School of Medicine

Chair of Neuroradiology

Care for patients with neurological conditions

The Chair of Neuroradiology at Witten/Herdecke University was established in 2024 and forms part of the Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology at Dortmund Hospital. For patient care, all modern imaging techniques – including high-field MRI, spectral CT, ultrasound and angiography – are available at two sites. A particular clinical and scientific focus is the endovascular management of patients with neurovascular diseases, particularly the treatment of stroke and aneurysms. With more than 500 neuroradiological vascular interventions per year, the clinic is one of the largest neurovascular centres in Germany.

Neuroradiology has developed very dynamically in recent years as an independent diagnostic and therapeutic discipline and makes a decisive contribution to improving the care of patients with neurological diseases. Embedded within the Neurocentre at Dortmund University Hospital, the Chair offers excellent conditions for a broad neuroradiological training programme for medical students, as well as a wide range of topics in interdisciplinary health care research. There is close scientific and clinical collaboration with the Chair of Neurology II (Prof. Dr Gisa Ellrichmann), the departments of Neurosurgery and Vascular Surgery, as well as the ‘head and neck’ disciplines: ENT, maxillofacial surgery and ophthalmology.

To strengthen the clinic’s research focus, we established the Section for Biomedical Physics in January 2023, headed by Priv.-Doz. Dr. rer. nat. Mona Salehi-Ravesh.

Chair holder

Portrait of Prof Dr Stefan Rohde

Prof. Dr. med.

Stefan Rohde

Chair Holder

Faculty of Health (School of Medicine)  |  Chair of Neuroradiology

Beurhausstraße 40
44137 Dortmund

Research

The clinic’s research specialisation is in the field of interventional neuroradiology, in particular the endovascular management of stroke patients and neurovascular imaging. In this context, we have established close collaboration with the German Society for Neuroradiology (DGNR), the German Society for Interventional Radiology (DeGIR) and the Institute for Radiation Physics at Dortmund University Hospital (Prof. Dr Andreas Block).  

Key areas

Health care research

Endovascular stroke treatment 

Due to the high volume of patients at Dortmund University Hospital, there are excellent opportunities for health care research into stroke patients. The focus is on how the care of stroke patients can be optimised by improving collaboration between the ambulance service, regional stroke units and specialised neurovascular centres. The analysis covers the entire emergency and treatment chain, right through to in-house care, the type of anaesthesia used and the procedural details of thrombectomy.

In recent years, a neurology and neuroradiology research group at Dortmund Hospital has built up a large database that enables a wide range of analyses of the care provided to these patients. In addition, in collaboration with the DGNR and the DeGIR, we are analysing the scientific associations’ quality databases with regard to logistical, technical and qualitative factors influencing various neurointerventional procedures.

Neurovascular imaging 

Another key research specialisation concerns neurovascular imaging, e.g. for improved in vivo visualisation of the histological composition of thrombi, imaging of the vessel wall using CT and MRI (vessel wall imaging), and the quantification of flow phenomena in extra- and intracranial stenoses and vascular processes. The projects are planned and carried out in close collaboration with the Section for Biomedical Physics (PD Dr Mona Salehi-Ravesh). 

Radiation exposure during neurointerventional procedures

In close collaboration with the Hospital’s Institute for Medical Radiation Physics and Radiation Protection, several projects have been developed in recent years to evaluate radiation exposure during interventional procedures and to improve radiation protection for patients and practitioners. For example, modern, two-part radiation protection materials have been tested to improve radiation protection in the head and neck region, and a field trial was carried out to determine the radiation dose during interventional procedures. Further research activities are planned in this area.

Anyone interested in undertaking doctoral studies or a postdoctoral university lecturing qualification at the Chiar of Neuroradiology is invited to contact stefan.rohde@klinikumdo.de with a short letter of motivation and their CV.

Graphic of two essays, shown abstractly, on a green background

Publications

All publications by the Chair of Neuroradiology at UW/H are listed in the university bibliography.

University bibliography

Teaching

  • Seminar: ‘Introduction to Neuroradiology’ (as part of the practical block for neurology)
  • Online neuroradiology case discussion seminar


Anyone interested in a clinical placement, a clinical clerkship or a final year of medical training (PJ) in the elective subject of Radiology/Neuroradiology should please contact stefan.rohde@klinikumdo.de with a short letter of motivation and their CV.

The team at the Chair of Neuroradiology

Dr. med.

Nico Münnich

Senior Lead Consultant

Dortmund Hospital - Witten/Herdecke University Hospital  |  Clinic for Radiology and Neuroradiology

Priv.-Doz. Dr. rer. nat.

Mona Salehi Ravesh

Researcher

Dortmund Hospital - Witten/Herdecke University Hospital  |  Clinic for Radiology and Neuroradiology