Associate Professor of Neurology Maysaa Basha, M.D., has been named interim chair of the Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Neurology.

Dr. Basha’s appointment, announced today by Dean Wael Sakr, M.D., is effective March 7.

She replaces Jun Li, M.D., Ph.D., who has served as chair of the Department of Neurology since March 2018. Dr. Li has accepted a position as professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, affiliated with Weil Cornell Medical College.

A 2005 graduate of the WSU School of Medicine, Dr. Basha will lead the department while a search for candidates is conducted.

“Dr. Basha has closely engaged in departmental administration and has contributed to the weekly department ambulatory meeting, where many important decisions have been made,” Dean Sakr said. “She has played a vital role in establishing the outreaching clinical services of the department, making her well versed in all its academic missions – clinical service, research and education. I am delighted that she has agreed to serve as interim chair, and have every confidence that she will lead the department toward further successes.”

Raised in Detroit, Dr. Basha joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2010. She is director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, a member of the Detroit Medical Center/WSU Joint Committee, the director of the Neurology Residency Program and a member of the Faculty Senate.

She earned her undergraduate degree and medical degree, and completed residency training, at WSU. She completed epilepsy training at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, under the direction of Hans Lüders, M.D., Ph.D., before returning to WSU.

Board certified in Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy, she received the WSU College Teaching Award in 2014, was named the Department of Neurology’s Best Clinical Faculty, Residents’ Choice, in 2012 and was listed in the Best Doctors in America in 2012-13.

Her clinical and research interests include the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy, treatment of status epilepticus, EEG and seizure semiology analysis, and seizure safety.