Timothy Vollmer, MD
Director, Neuroimmunology Program
Betty and John Van Denburgh Chair in Neurology

Dr. Vollmer, a native of Wyoming, graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1983. He went on to complete a Neurology Residency followed by postdoctoral training in Neuroimmunology, also at Stanford School of Medicine. In 1988 he joined the faculty at Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Neurology, where he developed the Yale Neuroimmunology Program. While at Yale, he was involved in both basic and clinical research in multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases and conducted the first human trial of Schwann transplantation in MS patients as well as the first trial of statins in MS. After leaving Yale in 2003, Dr. Vollmer moved to Phoenix to join the Barrow Neurological Institute of St Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. At Barrow, he re-established his Neuroimmunology Program and was joined by Dr. Denise Campagnolo, Dr. Fu-Dong Shi and Dr. Roberto Bomprezzi.

The BNI Neuroimmunology Program consists of three components: a clinical program, the NARCOMS project, and the Neuroimmunology laboratory. In the clinical program, patients with MS and other inflammatory diseases of the nervous system receive comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services. This program includes the BNI Comprehensive MS Clinic directed by Dr. Campagnolo. The program is active in basic research into new treatments for MS and focuses on developing vaccine treatments for MS that may allow for control of the disease without suppressing the immune system. The NARCOMS program developed by Dr. Vollmer is an international database containing information on over 30,000 MS patients. It serves as a resource for investigators from around the world. This project was started by Dr. Vollmer in 1996 and is a collaborative project with the Consortium of MS Centers. Finally, The BNI Neuroimmunology Program includes one of the largest centers for clinical studies of MS in the world, including experimental therapies for MS. The center currently has over 20 clinical trials covering all phases of MS. To date, Dr. Vollmer has completed over 70 clinical studies in MS. He remains active in the international community, conducting research in MS and lecturing frequently in the United States and Europe.