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David Renner, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology

Director, Adult Neurology Residency Program

Dr. David Renner studied classics and modern languages, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.  He attended medical school, completed his internship in internal medicine, and one year of adult neurology residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.  Dr. Renner subsequently moved to Salt Lake City in 1999, where he finished his neurology residency and a one-year fellowship in neurophysiology with an emphasis on neuromuscular diseases at the University of Utah.   

In 2002, Dr. Renner joined the Department of Neurology faculty, where he currently holds a position as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology.   Dr. Renner is the Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Program, the course director for medical school neurosciences (NEUROSCIENCE), and the course master for medical school clinical neurology (NEURO7020).  Dr. Renner is very active in teaching and mentoring, and has given hundreds of lectures to residents and students.   Given his commitment to education, he was recently invited to sit as a member on the Medical School Restructuring Committee.

In addition to education, Dr. Renner practices clinical neurology.  He started  the University of Utah’s first HIV-Neurology clinic, as well as the University of Utah Department of Neurology’s first out-reach clinic at St. John’s Hospital in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  He serves as a member of the Brain Attack team, and continues to work closely with telemedicine for both stroke as well as clinical consultation in Jackson Hole.

Dr. Renner is part of a consortium for providers of neurological care for HIV patients.  He conducts clinical research, and is focusing upon demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system in HIV patients.  In addition, he and a colleague in neuroanatomy (Suzanne Stensaas, PhD) are involved in assessing neurological needs in the sub-Saharan African countries of Ghana and Kenya, and are developing a traveling educational didactic curriculum for primary care physicians in these countries.  His educational initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa were highlighted as he was granted the 2008 Mayo Visiting Professorship in Neurological Education.  At this time, he continues to work on starting the first adult neurology residency program in Kenya.

Dr. Renner is a member of The American Academy of Neurology, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, American Stroke Association, Movement Disorder Society, Phi Beta Delta and Phi Sigma Tau.  He serves on several committees such as The United States Medical License Examination (USMLE); Task Force Member for the American Academy of Neurology on Evidence Based Medicine; School of Medicine Continuity Medical Education; General Medical Education Committee for Residency; School of Medicine Residency Grievance Committee, - College of Health Curriculum Committee; College of Health Awards Committee; Neurology Resident Selection Committee; Neurology Residency Education Committee; and Second Year Medical School Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Renner has received several awards which include Teacher of the Year Award for the Department of Neurology; James L. Parkin, M.D. Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching; Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Arnold P. Gold Foundation; Teacher of the Year Nominee from University of Utah Physicians Assistant Program; and the distinguished Early Career Teaching Award from the University of Utah Teaching Committee. 

His hobbies include long-distance running, traditional and sport mountain climbing, cooking and traveling.

Selected Publications

• Renner D, Normand M, Shaw B Jr, Wszolek Z. (1995). Comparative study of neurological complications in Hepatitis C and Laennec's cirrhosis in liver transplantation recipients. Neurology, 45(Supplement 2), A299.

• Gilgenast G, Renner D, Steg R, Wszolek Z. (1997). EEG in the evaluation of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. J Clin Neurophysiol, 14, 445-446.

• Jenkin A, Renner D, Hahn F, Larsen J. (1999). A case of primary amenorrhea, diabetes, and anosmia. Gynecol Endocrinol, 13, 1-6.

• Bruno MK, Hallett M, Gwinn-Hardy K, Pugh A, Gessel M, Tucker S, Lynch DR, Mathews KD, Swoboda KJ, Harris J, Soong Ashizawa T, Dambrosia J, Janovic J, Renner DR, Fu YH, Ptacek L. (2004). Clinical characteristics of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia: New diagnostic criteria. Neurology, 63, 2280-2287.

• Duhon B, Renner D, Jensen R. (2008).  Primary CNS angiitis presenting as short term memory loss:  a case report and literature review.  International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 11, 303-307.