Bart Demaerschalk, M.D.

Bart Demaerschalk, M.D. (N ’01), has been named Arizona Investigator of the Year, a prestigious Mayo Clinic award presented annually to recognize research excellence and significant advances that have made a lasting impact on various fields of study. Dr. Demaerschalk is recognized for his research leadership and contributions to stroke, telestroke, neurological emergencies and digital health. He is the recent past associate chair of the Department of Neurology and the division chair for Cerebrovascular Diseases. He has served as the medical director for the Center for Connected Care and the Center for Digital Health. He is the founding medical director of both the Digital Health Research Unit at the Center for Digital Health and the Mayo Clinic Telestroke Network — a program that continues to transform how stroke care is delivered remotely. Over nearly 25 years at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Demaerschalk has built a research portfolio that advances the science and delivery of stroke care. His studies have improved the understanding of thrombolysis, endovascular thrombectomy and carotid revascularization, shaping practices in cerebrovascular disease management. He was co-principal investigator of the first randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of telestroke and continues to pioneer innovations that allow clinicians to evaluate and treat patients with acute stroke even before they reach the emergency department.