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University of Missouri

Richard J. Barohn, MD

Richard Barohn Portrait

Professor of Neurology, School of Medicine

NextGen Focus Area: Developing outcome measures and clinical trials in neuromuscular disorders; Novel online medical communication and research platforms

Richard Barohn has devoted his career to exploring rare neuromuscular disease to better improve diagnosis and to develop new therapies. He remains active in federal, foundation and industry-funded studies of diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory myopathies, muscular dystrophies and peripheral neuropathies. He has served as principal investigator on a number of multicenter R01 trials, and he has held seven investigational new drugs (INDs) for investigator-initiated trials. He created scales to clinically measure disease severity in myasthenia gravis that have been universally accepted and led to FDA approval of six novel biologic drugs. He explored the role of complement in MG, laying the foundation for complement inhibitor therapy. Early in his career he authored in-depth observational studies of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and then introduced intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) as an effective therapy for this disorder. He pioneered Bayesian adaptive design for comparative effectiveness in trials in cryptogenic sensory polyneuropathy (CSPN) neuropathy. At the University of Kansas, he served as principal investigator for the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), Vice Chancellor of Research and department chair. As the Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine in his home state of Missouri, he served as the highest-ranking health administrator in the university from 2020 until 2026. He leads the international Neuromuscular Study Group (NMSG). He established online academic journal (journals.ku.edu/rrnmf), (journals.missouri.edu/mohealth), and created the web platform RRNMF.com for neurologists. He is a retired Lt. Col in the US Air Force reserves. Dr. Barohn also had a distinguished career as a physician in the US Air Force Reserves, serving 20 years and retiring as a Lt. Colonel. While in the US Air Force, he served as a physician at air force bases in Texas, United Kingdom, and Italy.

Precision Health Impact:

  • Developing patient related outcome measures relating to symptoms and signs of rare neuromuscular diseases
  • Translating laboratory advances to clinical trials in humans
  • Identification of novel therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers for rare neuromuscular diseases to enable precision diagnosis and therapy
  • Designing clinical trials for new and repurposed drugs

Publications:

Statland JM, Bundy BN, Wang Y, Rayan DR, Trivedi JR, Sansone VA, et al. Mexiletine for symptoms and signs of myotonia in nondystrophic myotonia: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012 Oct 3;308(13):1357–65. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.12607 PubMed PMID: 23032552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3564227.

Wolfe GI, Herbelin L, Nations SP, Foster B, Bryan WW, Barohn RJ. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile. Neurology. 1999 Apr 22;52(7):1487–9. doi:10.1212/wnl.52.7.1487 PubMed PMID: 10227640.

Jaretzki A, Barohn RJ, Ernstoff RM, Kaminski HJ, Keesey JC, Penn AS, et al. Myasthenia gravis: recommendations for clinical research standards. Task Force of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. Neurology. 2000 Jul 12;55(1):16–23. doi:10.1212/wnl.55.1.16 PubMed PMID: 10891897.

Barohn RJ, Gajewski B, Pasnoor M, Brown A, Herbelin LL, Kimminau KS, et al. Patient Assisted Intervention for Neuropathy: Comparison of Treatment in Real Life Situations (PAIN-CONTRoLS): Bayesian Adaptive Comparative Effectiveness Randomized Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2021 Jan 1;78(1):68–76. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.2590 PubMed PMID: 32809014; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7432310.

Mendell JR, Barohn RJ, Freimer ML, Kissel JT, King W, Nagaraja HN, et al. Randomized controlled trial of IVIg in untreated chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Neurology. 2001 Feb 27;56(4):445–9. doi:10.1212/wnl.56.4.445 PubMed PMID: 11222785.

 

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Email: rbarohn@health.missouri.edu
Department website: https://www.muhealth.org/doctors/richard-barohn-md