Biography

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Mehari Gebreyohanns, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at UT Southwestern. He specializes in stroke care, telemedicine and Global Neurology.

Dr. Gebreyohanns earned his B.S. degree in Biology at Georgia State University and his medical degree at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He completed a residency in neurology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where he also received advanced fellowship training in vascular neurology.

Prior to joining the staff at UT Southwestern, Dr. Gebreyohanns served as the Medical Director of the stroke unit at the United Regional Health Care System in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he led the efforts in establishing that hospitals first Joint Commission-designated stroke center. He then served at several hospitals in the Arlington area as a stroke specialist before he joined UT Southwestern in 2012 where he started serving as the Director of UT Southwestern’s Telestroke Development and Community Outreach.

Dr. Gebreyohanns is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in Neurology and Vascular Neurology.

Dr. Gebreyohanns’s research focuses on addressing the disparity in neurological care globally, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa which carries a disproportionate burden of Non Communicable Diseases of which neurological diseases are the leading cause of disability. He has tapped into the large presence of the Ethiopian community in Dallas to research the gap in awareness of neurological disorders such as stroke in order to design interventional tools that can be applied in the larger population in Ethiopia. This work has led him to create the word for stroke in the Ethiopian language of Amharic as well as tools for recognition of signs and symptoms of stroke. In addition to his work in Global Neurology and Telemedicine, he is involved in several trials with a main focus in secondary prevention of strokes.

Dr. Gebreyohanns, an experienced stroke specialist is recognized as a clinician, educator, mentor and leader who demonstrates “outside the box” approaches to address challenges. One such a projects he is known for is the Bahir Dar Outreach for Neuroscience Education, ‘BORNE Initiative’, a global outreach initiative he launched to address the disparity in neurological care in a region of Ethiopia where seven million people had no access to a neurologist. He designed a model which envisioned academic institutional education and research married to collaborations with health professionals across different specialties and institutions through direct teaching and distance learning to build a self-sufficient infrastructure for neurological education and clinical care. As part of this initiative, Dr. Gebreyohanns created a Global Neurology Elective for residents where residents and faculty travel to Ethiopia and exchange clinical experiences with the host institution and build their cultural competence. Through his leadership, a formal affiliation was established between UT Southwestern and Bahir Dar University. His efforts are recognized by his peers outside the institution and has earned him a leadership role in the Global Executive Committee for Mission Thrombectomy (MT 2020) as a co-chair for Sub-Saharan Africa whose mission is building systems of care globally for thrombectomy and stroke care. He is also the current Vice Chair for African Stroke Organization Conference (ASOC), the premier stroke conference for the continent of Africa.

Dr. Gebreyohanns's notable recognitions include The President's Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care and the Excellence in Teaching Award for Core Clerkship in Neurology. He is a mentor of students, residents and faculty through activities coordinated by the Department of Neurology, the Office of Faculty and Diversity Development, Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion, and the Department of Global Health.

He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Heart Association, World Stroke Organization, American Neurological Association and the Texas Neurological Society.

Education

Medical School
Morehouse School of Medicine (1999)
Internship
Atlanta Medical Center (2000), Internal Medicine
Residency
Atlanta Medical Center (2001), Internal Medicine
Residency
Georgia Health Sciences University (2004), Neurology
Fellowship
Georgia Health Sciences University (2005), Vascular Neurology

Research Interest

  • Global Neurology
  • Stroke
  • Telemedicine

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

Mechanical Thrombectomy Global Access For Stroke (MT-GLASS): A Mission Thrombectomy (MT-2020 Plus) Study.
Asif KS, Otite FO, Desai SM, Herial N, Inoa V, Al-Mufti F, Jadhav AP, Dmytriw AA, Castonguay A, Khandelwal P, Potter-Vig J, Szeder V, Kulman T, Urrutia V, Masoud H, Toth G, Limaye K, Aroor S, Brinjikji W, Rai A, Pandian J, Gebreyohanns M, Leung T, Mansour O, Demchuk AM, Huded V, Martins S, Zaidat O, Huo X, Campbell B, Sylaja PN, Miao Z, Saver J, Ortega-Gutierrez S, Yavagal DR, Circulation 2023 Apr 147 16 1208-1220
The African Stroke Organization Conference 2021: Building Capacity, Careers, Collaborations, and Contributions.
Gebreyohanns M, Akinyemi RO, Owolabi MO, Sarfo FS, Tagge R, Ovbiagele B, J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2022 Apr 31 4 106385
Teaching NeuroImages: Central Pontine Myelinolysis in Diabetic Ketoacidosis.
Caldito NG, Karim N, Gebreyohanns M, Neurology 2021 Jun
A brief survey of medical practitioner knowledge and attitudes regarding autism spectrum disorder in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Kissel, A., Gebreyohanns, M., Chahrour, M.H. Afr. J. Health Sci. 2021 May-Jun 34 3 364-373
Comparison of Stroke Knowledge Before and After Education in Ethiopia (The ASK Project).
Zewdu, R., Venkatachalam, A.M., Stutzman, S.E., Kowalske, A., Mebratu, J., Moges, A., Smith, S., Zemedkun, A., Gebreyohanns, M. AJNS 2020 Dec 39 2
Letter to the Editor.
Gebreyohanns M, Akinyemi RA, Owolabi MO, Sarfo FS, Tagge R, Ovbiagele B, J Neurol Sci 2020 11 418 117089
Providing Stroke and Hypertension Education in Amharic for Ethiopian Persons Living in Dallas, Texas, United States.
Gebreyohanns M, Onuigbo CC, Ali A, Stutzman SE, Olson DM, Creat Nurs 2020 Feb 26 1 66-73
The Sub-Saharan Africa Conference on Stroke (SSACS): An idea whose time has come.
Owolabi M, Sarfo FS, Akinyemi R, Gebreyohanns M, Ovbiagele B, J. Neurol. Sci. 2019 May 400 194-198
The Case for an Amharic Term for Stroke: "Ye-Angol Tikat".
Aseffa S, Stutzman S, Kamal A, Measho D, Gebreyohanns M J Neurosci Nurs 2019 Jan
Review of Textbook of Stroke Medicine, 2nd ed.
Gebreyohanns M JAMA Neurol 2015 Dec 72 12 1538-9

Books

Featured Books Legend Featured Books

Central Nervous System Pain. In Pain Management for Clinicians: A guide to Assessment and Treatment

Salahuddin, H., Gebreyohanns, M. (2020). Switzerland, Springer

Honors & Awards

  • President’s Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care
    ‘honors clinical faculty who exemplify the humanistic spirit of patient-centered medicine, both through clinical excellence and in outstanding compassion in the delivery of care’ (2022)
  • Excellence in Teaching Award for Core Clerkship in Neurology
    Teaching Award (2013)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Academy of Neurology (2002)
  • American Heart Association (2004)
  • American Neurological Association (2018)
  • Texas Neurological Society (2018)
  • World Stroke Organization (2017)