Laura Joan Balcer, M.D., M.S.C.E.
Professor of Neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Chief, Multiple Sclerosis Division, Department of Neurology
Senior Scholar, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Department: Neurology
Contact information
Department of Neurology
3 East Gates Building
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
3 East Gates Building
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-349-8072
Fax: 215-662-3362
Fax: 215-662-3362
Graduate Group Affiliations
Education:
B.S. (Biology)
College of William and Mary, 1987.
M.D. (Medicine)
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1991.
M.S.C.E. (Clinical Epidemiology)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2000.
B.S. (Biology)
College of William and Mary, 1987.
M.D. (Medicine)
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1991.
M.S.C.E. (Clinical Epidemiology)
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2000.
Post-Graduate Training
Intern in Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1991-1992.
Resident in Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1992-1995.
Fellowship, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, 1995-1996.
Intern in Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1991-1992.
Resident in Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1992-1995.
Fellowship, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, 1995-1996.
Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Certificate # 42767 , 2006.
Permanent linkAmerican Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Certificate # 42767 , 2006.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Balcer’s primary research focus is on the identification and development of clinical visual outcome measures for multiple sclerosis (MS) trials. Dr. Balcer’s group, funded jointly by the National Eye Institute and the National MS Society, focuses on determining which clinical tests best identify visual dysfunction in patients with MS. These studies have also examined the relation of visual function to neurologic impairment, magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities, and health-related quality of life. Data from these and other investigations at U. Penn have led to the inclusion of low-contrast letter acuity as a secondary outcome measure in 2 international MS treatment trials. A new ocular imaging technique, optical coherence tomography (OCT), has been used to examine retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness as biologic markers of neuronal and axonal loss in patients with MS.Description of Clinical Expertise
Neuro-Ophthalmology; Neuro-Ophthalmologic features of multiple sclerosis (MS)Selected Publications
Cohen J.A., Cutter G.R., Fischer J.S., Goodman A.D., Heidenreich F.R., Kooijmans M.F., Sandrock A.W., Rudick R.A., Simon J.H., Simonian N.A., Tsao E.C., Whitaker J.N., for the IMPACT Investigators. : Benefit of interferon beta-1a on MSFC progression in secondary progressive MS. Neurology 59: 679-687, 2002.Shin R.K., Balcer L.J. : Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri). Current Treatment Options in Neurology 4: 297-305, 2002.
Balcer L.J. : Book Review: Coping with Visual Loss: Maximizing What You Can See and Do. Inside MS: The Magazine for Members of the National MS Society. National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 20: 64-65, 2002.
