November 2, 2026

Kerstin Bettermann, MD, PhD, has been appointed academic chair of the Department of Neurology. She is a clinical professor of neurology at Drexel University College of Medicine and adjunct clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

As academic chair, Dr. Bettermann will support excellence in education and mentorship for students, residents, fellows and faculty across the College’s distributed campuses, including expanding opportunities for faculty professional and leadership development. She will foster growth in clinical, translational, biomedical science, community health and health services research in the department. Dr. Bettermann will encourage collaborations among clinical and basic science researchers and increase participation in clinical trials and translational research. She will also cultivate and support opportunities for community engagement while upholding the College’s mission of furthering a vibrant and inclusive organization.

Dr. Bettermann is chief of neurology and medical director of the Stroke Institute for the University of Pittsburgh's (UPMC) Central and North Central Pennsylvania regions. Her clinical interests include the treatment of neurological and cerebrovascular conditions, particularly stroke treatment and prevention, and cerebral small and large vessel disease, as well as cognitive vascular impairment and dementia.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bettermann has been a dedicated educator as well as a scholar whose work in the areas of cerebrovascular disease and stroke has been published in impactful journals including Diabetes, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Neurological Association and the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Bettermann earned her medical degree and a PhD in neurophysiology at University of Heidelberg, Germany. She trained as a resident in neurology at the Technical University of Munich and in psychiatry at Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany. She also completed residency training in neurology and a vascular neurology fellowship at Wake Forest University. Prior to joining UPMC Dr. Bettermann was most recently professor of neurology and chief of the divisions of stroke and critical care neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Before that she was professor of neurology at Penn State College of Medicine and neurologist with Penn State Health. She has served as Principal Investigator and coinvestigator in multiple clinical and translational trials and has a strong interest to foster the career of future physician scientist and neuroscience researchers.

Her proven track record in leading multidisciplinary teams, improving patient outcomes, and advancing institutional missions in clinical care, education, community outreach and research make her an ideal candidate to lead the Department of Neurology.