StevenWarachMDPhD

Summary

• Steven Warach, MD, PhD is a vascular neurologist and neuroscientist in Austin, TX. He is currently Professor of Neurology at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and Stroke Director for Dell Med and Ascension Texas’ network of hospitals, including Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Ascension Seton Williamson, and Ascension Seton Hays. He has been in practice for over 30 years.
  
  Warach earned his Ph.D. in Psychology-Neuroscience from Michigan State University and M.D. from Harvard Medical School, where he completed his neurology residency. Warach established stroke clinical, research, and training programs for Beth Israel Hospital - Harvard, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Division of Intramural Research, and Ascension – Dell Medical School.
  
  Warach is known for his seminal contributions in magnetic resonance imaging of stroke. He introduced into routine clinical practice and validated diffusion-weighted MRI, which revolutionized the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. He pioneered the diffusion-perfusion mismatch to image the ischemic penumbra in stroke patients and championed the use of penumbral imaging in clinical trials to select patients with the optimal target for acute stroke therapies, which paved the way for breakthroughs trials of effective thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy at late time windows. His recent work has been influential in leading the adoption of tenecteplase as a standard of care for acute stroke thrombolysis across the US. Warach has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, most recently the 2024 David G. Sherman Lecture Award of the American Stroke Association/American Heart Association, which recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship, and community service in the stroke field.