Our Team

The Inova Neuroscience Research Program seeks to meld basic science research with clinical research under the the direction of Dr. Beverly C. Walters, Director of Clinical Research, and Dr. Robert H. Lipsky, Director of Translational Research.

Inova's active research and education program includes support staff, attending physicians and students focused on investigating current and potential treatments for patients with disorders of the nervous system.

(Standing, l. to r.) Dr. Beverly Walters, Dr. James Ecklund, Robert Theis, Debbie Healy, and Dr. Alex Carlisle. (Seated, l. to r.) Dr. Jack Cochran, Marianne Sundin, Dr. Joe Watson, Kimberly Boucher, and Dr. Robert Lipsky.

Beverly C. Walters, MD, MSc, FRCS, FACS
Director of Clinical Research
Inova Neuroscience Research Program

In addition to her role as director of clinical research in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Dr. Walters is a clinical epidemiologist who retired from a full-time clinical practice in neurosurgery to promote and develop evidence-based practices in the field of clinical neurosciences.

She serves as director of clinical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the Division of Neurosurgery. Before joining the UAB faculty as an adjunct professor, she maintained academic appointments as a clinical professor of neurological surgery at New York University Medical School, an adjunct professor of neurosurgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, and was director of outcomes research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. She was formerly residency program director in neurosurgery at Brown University School of Medicine.

Dr. Walters has extensive experience in clinical research, including the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials and case-control studies. She co-authored the textbook, Evidence-Based Neurosurgery, designed to introduce the concepts of evidence-based practice in neurosurgery. She is a recognized leader in promulgating practice guidelines for organized neurosurgery and has written extensively on study design and assessment of the quality of medical literature. She mentors students from George Mason University who are participants in the Inova Neurosciences Research Internship Program and Virginia Medical University’s medical students undertaking clinical research at Inova.

Dr. Walters offers her expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics and clinical study design to students, residents and faculty. She was recently awarded the Anthony Marmarou Lectureship by the Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons for her work in guideline development in traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

Robert Lipsky, PhD
Director of Translational Research
Department of Neurosciences
Inova Fairfax Hospital

Dr. Lipsky is director of translational research at Inova's Department of Neurosciences, holds multiple university appointments as a full professor, and is chief of Inova’s translational research laboratory at Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University.

Before arriving at Inova in 2010, he served as chief of the section on molecular genetics for ten years at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. His research centered on the molecular genetics of addiction and co-morbid disorders, such as major depression, and on defining molecular responses to brain injury. During this time he also served as a board member of the Brain Injury Association of Maryland.

Dr. Lipsky received his PhD in genetics and biochemistry from Cornell University. He holds two U.S. patents in DNA sequence detection and has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Dr. Lipsky has served as a scientific advisor to the U.S. Army and as a reviewer for the NIH. He is on the editorial board of several scientific journals. He pursues translational research to understand the etiology of complex disorders involving the brain through an understanding of genetics and its intersection with the patient’s environment, insights that will lead to new treatment approaches as well as better targeting of existing therapies.

Kimberly Boucher, RN, BSN, CCRC

Kimberly Boucher is a registered nurse and certified clinical research coordinator with a wide variety of clinical research experience. She first participated in research at the beside and during transport of critically ill neonates as a staff nurse. Fascinated by the application of new therapies and outcomes, she started her research career at Kaiser Permanente in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2002. Working with Kaiser’s Vaccine Study Center on pediatric phase III and IV studies grounded her in good clinical practice and the path to successful research. She then took her skills to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and used her strong knowledge and ethical base to lead smallpox and anthrax trials for the allergy and immunology department of the U.S. Army.

Ms. Boucher joined Inova in March 2011 after leaving Johns Hopkins for the opportunity to lead trials in the Neurosciences Department. At Hopkins, she conducted trials from concept to implementation in all phases for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), brain tumors, H1N1, and pediatric respiratory (parainfluenza) vaccines. She has co-authored manuscripts, presented research progress and results at Bloomberg School of Public Health’s annual vaccine day, and presented for targeted audiences within the Hopkins community.

Namrata Patel, BSc, CCRC
Clinical Research Associate
Inova Neuroscience Research Program

Namrata Patel is a certified clinical research coordinator with a wide variety of clinical research experience. she has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in business administration. She previously worked for Sentara Medical Group. she has coordinated multiple clinical trials in different phases for rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic neuropathy and other endocrine focuses. She was involved in regulatory affairs and the education and support of patients at the center.

Harleen Bath, MS
Administrator Coordinator
Inova Neuroscience Research Program

Harleen Bath received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a minor in global culture and commerce from University of Virginia and her Master of Science in human physiology and biophysics from Georgetown University. Her previous experience includes developing, testing and implementing trials for a diverse portfolio of research and evaluation projects related to education, cancer and pain management.