Research:

Dr. Muehlschlegel completed clinical training in neurology, vascular neurology and neurocritical care, and is triple board certified in these subspecialties. She has obtained additional research training through the completion of the Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program for Clinical Effectiveness and Masters of Public Health Program, with a focus in Clinical Effectiveness. She has published in the area of cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes, in particular studying dantrolene as a novel means for prevention and treatment of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, as well as in the reversible vasoconstriction syndrome “Call-Fleming-Syndrome”. Since attending as a neurointensivist at UMASS, she has been actively involved in improving the outcome prognostication of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury admitted to the neurointensive care unit. Mentored by senior epidemiologist Robert Goldberg, PhD, she is studying the longitudinal course of critically ill TBI patients, creating new prediction tools, and demonstrating the variability of outcome prognostication by clinicians. She is developing shared decision making tools, which may ultimately limit uninformed withdrawal of care or futile prolongation of life decisions by families and physician biases (http://informedmedicaldecisions.org/what-is-shared-decision-making). This work is in line with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 which supports a national shared decision making program http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1209500.

Dr. Muehlschlegel is actively involved in the Neurocritical Care Society. Since 2013, she has been an elected member of the Board of Directors, and is currently serving a 4-year term. The Neurocritical Care Society is the largest international multidisciplinary neurocritical care professional society dedicated to improve the health care and outcomes of patients with life-threatening neurological illnesses by promoting quality patient care, professional collaboration, research, training and advocacy.

Teaching:

Dr. Muehlschlegel is a well-recognized teacher.  As a UMASS faculty member, Dr. Muehlschlegel is currently responsible for the supervision of surgical critical care fellows, residents, medical students and mid-level providers (PA/ARNP) in the trauma and neuro-ICU. She gives lectures regularly to neurology, emergency medicine, anesthesia and surgery residents. When on service in the ICU, she provides teaching to the ICU team with all its members during the daily SICU morning lectures. She teaches all ICU procedures as well as all clinical aspects of neurocritical care. She was creator and co-director of the UMASS Department of Neurology/Neuroscience Journal Club from 2008-2013. She has mentored many medical students and residents in her clinical research laboratory, as well as in the neuroICU.

Clinical:

As a neurointensivist, Dr. Muehlschlegel is one of only ~1,000 U.S. board certified subspecialists in this field. She is involved in the direct care of critically ill neurology, neurosurgery and trauma patients. She managed all neuroICU and general surgical ICU problems, including but not limited to ventilators, hemodynamics, sepsis, nutrition, electrolyte imbalances, acid-base disorders, infections, and ventriculostomies. She is known to communicate very effectively and empathetically with family members and establishes great rapport with patients and affected families.

Post-Graduate Medical and Research Training:

2002-2006 -- Neurology Residency, University of Florida

2005-2006 -- Chief Resident (Neurology), University of Florida

2006-2008 -- Neurocritical Care and Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

2007-2010 -- Masters of Public Health (Clinical Effectiveness), Harvard School of Public Health

Lab rotations are available for undergraduate and medical students, residents and fellows. Visiting students from abroad should inquire about visa requirements first before applying. Unfortunately, my lab cannot accept any basic scientists.