Dr. Brian-Fred Fitzsimmons Appointed Chair of Neurology

Brian-Fred M. Fitzsimmons, MD, has been appointed chair of the department of neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The appointment was made by Dr. Joseph E. Kerschner, MCW’s Executive Vice President and Dean of the Medical School. Dr. Fitzsimmons currently serves as vice chair for clinical services in the department of neurology, and associate professor of vascular and interventional neurology in the departments of neurology, neurosurgery and radiology at MCW. He practices at Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and Columbia-St, Mary’s.

Dr. Fitzsimmons’ research interests focus on the application and development of novel endovascular techniques for the treatment of acute stroke and cerebral aneurysms. He served as chair of the Clinical Events Committee for the landmark multicenter clinical trial of the first flow diversion device for cerebral aneurysm treatment, and continues to serve as the local principal investigator for numerous multicenter clinical trials of interventional stroke therapy.

During his time at MCW, Dr. Fitzsimmons has made significant contributions to advancing the clinical mission of the department of neurology, serving as medical director of inpatient neurology from 2012 to 2013, and as vice chair of clinical services since 2014.

Since joining MCW in 2006, Dr. Fitzsimmons has received numerous teaching awards including the Faculty Teaching Award from the department of neurology; MCW’s Outstanding Medical Student Teacher; and Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award from the emergency medicine class of 2014. He served as program director for the interventional neurology and endovascular surgical neuroradiology fellowships at MCW from 2007 to 2014, during which time the fellowship became one of only seven neuro-interventional programs in the US accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Dr. Fitzsimmons was one of the first 10 neurologists in the US to be fellowship trained in neurointervention and is nationally recognized in the field. Board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both neurology and in vascular neurology, Dr. Fitzsimmons has been chosen by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America since 2011.

Dr. Fitzsimmons graduated from Princeton University in 1992 and received his MD degree from the University of Florida, College of Medicine in 1996. In 1997, Dr. Fitzsimmons completed an internship in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He completed his residency in neurology at the Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University Medical Center in 2000, and was chief resident for the final year of his training. Additionally, Dr. Fitzsimmons was a Clinical Fellow in Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disorders, as well as Neurological Intensive Care, at the Neurological Institute of New York, and Clinical Fellow in Interventional Neuroradiology at New York University Medical Center.