After recently stepping down as division director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Neurology, Leon Dure, M.D., professor of pediatric neurology, is beginning a new chapter in his career, with plans to expand his international work while pursuing new approaches to pediatric neurological care closer to home.
Looking back on his time leading the Division of Pediatric Neurology, Dure is particularly proud of the program’s growth and its success in training and recruiting child neurologists.
“I think the greatest sense of accomplishment that I have has been the ability to grow the program in what would be considered a low-resource area compared to the rest of the country,” said Dure. “The fact that we have trained and attracted so many child neurologists to join us in the program is a testament to the quality of the faculty, as well as the clinical opportunities.”
With his time as division director concluded, Dure plans to devote more attention to international health. As part of his continued involvement in global health, Dure recently gave Pediatric Grand Rounds at Aga Khan University Medical College in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also exploring opportunities to develop programs in South and Central America and has spent approximately a year providing telemedicine consultations with Doctors Without Borders, an experience he described as particularly rewarding.
Closer to home, Dure is helping explore a new service line that would provide a dedicated pediatric neurology consultation resource for the emergency department at Children’s of Alabama.
“It is hoped that we would be able to streamline care for children in this way,” said Dure.
As he moves into this next chapter, Dure plans to build on his years of leadership in pediatric neurology by expanding his international work while continuing to explore new approaches to neurological care for children in Alabama and beyond.