61772-Conwit, Robin
Faculty

Robin Conwit, MD

Professor of Neurology

Address
GH 4700
NEUR
IN
Indianapolis, IN
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Bio

Robin Conwit, MD joined Indiana University School of Medicine faculty as a Professor of Neurology in 2022. Dr. Conwit also serves as the Vice Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Neurology and is co-chair of the Neurology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation promotions and tenure committee.

Dr. Conwit has been extensively involved in clinical trials, bioethics and career development for three decades, first at Johns Hopkins as an ALS researcher and director of an EMG laboratory, and next at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Program Director in Neurologic Clinical Trials and Clinical Research. Dr. Conwit has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the literature and has participated in many seminal clinical trials. She has also been an active member of the American Academy of Neurology bioethics and clinical research committees. Dr. Conwit is also an expert in career development through her extensive experience and certification courses in executive leadership coaching.

Positions and Scientific Appointments

2023 – Present, Clinical Research Subcommittee Member, American Academy of Neurology

2022 – Present, Professor with Tenure, Vice Chair Faculty Development, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

2005 – 2021, Ethics, Law, and Humanity Committee Member, American Academy of Neurology

2005 – 2010, Medical and Scientific Advisory Board Myasthenia Gravis Foundation

2003 – Present, Journal Reviewer: Stroke

2002 – 2022, Medical Officer and Program Director, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD

2002 – 2022, Associate Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

2000 – 2010, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Board Examiner

2000 – 2008, Program Subcommittee, American Academy of Neurology

2000 – 2008, Journal Board Member: J Gerontology

1999 – Present, Journal Reviewer: Neurology, JAMA, Annals of Neurology

1998 – Present, Journal Reviewer: Muscle & Nerve

1996 – 2000, Program Committee, American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine

1996 – 2000, President, Maryland Neurological Society

1993 – 2002, Assistant Professor, , Director of EMG LaboratoryJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

1991 – 1993, Instructor/Assistant Professor, , Director of ALS ClinicUniversity of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Titles & Appointments

