Justin C. McArthur

JUSTIN C. MCARTHUR, MBBS, MPH is nationally and internationally recognized for his work in studying the natural history, development and treatment of HIV infection, multiple sclerosis, neurological infections and immune-mediated neurological disorders. In 2013, Dr. McArthur received the American Academy of Neurology’s Mitchell B. Max Award for Neuropathic Pain for the development of a technique that uses cutaneous nerves to study sensory neuropathies, including those associated with chemotherapy, HIV and diabetes. This technique changed how peripheral neuropathies are studied and is now widely incorporated into clinical practice and research. He has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1986 and serves as the Director of the Johns Hopkins National Institute of Mental Health Center for Novel Therapeutics for HIV-associated Cognitive Disorders. The Center is comprised of an experienced interdisciplinary research team who has pooled their talents to study the nature of HIV-associated cognitive disorders. Their aim is to translate discoveries of pathophysiological mechanisms into novel therapeutics for HIV-associated dementia (HIV-D). Dr. McArthur’s discoveries have led to greater understanding of the epidemiology of neurological disorders associated with HIV infection, the pathogenesis of these disorders, and their treatment. Dr. McArthur has devoted his career to the investigation of the neurological manifestations of AIDS, and to neurological education. His major contributions have focused on epidemiology, pathogenetic mechanisms and treatment of the neurological manifestations of HIV/AIDS. Dr. McArthur’s research is focused in three areas of the neurological manifestations of HIV infection: 1) neuroepidemiology, 2) therapeutic development and clinical trials, and 3) studies of pathogenesis. He has published over 250 original research articles, and has authored four textbooks. Since 2008, Dr. McArthur has served as the Director of the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University. Under his leadership, the department has become one of the largest neurology departments in the United States, ranked as one of the top 3 hospitals in NIH funding, clinical training and was ranked #1 for three years running in US News & World Report. Dr. McArthur received his medical degree from Guys Hospital Medical School in London, UK. This was followed by an internship and residency in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He then stayed with Johns Hopkins to complete a residency in neurology and achieve his master’s in public health.