Morgan State University has appointed Walter Royal III, M.D., as the inaugural endowed professor in Brain Science and director of the Center for Brain Health Research, which was established recently for research in brain disorders concerning individuals of recent African ancestry and other underrepresented populations.
As part of his role, Dr. Royal will lead a multidisciplinary research team of faculty and postdoctoral researchers across disciplines—including biology, engineering, mathematics and psychology—supported by Morgan’s newly launched Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience Program, according to a news release.
Dr. Royal, a native of Baltimore and an accomplished academic neurologist, has over thirty years of leadership, clinical, and research experience in neurovirology, neuroimmunology, and multiple sclerosis.
Before Morgan, he worked at Morehouse School of Medicine, where he served as chair of the Department of Neurobiology and director of the Neuroscience Institute. At the Veterans Administration (VA), Dr. Royal also served as the Associate Executive Director of the Center for Visual and Neurorehabilitation Research.
He further held roles at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, the VA Health System,the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Food and Drug Administration, the release said.
Dr. Royal earned his A.B. in Biochemistry from Harvard University and his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School. He also undertook an extensive postgraduate training in medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, and neurology and neurovirology at Johns Hopkins.
“It is an honor to return to my hometown of Baltimore as the inaugural endowed professor in Brain Science at Morgan, amid its impressive research expansion and ascendency to R1 reclassification,” said Dr. Royal. “Advances in neuroscience have deepened our understanding of brain disorders, especially their impact on historically marginalized communities. At the Brain Health Center, we are committed to applying that knowledge and, through collaborative research and innovation, developing strategies to improve brain health across our region and beyond.”
Morgan said that the Brain Health Center will “conduct cutting-edge investigations into neurological disorders, develop AI-based precision medicine tools, work collaboratively with other leading research entities in the neural science arena, and train students and researchers in approaches to address brain health disparities.”
“Dr. Royal brings to Morgan and the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (SCMNS) a profound depth of scientific expertise and leadership that will significantly advance our brain science research initiatives while strengthening the broader academic environment,” said Paul Tchounwou, Sc.D., SCMNS Dean and AAAS Fellow. “His appointment reflects our strategic commitment to attracting distinguished, world-class faculty who are dedicated to excellence and transformative contributions.”