The COVID-19 Neuro Databank-Biobank (The NeuroCOVID Project), funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, has been initiated at NYU Langone Health. We created and maintained a national resource documenting and studying neurological complications of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the illness caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus. Together, these efforts comprise the NeuroCOVID Project.

The NeuroCOVID Project

The NeuroCOVID Project encompasses a REDCap database, the Neuro Databank, to receive and store information on patients who have neurological conditions associated with COVID-19 infection, and a biorepository, the Neuro Biobank, to receive, track, store, and distribute linked biosamples from patients who have COVID-19.

The databank includes de-identified patient data; individuals are identified only by a globally unique identifier (GUID) to ensure that no protected health information is transmitted to the databank.

COVID-19 Neuro Databank

The databank collects information on non-pregnant adults with confirmed COVID-19 infection. We include new neurological conditions associated with COVID-19 infection, as well as exacerbation of pre-existing neurological conditions.

COVID-19 Neuro Biobank

The biobank collects a wide variety of biosamples left over from eligible patients’ clinical care, including blood, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and tissue. A virtual biobank is in place to track the location of biosamples that may have been submitted to other repositories for inventory management.

NeuroCOVID Data and Specimen Access

Qualified researchers may obtain access to the NeuroCOVID data and specimens by submitting an application. To learn more about the data fields collected and the data and specimens request process, read the NeuroCOVID Data Fields Overview and Data Access. The NeuroCOVID Data Dictionary provides a detailed list of data collected.

Please complete the request form to submit a proposal:

NeuroCOVID Contributing Sites

The following are our contribution sites:

• Brain & Spine, AZ - Hemant Pandey
• Emory University School of Medicine, GA – Albert Anderson
• Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, NeuroCOVID Clinic, HI - Kore Liow
• Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Spain – David García Azorín
• Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, NE – Judy Burnfield
• Massachusetts General Hospital, MA - Michael Levy
• Medical University of Warsaw, Poland – Anna Klimkiewicz
• New Orleans Children Hospital, LA – Scott Schultz
• NYU Langone Health, NY – Jennifer Frontera
• Rhode Island Hospital, RI – Vincent LaBarbera
• St. Luke’s Medical Center, Philippines – Jacqueline C. Dominguez
• South Shore Health, MA - Amy Trecartin
• Spectrum Health, MI – Muhib Khan
• Sutter Health, CA – Shawn Kile
• The American University in Cairo, Egypt – Mohammed Salama
• University of Massachusetts, MA - Nils Henninger
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC - Monica M. Diaz
• University of South Florida, FL – Keith Dombrowski
• University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX - Rodrigo Hasbun
• University of Utah, UT - Adam DeHavenon
• Washington University School of Medicine, MO – Raj Dhar
• Xiamen University, Malaysia - Yun Jin Kim

NeuroCOVID Steering Committee

The NeuroCOVID Steering Committee comprises experts in neurology, infectious diseases, statistics, and other relevant disciplines and will provide long-term guidance and strategic planning to the NeuroCOVID Project.

The Steering Committee consists of the following members:

• Andrea B. Troxel, ScD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
• Jennifer A. Frontera, MD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
• Jennifer Beierlein, PhD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Rebecca Hommer, MD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Barbara Karp, MD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Carolina Mendoza-Puccini, MD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Clinton Wright, MD, MS, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Adarsh Bhimraj, MD, Cleveland Clinic
• Sherry Chou, MD, MMSc, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• Ericka Fink, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• Alla Guekht, MD, PhD, Russian National Research Medical University
• Lyell Jones Jr., MD, Mayo Clinic
• Natalia Rost, MD, Harvard Medical School
• Jose Suarez, MD, Johns Hopkins University
• Andrea Winkler, MD, PhD, Technical University of Munich

NeuroCOVID Project Publications and Media

Guarino B and Sellers FS. Scientists begin to unravel the mysteries of the coronavirus and brains. The Washington Post. June 7, 2021.

See our publications.

Contact Us

Both the databank and biobank are envisioned as a national resource. Researchers interested in contributing to the initiative should contact the NeuroCOVID project manager. We are currently selecting new sites to join the initiative both on the national and international level.

If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Cecile Norris, project manager, at Cecile.Norris@NYULangone.org, or Sharon B. Meropol, MD, program director, at Sharon.Meropol@NYULangone.org.