David S. Geldmacher, M.D., FANA, FACP, professor, Warren Family Endowed Chair, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, and Director of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been appointed to the rank of University Professor. This makes him the first person to hold the rank of University Professor in the 50-year history of the Department of Neurology.
"Dr. Geldmacher, as director of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, has led an extraordinarily successful program, which has impacted UAB, Alabama, and the international community of physicians caring for and studying patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias," said David Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., professor and John N. Whitaker Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurology. "I believe he is exceptionally well qualified for the rank of University Professor, and that this title will enable him to continue to further the interests of UAB, our community, and patients and caregivers affected by dementia everywhere."
Geldmacher earned his medical degree from the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Syracuse in 1986 and completed his medical residency training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1990. Geldmacher then completed a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology under the mentorship of Kenneth Heilman, M.D., who is considered by many to be the founder of modern behavioral neurology, at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, in 1991.
In 2011, Geldmacher was recruited to the UAB Department of Neurology from the University of Virginia to lead what is now the UAB Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, and in 2016, he was named to the Warren Family Endowed Chair in Neurology. Today, he is internationally recognized as an expert in Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cognitive disorders and has led the development of UAB's educational programs in these areas. As new therapies for Alzheimer's disease are being developed, Geldmacher has been recognized as a national authority on managing these new treatments and has led ongoing efforts to recruit faculty, advanced practice providers, and staff to the Division.
Among his many accolades, Geldmacher has been recognized as one of America's "Top Doctors" by Castle-Connelly since 2014, known for both his diagnostic skills and bedside manner. He served on the National Appeals Advisory Panel for the NFL Concussion Settlement Program and recently won the UAB Brewer-Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine. He serves on numerous councils and committees both at UAB and throughout the community.
In addition, he has made significant contributions to his field in terms of research, serving as site PI for numerous NIH-funded trials and as Clinical Core Director for UAB's recently funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. A specific focus of his work involves the impact of dementia on caregivers, leading to new programs to support families and others managing care for dementia patients.
"Dr. Geldmacher's scholarly work and compassion as a physician managing one of the most difficult diseases has benefited UAB, our Alabama community, and patients, caregivers, and learners worldwide," Standaert said.
The UAB Faculty handbook describes the rank of University Professor as, "a campus-wide appointment that bestows on an individual an academic rank which transcends departmental and disciplinary lines; is to allow each designated individual the greatest latitude in teaching, writing, and scholarly research, and is to give such an individual with broad expertise a UAB-wide platform."