Jagannadha 'Jay' Avasarala, MD, PhD

Dr. Jay Avasarala is a neurologist with extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Avasarala completed his neurology residency training at New York Medical College/St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers and his fellowship training in multiple sclerosis at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as a recipient of the National MS Fellowship Award. Following his fellowship training, he went on to become a faculty member at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Early in his career, Avasarala completed a medical internship at the University of Kentucky. Twenty-three years later, he made his way back to UK HealthCare and joined the staff at the UK Kentucky Neuroscience Institute in November 2018. Through his work at KNI, Avasarala hopes to leverage his interests in translational research in MS to the fullest by drawing on the support systems that UK HealthCare has in place. He has a particular interest in studying MS in African Americans as well as the role of vitamin D and bone health in MS, particularly among whites. Additionally, he is working to track disease changes and develop new diagnostic criteria based on changes in the retina as seen on optical coherence tomography, an imaging technique of the retinal layers helpful in determining the progression of MS. His goals include making fundus imaging – retinal photography useful in diagnosing MS – a routine diagnostic tool in outpatient neurology.  

Personal Statement

Growing up in India, I wanted to become a physician not just to help others but also to spend time on developing new ideas to advance care for those we serve. I believe that while a doctor interacts with a patient one-on-one, meaningful research makes it possible to improve people’s lives at the global level.

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