Overview
Dr. Brian Mac Grory, MB BCh BAO, MHSc, MRCP, FAHA, FANA is an Associate Professor of Neurology & Ophthalmology at the Duke University School of Medicine and a Staff Neurologist at Duke University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland in 2011. After an internship at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, he completed a neurology residency and vascular neurology fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. Upon completion of his training, he served for 3 years on the faculty of Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital before being recruited to Duke University in 2020.
His clinical practice encompasses both vascular and general neurology in the emergency, inpatient, outpatient, and telemedicine settings. He has a particular clinical interest in central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO or "eye stroke") and has developed a center of excellence for the treatment of this condition at Duke. He led the development of the first ever American Heart Association (AHA) scientific consensus statement on the management of CRAO which was endorsed by six professional medical societies in the United States representing neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, and optometry.
Dr. Mac Grory has published over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles appearing in JAMA, British Medical Journal, Circulation, Stroke, Annals of Neurology, JAMA Neurology, and Neurology. His research on retinal vascular disease is funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23 HL161426), the AHA (23MRFSCD1077188 & 25GLP1450119), and the Duke Office of Physician-Scientist Development (FRCS #2835124). Additionally, he serves as Clinical Lead for the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Data Analytic Program at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and Associate Program Director for the vascular neurology fellowship program at Duke. His research has been recognized with the Stroke Progress and Innovation Award, Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award, and Early Career Investigator Award from the AHA/American Stroke Association and the Young Physician-Scientist Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He is a member of the AHA's Stroke Systems of Care Advisory Group, the Stroke Emergency Neurovascular Care Committee, and the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP(UK)).
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Association between first anticoagulant prescription and embolic and hemorrhagic events among older adults with atrial fibrillation.
Journal Article J Intern Med · November 10, 2025 BACKGROUND: The impact of first prescription of oral anticoagulation on ischemic stroke and major bleeding events among Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation (AF) is not known. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, cohort study was performed b ... Full text Link to item CiteAbstract 4370283: Real-World Effectiveness of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF).
Conference Circulation · November 4, 2025 Introduction/Background: Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated that glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 Ras) improve symptoms, physical function, and potentially redu ... Full text CiteAbstract 4367284: Hospital Admissions With Hypertensive Emergency Increased While Admissions With Asymptomatic Elevated Inpatient Blood Pressure Decreased From 2014-2024: A Nationwide Study
Conference Circulation · November 4, 2025 Introduction: Hypertension is common in acute care settings, and there is controversy on the best management depending on severity of elevation and the presence of end-organ damage, as ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Induced Suppression of Platelet Activity in Aneurysmal SAH Management-2 (iSPASM-2)
Clinical TrialCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030A multicenter, international, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, parallel group and event driven Phase 3 study of the oral FXIa inhibitor asundexian (BAY 2433334) for the prevention of isch
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc · 2023 - 2027Cardioembolism as a Mechanism of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2027View All Grants