Kennedy, William

William R. Kennedy, M.S., M.D.
Professor
Administrator, Kennedy Research Laboratory

Primary Hospital Affiliations: University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview

Year of Appointment: 1964

Medical School: Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Residency: Internal Medicine, Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Fellowship: Clinical Neurophysiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Clinical Interests:

• Neuromuscular disease
  
• Neurogenic disease of the GI tract

Research Interests: The main focus of the Kennedy Laboratory is to understand the reactivity of unmyelinated nerves of several organs to human disease. We are widely recognized for our pioneering work on imaging and diagnosis of unmyelinated in the epidermis of the skin, particularly as applied to patients with painful small fiber sensory neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy.  Specimens are obtained by 3 mm skin biopsies, stained using immunofluorescent staining and imaged in three dimensions by confocal microscopy. Quantification of nerves in the skin, mainly the epidermis and sweat glands, is computer assisted using customized software. Experimental work with humans and animals is often done to answer specific questions, for example, the effect of capsaicin on these nerves.

Research on unmyelinated nerves in the gastrointestinal tract of patients is a more recent challenge. We are studying and soon will quantify the intrinsic nerves of the stomach in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy (e.g. gastroparesis). Patients who are candidates for a pancreas transplantation are of special interest.

In another project we are studying the neurons and mucosal nerves in infants with Hirschsprung’s disease and idiopathic chronic constipation. One specific aim is to be the first to quantify nerves in the GI tract by use of stereology. We are the Beta site for development of the software StereoInvestgator® by MicroBrightField Inc. that controls the imaging acquisition of an Olympus confocal microscope to perform automated design based stereology. Other neuroscientists plan to use the new instrument for stereology for their research.

Collaborations: Our research teams include several surgeons, adult and child gastroenterologists, a gastrointestinal pathologist, a diabetologist, dermatologists and neurologists at the University of Minnesota and in other institutions. Usually one or two post doctoral fellows work in the laboratory with a similar number of Neurology residents who have individual projects.

Images and references are on our web site: http://kennedylab.med.umn.edu/

Email: kenne001@umn.edu