Scholars@Duke
Bradley Jason Kolls

Bradley Jason Kolls

Associate Professor of Neurology
Neurology, Neurocritical Care
kolls001@mc.duke.edu
Duke Box 2900, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710
Department of Neurology, Bryan Research Building, Durham, NC 27710

Overview

As a neurointensivist, I am interested in improving our ability to monitor brain function and impact of therapy on our patients in the critical care setting. To this end I am developing new approaches to patient monitoring that will integrate patient physiologic monitoring with brain activity recorded by electroencephalography (EEG). On the basic science side I am interested in the central nervous system's response to injury. Although much attention has been focused on closed head injury as of late, stroke and brain hemorrhage are just as common in the civilian population and pose many of the same clinical challenges as traumatic brain injury. Using mouse models of clinically relevant brain injury, including models of stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, lobar hemorrhage, closed head injury and penetrating brain injury, we can explore the key molecular events that lead to edema, secondary brain injury, hyperexcitability and epilepsy, and other sequelae which contribute to poor patient recovery, and significant morbidity following brain injury. By investigating the underlying mechanisms that contribute to these adaptive changes using electrophysiology and molecular biology approaches we can then find ways to prevent them from becoming maladaptive and develop new therapies for our patients with head injuries.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Neurology · 2021 - Present Neurology, Neurocritical Care, Neurology
Associate Professor in Neurosurgery · 2023 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery
Member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute · 2017 - Present Duke Clinical Research Institute, Institutes and Centers
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2018 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News

Published December 3, 2024
Research & Innovation Seed Grants Total Nearly $2 Million
Published March 6, 2014
Duke doctors use new technology to treat stroke patients

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Recent Publications

Telestroke consultant use in acute stroke care: Evidence for best practices from the IMPROVE stroke care program.

Journal Article J Telemed Telecare · February 2026 BackgroundEvolving stroke care demands careful screening of stroke patients to ensure the right care is administered to the right patients in a timely manner. Telestroke has been increasingly utilized to improve access to stroke specialists to make these a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessment of a Handheld Near-Infrared Light Device in Detecting Intracranial Hematomas in Mbarara, Uganda.

Journal Article Neurosurgery · December 8, 2025 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries have limited access to computed tomography scans (CT), which are essential in TBI care. The Infrascanner 2000™ is ... Full text Link to item Cite

Population-based prevalence of epilepsy in Uganda: A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Journal Article Epilepsia · November 2025 OBJECTIVE: Establishing the prevalence of epilepsy in Uganda is crucial to inform interventions and public policy. We conducted a nationwide survey to determine epilepsy prevalence. METHODS: From January 2019 to July 2022, a door-to-door survey was conduct ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants

Brainomix 360 Stroke software

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Brainomix Limited · 2026 - 2028

Mid-Atlantic praGmatic NETwork for Inclusive Clinical trials in emergency care (MAGNETIC)

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2023 - 2028

Building and implementing a TBI prognostic model featuring real-time analysis of brain CT images

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2022 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications

University of California, Irvine · 2001 M.D.