Steven Warach, M.D., Ph.D.

Steven Warach, M.D., Ph.D., is a vascular neurologist and neuroscientist. He has been in practice for over 30 years, and in addition to his appointment at Dell Medical School, he serves as stroke director for Ascension Texas’ network of hospitals, including Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Ascension Seton Williamson and Ascension Seton Hays.

Warach earned his Ph.D. in psychology-neuroscience from Michigan State University and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, where he completed his neurology residency. Warach established stroke programs for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Division of Intramural Research, and Ascension Seton.

Warach is known for his seminal contributions in magnetic resonance imaging of stroke. He introduced into routine clinical practice and validated diffusion-weighted MRI, which aided the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. He pioneered the diffusion-perfusion mismatch to image the ischemic penumbra in stroke patients and championed the use of penumbral imaging in clinical trials to select patients with the optimal target for acute stroke therapies, which paved the way for trials of effective thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy at late time windows.

His recent work has been influential in leading the adoption of tenecteplase as a standard of care for acute stroke thrombolysis across the U.S. Warach has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, most recently the David Sherman Lecture Award of the American Stroke Association/American Heart Association, which recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the stroke field.