Thomas Devlin is an unabashed car enthusiast.
The Chattanooga doctor and researcher was an avid fan of Formula 1 racing and fondly recalls some of the fun cars he owned. (Single wiper blade Volkswagen Does anyone remember the Scirocco? How about the Fiat Spyder 128 convertible? He owned both.)
“I’m a big fan of cars,” Devlin said in an interview. “My mother was born in Italy and growing up I was an incredible Italian car racing fanatic.”
Devlin’s true claim to fame, however, is his knowledge of the mechanisms of the human nervous system and brain, called neuroscience. From cutting-edge stroke treatments to advances in Alzheimer’s research, Devlin is an advocate for medical causes.
He is the Medical Director of the Center for Stroke and Neuroscience, first at Erlanger Hospital and now at CHI Memorial Hospital, spearheading stroke research and treatment.
Devlin’s two interests, cars and science, will tie him together at the Chattanooga Motor Car Festival, October 14-16.
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So far, the festival has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, split between CHI Memorial’s Center for Neuroscience and the foundation of which Devlin is president and medical director.
Devlin says car racing and neuroscience research have three things in common. It requires attention to time, technology and teamwork. Time is especially important as stroke and Alzheimer’s are ticking ticking time bombs for people in our area.
Devlin says Tennessee is squarely in the “stroke zone.” Chattanooga has become a mecca for stroke care, requiring immediate action to minimize damage to the brain.
“There is no more time-sensitive condition in all medicine,” says Devlin. “People with blood clots in their heads lose 1.9 million brain cells every minute.”
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Devlin said emergency teams trained in stroke care must work like pit crews in Formula 1, with speed and precision. That’s where teamwork comes into play.
Stroke research at CHI Memorial’s Center for Neuroscience doubles power as CHI Memorial is part of CommonSpirit Health, the nation’s second largest healthcare chain with 142 hospitals (after HCA Healthcare) says Devlin.
“We can think of it as ‘Shark Tank’ and QVC combined,” says Devlin.
Meanwhile, the Chattanooga-based nonprofit Neuroscience Innovation Foundation, which also benefits from Motor Car Festival donations, serves as a clearinghouse for research funding.
“They pick what they consider to be the most important research topics and labs and fund high-impact programs,” says Devlin.
The foundation is particularly active in supporting research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, one of science’s most elusive goals.
(Read more: Former Indy Rookie of the Year Named Grand Marshal of Chattanooga Motor Car Festival)
There are 120,000 people with Alzheimer’s in Tennessee alone, and that number is expected to rise as baby boomers age, Devlin said.
Occupying a portion of downtown Chattanooga, the three-day Chattanooga Motor Car Festival includes the Concourse d’Elegance (car show), the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend Vintage Car Race, and the Mecum Vintage Auto Auction.
Life Stories is published on Mondays. To suggest a human interest story, contact Mark He Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. follow him on twitter @TFP Columnist.
