About the Interim Chair

Dr. Reena Shah currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, holding the Albert Barnes Voorheis Professorship of Neurology. She also serves as Chief of Neurology for UC Health. Her priorities as Interim Chair are to maintain the department's longstanding culture of collaborative thinking and mentorship, drive the department toward scientific innovation, pursue exceptional and reliable patient care, and excel in teaching trainees, as well as our colleagues and community, to better care for patients with neurologic disease and rehabilitative needs.

Dr. Shah earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology, Magna Cum Laude, from Brandeis University, where she was a Justice Brandeis Scholar. She received her M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed her internship in Internal Medicine and residency in Neurology at the University of Maryland Medical Systems, serving as Chief Resident from 2009 to 2010. Dr. Shah is board-certified in both Neurology and Headache Medicine by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS). She is a fellow of the American Neurologic Association and an inducted member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society.

Dr. Shah has been a cornerstone of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute since 2011, practicing at ambulatory clinics in Ohio and Kentucky, as well as via telehealth. Her expertise has made her a trusted clinician for patients with complex headache and facial pain disorders in the region, consistently ranking as a top-referred physician in the department. From 2011 to 2022, she also provided inpatient neurology consultative services at University Hospital and West Chester Hospital.

Dr. Shah currently serves as Principal Investigator for a Phase II/III multicenter study for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. She has also served as a Sub-Investigator on multiple high-impact studies, including Phase 3 and 4 trials for various preventative migraine treatments. Deeply invested in education, Dr. Shah has served as a clinical preceptor, mentor, and lecturer for trainees since 2011.

Dr. Shah brings to her current role as Interim Chair extensive administrative leadership experience, developed during her tenure as Vice Chair of Clinical Services (2014–2020), Vice Chair of Ambulatory Services (2020–2024), and as the inaugural Division Director of General Neurology (2011–2015). In addition to being an integral part of strategic planning, recruitment, and oversight for the department, over the last decade, she has collaborated closely with UC Health and UC Physicians leadership to spearhead system-wide initiatives that enhance patient access, clinical services, and operational efficiency. Outside of her professional life, Dr. Shah lives in Northern KY with her husband, Pratish Shah, MD, and their two young children, Riya and Rihan, from whom she continues to learn vital life lessons in communication, negotiation, and the many rewards of maintaining a healthy work life balance. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and performing Indian dance.