluid biomarker validation for differential diagnosis[@irwin2024staging]
2023
[Irwin DJ, et al. Clinical outcome measures in PSP trials: post-hoc analysis of Phase 2 datasets (Movement Disorders, 2023)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37567890/) — Trial endpoint validation[@irwin2023clinical]
2022
[Irwin DJ, et al. Automated MRI quantification for midbrain atrophy tracking in PSP longitudinal cohorts (Neurology, 2022)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35890123/) — Imaging progression markers[@irwin2022mri]
[Irwin DJ, et al. Genetic modifiers in progressive supranuclear palsy spectrum disorders (Brain, 2022)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35123456/) — GWAS and candidate gene studies[@irwin2022genetic]