Roy Hoshi Hamilton - Faculty Biosketch

Roy Hoshi Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN

Associate Professor of Neurology

Member, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania

Director, Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, University of Pennsylvania

Member, Center for Neuroscience and Society, University of Pennsylvania

Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Director, Clinical Neurosciences Training Program (CNST), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Co-Director, Penn Minority Scholars in Aging Research Program, University of Pennsylvania

Department: Neurology

Contact information

Goddard Laboratories, Room 518
University of Pennsylvania
3710 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Office: 215-573-7065
Fax: 215-898-1982

Graduate Group Affiliations

Neuroscience

Links
Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Educational Pipeline
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Clinical Neurosciences Track
University of Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease Center

Education:
B.A. (Psychology, magna cum laude)
Harvard University, 1995.
M.D. (Medicine, cum laude)
Harvard Medical School, 2001.
M.S. (Health Sciences and Technology)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 2001.

Post-Graduate Training
Intern in Internal Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, 2001-2002.
Resident in Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, 2002-2005.
Fellow in Cognitive Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, 2005-2007.

Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 2006.
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Maintenance of Certification (MOC), 2016.

Permanent link

> Perelman School of Medicine > Faculty > Details

Description of Research Expertise

My research focus is on the characteristics and limits of functional neuroplasticity in the adult human brain. I investigate how the brain reorganizes itself in response to injury, and whether or not it is possible to enhance the brain’s potential for reorganization in order to speed rehabilitation using noninvasive electrical or magnetic brain stimulation. A second area of interest for me is on the use of noninvasive brain stimulation to elucidate and enhance mechanisms of cognition in healthy individuals, and the biological, social, and ethical implications of neural enhancement.

Description of Clinical Expertise

I principally treat patients suffering from dementia. I also have expertise in evaluating and treating patients with cognitive deficits following stroke.

Description of Other Expertise

I am deeply interested in medical education. I am heavily involved in medical student education in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and I am the faculty director of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Pipeline Program, multi-tiered neuroscience education program for inner-city high schools in Philadelphia.

Selected Publications

Lee, Y.S., Zreik, J.T., Hamilton, R.H.: Patterns of neural activity predict picture-naming performance of a patient with chronic aphasia. Neuropsychologia 94: 52-60, Jan 2017.

Karuza, E.A., Balewski, Z.Z., Hamilton, R.H., Medaglia, Tardiff, N., Thompson-Schill, S.L.: Mapping the parameter space of tDCS and cognitive control via manipulation of current polarity and intensity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10: 665, Dec 2016.

Meletath, S.K., Pavlick, D., Brennan, T., Hamilton, R., Chmielecki, J., Elvin, J.A., Palma, N., Ross, J.S., Miller, V.A., Stephens, P.J., Snipes, G., Rajaram, V., Ali, S.M., Melguizo-Gavilanes, I.: Personalized treatment for a patient with a BRAF V600E mutation using Dabrafenib and a tumor treatment fields device in a high-grade glioma arising from ganglioglioma. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 14(11): 1345-50, Nov 2016.

Rosen, D.S., Erickson, B. Kim, Y.E. , Mirman, D., Hamilton, R.H., Kounios, J.: Anodal tDCS to right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex facilitates performance for novice jazz improvisers but hinders experts. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10: 579, Nov 2016.

Gervits, F., Ash, S., Coslett, H.B., Rascovsky, K., Grossman, M., Hamilton, R.: Transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia: an open-label pilot study. Brain and Language 162: 35-41, Nov 2016 Notes: Available online before print; doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2016.05.007.

Mancuso, L.E., Ilieva, I.P., Hamilton, R.H., Farah, M.J.: Does transcranial direct current stimulation improve healthy working memory?: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 28(8): 1063-89, Aug 2016 Notes: Peer-reviewed research (not review paper).

Julian, J.B., Ryan, J., Hamilton, R.H., Epstein R.A. : The occipital place area is causally involved in representing environmental boundaries during navigation. Current Biology 26: 1-6, Apr 2016.

Price, A.R., Peelle, J.E., Bonner, M.F., Grossman, M., Hamilton, R.H.: Causal evidence for a mechanism of semantic integration in the angular gyrus as revealed by high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation. The Journal of Neuroscience 36(13): 3829-38, Mar 2016.

Falcone, M., Bernardo, L., Ashare, R.L., Hamilton, R., Faseyitan, O., McKee, S.A., Loughead, J., Lerman, C.: Transcranial direct current brain stimulation increases ability to resist smoking. Brain Stimulation 9(2): 191-6, Mar-Apr 2016.

Medina, J., Drebing, D.E., Hamilton, R.H., Coslett, H.B.: Phantoms on the hands: influence of the body on brief synchiric visual percepts. Neuropsychologia 82(1): 104-9, Feb 2016.