Research

The neurosurgeons of The Chiari Institute have made major contributions to the basic sciences of Chiari malformation (CM) and syringomyelia. In addition, they have helped to redefine the clinical spectrum of CM and have introduced advances in surgical treatment, including improved ways to expand the compressed area of the brain, ultrasound methods for defining the limits of surgical decompression and the use of protective plastics at the operative site. In 1999, Chiari Institute surgeons were the first to adapt color Doppler ultrasonography for the intraoperative measurement of CSF flow during CM surgery.

Research projects are carried out at the Boas-Marks Research Center in Manhasset, N.Y. The center is located on the campus of North Shore University Hospital and is equipped with basic research laboratories, a PET scanner, a robotic system for human genome studies and a clinical research center supported by a $17.5 million grant from The National Institutes of Health.

The Chiari Institute is dedicated to its mission of educating patients and the neuroscience community, and advancing our understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.