  • Professor of Neurology
  • Vice Chair of Faculty Development
  • Education
    1985 MD State University of New York
    1981 AB Colgate University
  • Research
    Motor unit physiology and neuromuscular clinical research studies. Conwit has a long history of investigator-initiated grants and published research. She has worked with the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging of NIA and the NINDS Clinical Trials Methodology Course, helping many MD and PhD candidates develop their clinical research protocols.
    1. Conwit RA, Tracy B, Cowl A, et al. Firing rate analysis using decomposition-enhanced spike triggered averaging in the quadriceps femoris. Muscle & nerve 1998;21:1338-40.
    2. Conwit RA, Stashuk D, Tracy B, McHugh M, Brown WF, Metter EJ. The relationship of motor unit size, firing rate and force. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology 1999;110:1270-5.
    3. Metter EJ, Talbot LA, Schrager M, Conwit RA. Arm-cranking muscle power and arm isometric muscle strength are independent predictors of all-cause mortality in men. Journal of applied physiology 2004;96:814-21.
    4. Ling SM, Conwit RA, Ferrucci L, Metter EJ. Age-associated changes in motor unit physiology: observations from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 2009;90:1237-40.
    Clinical trials. As a program director at NINDS, Dr. Conwit worked with many clinical trials in a variety of neurologic diseases. The following publications cover a few of the over 50 clinical trials for which she has been an innovator and investigator.
    1. Conwit RA, Bhanushali MJ, Porter JD, Kaufmann P, Gutmann L. Adding more muscle and nerve to clinical trials. Muscle & nerve 2011;44:695-702.to clinical trials. Muscle & Nerve 2011;44:695-702.
    2. Jeffrey L. Saver, Sidney Starkman, Marc Eckstein, Samuel J. Stratton, Franklin D. Pratt, Scott Hamilton, Robin Conwit, David S. Liebeskind, Gene Sung, Ian Kramer, Gary Moreau, Robert Goldweber, Nerses Sanossian, for the FAST-MAGInvestigators and Coordinators. Prehospital Use of Magnesium Sulfate as Neuroprotection in Acute Stroke N Engl J Med. 2015 Feb 5; 372(6): 528–536.
    3. Wolfe, G, Kaminsky, H., Alban, C., Minisman, G., Conwit, R., Cutter, G. and the MGTX study group. Randomized trial of Thymectomy in Non-Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis New Engl J Med. 2016 Aug 11; 375(6): 511–522. 
    4. Kapur, J., Elm, J., Chamberlain, J., Barsan, W., Silbergleit, R…Conwit, R., et al. A randomized controlled trial of three anticonvulsant medications for established status epilepticus N Engl J Med., 2019;381:2103-2113.
    NINDS Research Networks. These publications are representative of the NIH Networks. Dr. Conwit has worked with these networks as an innovator and investigator.
    1. Pancioli AM, Barsan WG, Conwit RA. Executive summary: The Emergency Neurologic Clinical Trials Network--a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke symposium. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2004;11:1092-6.
    2. Cudkowicz, M. Coffey, C…and Conwit, R. Improving Clinical Trial Efficiency: Seven-Year Experience From the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Supported Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials. JAMA Neurol. 2020 Mar 23;. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0367. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32202612; NIHMSID:NIHMS1580828.
    3. Foster, Lydia, Robinson, Laura, Vasileios Lioutas, Yeatts, Conwit, R., Selim, Magdy on behalf of the iDEF investigators in StrokeNET, Effect of Deferoxamine on Trajectory of Recovery after Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Post-hoc Analysis of the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Deferoxamine (i-DEF) Trial, Stroke, 2022;53:2204-2210.
    Bioethics in Clinical Research Including the Ethical Use of Safety Monitoring. As part of the AAN Ethics, Law and Humanities committee Dr. Conwit has participated in important discussions that have intersected with my interest in human subjects’ protections. She has also made multiple presentations at national meetings on related topics and look forward to engaging others in future panels and webinars.
    1. Co-primary authors Benjamin Tolchin, MD and Robin Conwit, MD, Leon Epstein, MD and James Russell, MD. AAN position statement: Ethical issues in Clinical Research in Neurology, Neurology. 2020 Apr 14; 94(15): 661–669.
    1. Conwit RA, Hart RG, Moy CS, Marler JR. Data and safety monitoring in clinical research: a National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke perspective. Annals of emergency medicine 2005; 45:388-92.
    2. Russell, JA, Epstein, L., Bonnie, Richard JB, Conwit, R, Graf, WD, Kirschen, M, Kurek, JA, Larriviere, DG, Pascuzzi, RM, Rizzo, M., Sattin, JA, Simmons, Z, Taylor, L, Tsou, A, Williams, MA. Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee (a joint committee of the AAN, ANA, and CNS). Lawful physician-hastened death: AAN position statement. Neurology 2018 Feb 27; 90(9):420-422. doi: 10.1212/WNL.
    3. Russell JA, Epstein LG, Bonnie RJ, Conwit R, Graf WD, Kirschen M, Kurek JA, Larriviere DG, Pascuzzi RM, Rizzo M, Sattin JA, Simmons Z, Taylor L, Williams MA; Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee (a joint committee of the AAN, ANA, and CNS). In defense of the AAN position on lawful physician hastened death. Neurology. 2020 Apr 14;94(15):641-643. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009237. Epub 2020 Mar 16. PMID: 32179699 
  • Awards
    Org: NIH
    Desc: Director's Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2023-01-01
    Org: NINDS
    Desc: Director's Group Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2021-01-01
    Org: NCATS
    Desc: Director's Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2018-01-01
    Org: NINDS
    Desc: Merit Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2012-01-01
    Org: NIH
    Desc: Director's Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2010-01-01
    Org: NINDS
    Desc: Merit Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2009-01-01
    Org: NIH
    Desc: Director's Award
    Scope:
    Date: 2007-01-01
    Org: American Academy of Neurology
    Desc: Fellow
    Scope:
    Date: 2000-01-01

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