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Merged dept. attracts neurosurgeon/researcher When the Department of Neurosciences was created at MUSC by fusing the departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Physiology/Neuroscience, the goal was to foster relationships between clinicians and basic scientists. This in turn promised to transform cutting-edge research into the reality of improved human health.   Dr. Bruce Frankel It is this concept and environment that attracted Bruce M. Frankel, M.D., to MUSC. Frankel is a neurosurgeon with a strong research orientation. At MUSC, he will maintain a clinical neurosurgery practice and also devote two full days a week to neuro-oncology research. Frankel’s research interest is using molecular biology to develop a better way of attacking brain tumors. “There has been little progress in our fight against primary brain tumors over the years,” said Frankel. “We’ve looked at brain tumors and asked why we can’t cure them with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. We want to know what it is about these tumors that makes them grow and spread regardless of what we do.”   His laboratory is looking at the cellular features and novel cancer-related genes for a way to trick the cancer cells into dying, using the cells’ own internal mechanisms.   “There is a real spirit of collaboration at MUSC that will help bring the things we discover in the laboratory to the clinic,” said Frankel. “The combined expertise and close collaboration between the Ph.D.s and M.Ds offer great hope in answering questions that haven’t been answered before.”   Frankel comes to MUSC from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, where he served as assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the Molecular Neuro-oncology Research Laboratory. He also served as chief of the neurosurgical service at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis.    A cum laude graduate of Boston University, Frankel received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse College of Medicine in N.Y. He served an internship in general surgery, residency in neurosurgery and fellowship in spine surgery at SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse College of Medicine. In addition, he had elective training in pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School.     Friday, Feb. 17, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778, ext. 201.