Ingram named McCarty Chair of Neurology
Dr. Brad Ingram, professor of neurology and pediatrics, was recently named the McCarty Chair of Neurology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, an endowed position recognizing leadership, academic excellence and a commitment to advancing neurological care.
The endowed chair was established in 1985 by H.F. McCarty Jr., a Mississippi entrepreneur and philanthropist whose support of education, science, medicine and the arts has had a strong influence across the state.
“It’s a genuine honor to be named to any endowed chair, but the McCarty Chair is a particularly special one,” Ingram said. “It was first granted to Dr. Robert Currier, who founded the Department of Neurology. In his letters about running the department for three decades, he mentions Mr. McCarty and this endowment. And [Currier] understood neurology in Mississippi – our challenges and opportunities are virtually the same, but so are our successes and points of pride.”
Board certified in adult neurology with special qualifications in child neurology, clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy, Ingram has built a career caring for patients with complex neurological conditions.
In addition to serving as chair of the Department of Neurology, he is executive vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics, director of the pediatric comprehensive epilepsy program and associate director for the child neurology program.
Along with Dr. Colette Parker, the child neurology division chief, Ingram was instrumental in establishing the pediatric neurophysiology program in 2016. The program has since earned Level IV accreditation as a Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center, the highest designation of its kind.
Dr. Mary Taylor, Suzan B. Thames Chair and CEO of Children’s of Mississippi, said Ingram’s desire to pursue medicine and care for children with neurological disorders was, in part, due to his own experience with epilepsy in high school.
During the chair naming celebration, Taylor reflected on a message from Ingram’s parents, Ginnie and Glynn Ingram.
“He has always been smart, funny, outgoing, caring and wanting the best for those around him,” they said. “As a consequence, his peers and others have been drawn to him and followed his lead.”
Taylor said those qualities have been carried into Ingram’s work as a physician, educator and mentor.
"His passion for advancing medical education in Mississippi is evident in both his leadership and his day-to-day work, where he continually strives to elevate learning opportunities and support professional growth,” she said. “Students look to Brad as the type of physician they want to be when they ‘grow up.’”
His parents also noted that his greatest professional desire is sharing his passion for treating children with neurological disorders.
“He wants to share his knowledge and his passion with all who will listen,” they said. “And it doesn’t hurt that God gave him a crazy outgoing personality and a fantastic sense of humor in the meantime.”
Ingram’s commitment to teaching and mentorship has been reflected in numerous honors, including two-time Department of Pediatrics Teaching Resident of the Year, Carl G. Evers Honors Society Resident All Star, Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honoree, the Holiman Award for Outstanding Pediatric Faculty, the UMMC School of Medicine Trailblazer Teaching Award, two-time Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence and the Sorey Award for Teaching Excellence.
He was also the inaugural recipient of the Pediatric Fellow of the Year Award, and in 2024, he received the Evans Award for Outstanding Performance in Pediatrics, the highest award given by the Department of Pediatrics.
Ingram’s research has focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders, bridging clinical research and bedside care to improve diagnosis, management and the long-term treatment of complex neurological disorders.
His collaboration with the Natural Products Center at the University of Mississippi resulted in UMMC’s first Investigational New Drug registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We are striving to make Mississippi a better place for neurology patients — not just here at UMMC, but in the state around us,” Ingram said. “And for us, that means having the very best neurologists and neuroscientists here, as clinicians, teachers and researchers.”
“The McCarty Chair of Neurology reflects my grandparents’ belief in the power of education, medicine and scientific discovery to improve lives in Mississippi,” said Leslie Baskin, granddaughter of Mary Ann and H.F. "Mac" McCarty and secretary of the HF McCarty Jr. Family Foundation.
“We are proud to see that legacy continue through Dr. Ingram’s appointment. His dedication to patient care, research, teaching and mentorship represents the very kind of academic leadership this endowment was created to support.”
Ingram said the appointment is an opportunity to carry the department’s history forward while building its future.
“Endowments make it possible for us to go that extra mile,” he said. “They allow us to invest in every learner who comes through these walls and carries that training into communities across our state. They also help support the highly specialized care our patients can receive nowhere else and the world-class research trials that give patients access to cutting-edge care today while helping answer important questions for tomorrow.
“And I think both Dr. Currier and Mr. McCarty would be very proud to see us and celebrate where we’re headed.”