Elaine Skalabrin, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Director, Stroke Center
Director, Neurosciences Critical Care
Dr. Elaine Skalabrin is an associate professor of Neurology and the director of the Stroke Center and the Neurocritical Care Unit at the University of Utah Hospital. She received her BS in Biology from Washington State University and earned her medical degree from the Medical College of 
Wisconsin. She completed her Neurology residency at University of Virginia where she was chief resident. After residency, she was Medical Director of Air Force Services for Exceptional Children, Adult & Pediatric Neurology in Naples, Italy. She then returned to the U.S. and completed two fellowships one year in stroke at Stanford University and one in Neurocritical Care at UC San Francisco. She began her career with University of Utah in 2000.
Upon Dr. Skalabrin’s arrival at the University of Utah, she set forth a clear vision and mission for establishing the UUHC as a nationally recognized stroke center. In order to achieve leadership in clinical stroke care and research, securing the infrastructure for such a system was essential. Creating this comprehensive stroke center required training human resources, collaborating with partners within and outside the department, assuring effective communication systems, establishing evidence based treatment protocols, creating quality assurance systems and providing continuous education. Through collaboration with state organizations and the American Stroke Association locally and regionally, the stroke center is positioned to have an influential role in the design and implementation of stroke systems in the Western United States. These continuous efforts culminated in the UUHC “Primary Stroke Center” designation by JCAHO in November 2004.
Throughout her time at the University of Utah, Dr. Skalabrin has been an advocate of a systematic approach to professional stroke education. She has delivered innumerable lectures and contributed to curriculum design at all levels including the undergraduate, medical student, resident, fellow and physician-colleague levels. She teaches neurology and neurosurgery residents daily. These efforts were recognized in part with the departmental Teaching Award in 2002. In addition, she conceived, designed and implemented the annual Utah State Stroke Symposium which in now in its 6th year. This unique educational program has brought together multiple national and regional professionals including nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, and hospital administrators to reach collaborative solutions in overcoming barriers to stroke care. This regional, educational event continues to be enthusiastically embraced by the greater Utah stroke community.
Dr. Skalabrin believes that expansion of access to top-notch acute stroke care even for rural Utahans is critical. To further this goal, she collaborated with her colleuges at the Utah Telehealth Network to establish the innovative telestroke network in Utah. Through this network, the University of Utah Stroke neurologists now serve eight hospitals through out the region. Dr. Skalabrin is recognized nationally for her expertise in this area and is frequently called upon to share her knowledge.
Dr. Skalabrin has participated in many multicenter stroke trials, including studies in stroke prevention, acute stroke treatment and stroke rehabilitation. Her clinical interests are wide-ranging but she has a particular interest in stroke in the young, acute hemorrhagic stroke and evolving telemedicine applications.
Education & Training:
- BS, Biology, Washington State University, Pullman WA
- MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Millwaukee WI
- Internship, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco CA
- Residency, Neurology, University of Virginia Hospitals, Charlottesville VA
- Chief Resident, Neurology, University of Virginia Hospitals, Charlottesville VA
- Fellow, Neurology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford CA
- Fellow, Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco CA
Selected Publications:
- Smith WS, Johnston SC, Skalabrin EJ, Weaver M, Azari P, Albers GW, Gress DR. (2003). Spinal manipulative therapy is an independent risk factor for vertebral artery dissection. Neurology, 60(9), 1424-8.
- Becker K, Skalabrin E, Hallam D, Gill E. (2004). Ischemic Stroke During Sexual Intercourse. Archives of Neurology, 61, 1114-1116.
- Browd SR, Ragel BT, Davis GE, Scott AM, Skalabrin EJ, Couldwell WT. (2004). Prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis in neurosurgery: a review of the literature. Neurosurg Focus, 17(4), E1.
- Ng PP, Stevens EA, Skalabrin EJ. (2008). Novel intra-arterial strategies in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol, 52(3), 201-7.
- Mehta LR, Huddleston BJ, Skalabrin EJ, Burns JB, Zou WQ, Gambetti P, Chin SS. (2008). Sporadic fatal insomnia masquerading as a paraneoplastic cerebellar syndrome. Arch Neurol, 65(7), 971-3.