Maria I. Aguilar

Maria I. Aguilar, M.D. serves as Associate Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, where her clinical and research work centers on stroke pathophysiology, prevention, and education with particular emphasis on underserved populations including women and minorities. Her investigations into renal biomarkers as predictors of stroke recurrence directly inform clinical interventions for high-risk patients.

Her comprehensive medical training spans multiple continents:

• MD, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud
• Internship, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud
• Social Service - Emergency Medicine and Cardiac Intensive Care, Hospital Manuel Uribe Angel, Envigado, Colombia
• Resident - Neurology, Universidad de Antioquia
• Internship - Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Resident - Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Chief Resident - Department of Medicine/Neurology Division, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• MS - Clinical Investigation, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Fellow - Vascular Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Dr. Aguilar's research program integrates clinical neurology with epidemiological methods, examining how kidney dysfunction influences stroke mechanisms and outcomes. Her meta-analyses of anticoagulation therapies for atrial fibrillation provide critical evidence for stroke prevention guidelines, while her simulation-based educational models enhance neurology resident training in acute stroke management. This translational work bridges laboratory findings to bedside applications, particularly benefiting minority populations with health disparities in stroke care.

She maintains influential leadership roles as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Central Nervous System Disease since 2010 and serves on the Executive Committee for the NINDS-funded POINT Trial. Previously, she chaired the Event Adjudication Committee for the SPS3 Trial (2008-2012), demonstrating sustained contribution to national stroke research infrastructure. Her simulation curriculum development directly shapes neurology resident education at Mayo Clinic Arizona, cultivating next-generation stroke specialists through innovative training methodologies.