About us

The Department of Neurology at Kharkiv National Medical University is one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded in 1884 (after Moscow and Paris) at the Faculty of Medicine of Kharkov University. It’s first head was Professor P.I. Kovalevsky. The department was also headed by I.Ya. Platonov, A.M. Grinstein, D.M. Zalkan, E.K. Evzerova. Since 1922, the Department of Neurology was added to the Kharkov Medical Institute.
From 1944 to 1971, the head of the department was famous neurologist Georgy Danilovich Leshchenko, who was one of the first who describe clinical picture of the limbic-reticular complex lesions. From 1971 to 2002, the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Medical University was headed by the Honored Scientist of Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Yevgeniy Grigorievich Dubenko. Under his leadership, the staff of the department became a pioneer in the study of early vascular pathology of the brain.
Since 1992, the Department of Nervous Diseases has been defined as the pivotal one, that is, the leading one among all the neurological departments of medical universities in Ukraine.
From 2002 to 2021, the department was headed by the Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine, Honored Professor of KhNMU, Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Irina Anatolyevna Grigorova.
Since 2021, the Department of Neurology has been headed by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Elena Leonidovna Tovazhnyanskaya.
The department employs a creative, close-knit team of clinical scientists and teachers. A feature of the scientific activity of the department is the study of the biochemical mechanisms of the pathogenesis of acute and chronic disorders of cerebral circulation, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, demyelinating diseases, somatoneurological syndromes, neuroinfections, migraines, etc. and videos on the topic of the lecture. The department has many plans for the further development of neurological science in Ukraine.

The educational activity of the department consists of training students of 4,5 and 6 courses of all faculties and postgraduate training of doctors (specialization, internships and cycles of thematic improvement). Students of the 4th year of medical faculties study the normative discipline “Neurology”. Issues of cerebrovascular pathology”; for the specialty “Pediatrics” in the 5th year – “Fundamentals of reflexology” and “Actual problems of pediatric neurology” and in the 6th year – “Pain in pediatric practice”; for the specialty “Dentistry” in the 5th year – “Reflexology in dentistry”. The department trains bachelors in “Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy” and “Medical Diagnostics and Treatment Technologies”. Students of all courses of medical faculties study according to the credit-modular system in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna Declaration with assessments of knowledge level based on the ECTS scale.
For Ukrainian and English-speaking students of all faculties of the 5th year of study, a course on the choice of “Fundamentals of Reflexology” is taught.
Innovative teaching methods are widely used in the training of applicants for education: simulation, contextual, problem-based, modular and distance learning. According to the requirements of the credit-module system, the department has developed and implemented in the pedagogical process a number of methodological materials for students and interns. In order to prepare for the licensed test exams “KROK-2” and “KROK-3” trainings of students and interns are conducted to study the base of test tasks in neurology.
Practical training of applicants for education takes place on the clinical bases of the department: neurological department of the scientific-practical medical center “University Clinic” KhNMU for 60 beds, neurological and other departments of “Regional Clinical Hospital” for 80 beds and City Children’s Polyclinic N 15.
Within the system of postgraduate education, the department trains interns-neurologists, annually conducts pre-certification cycles and cycles of thematic improvement to improve the skills of neurologists.

The methodological work of the department consist with writing of manuals, textbooks, monographs, teaching aids and guidelines on modern approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of nervous diseases for doctors, interns and students. 7 manuals, 11 textbooks, 40 teaching aids, 50 patents, 55 and 137 guidelines have been published at the department.

The department is a reference department of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Study of metabolic homeostasis, clinical features of stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, as well as chronic cerebrovascular disorders, toxic-dysmetabolic encephalopathy, polyneuropathy, neuroendocrinology, autoimmune diseases and methods of their correction.

The medical work of the department is carried out on clinical bases:

1. Neurological Department of the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise of Kharkiv Regional Council “Regional Clinical Hospital”
2. Neurological Department of the Scientific-Practical medical center of KhNMU
3. Kharkiv City Council «Сity children’s clinic №15»