Richard T Benson, MD., Ph.D.

Dr. Richard T. Benson is a Program Director in the Office of Minority Health and Research, at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.  This office has primary responsibility for planning, coordinating and directing the Institute's research and training programs designed to deal with health disparities issues related to neurological disease, build research capacity at minority serving institutions, and prepare/develop future minority neuroscientists and health professionals.  Dr. Benson attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.  After working 1-year as a Biochemist at Case Western Reserve Medical School, he attended Meharry Medical College where he received his MD degree and a PhD in Neurophysiology.  His research thesis dealt with "Excessive Methylation in Parkinsonism".  At Meharry, Dr. Benson received numerous research honors and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) National Medical Honor society.  Subsequently, he completed a Neurology residency at the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Program in Boston, Massachusetts.  Dr. Benson then completed a two-year Stroke Fellowship in the Neurological Institute at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, while completing a Master's degree in Epidemiology.  He worked for two-years at Long Island Jewish Medical Center as an Attending Neurologist and Stroke specialist in the Department of Neurology. Just prior to coming to the NINDS, he worked at St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospitals as a Stroke specialist and Director of Community Outreach.  His areas of interest include: health disparities, minority health, issues related to stroke and/or cerebrovascular disease, and translational research related to various neurological diseases.  Dr. Benson maintains his clinical skills by working as a voluntary with the NINDS, Intra-Mural Stroke team.