Marcel Hungs, MD, PhD, is Chair of the Department of Neurology and Clinical Director of the HealthPartners Center for Memory & Aging. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Hungs completed his medical and doctoral training at Rheinisch‑Westfälischen Technische Hochschule in Aachen, Germany, followed by neurology residency at Rheinisch‑Westfälischen Technische Hochschule in Aachen and at UC Irvine, CA. He completed a two-year research fellowship in Sleep Medicine at Stanford University.

Dr. Hungs is a neurologist, educator, and clinical researcher with more than three decades of experience in neurology, neurophysiology, dementia, sleep medicine, and non‑invasive neuromodulation. His work spans neurodegenerative disease, sleep disorders, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and Alzheimer’s disease treatment trials. A recognized expert in neuromodulation, Dr. Hungs has conducted foundational TMS studies and currently serves as a co‑investigator on multiple neuroimaging‑guided TMS trials in Alzheimer’s disease, primary progressive aphasia, and mild traumatic brain injury. His research portfolio also includes influential contributions to the understanding of the hypocretin system in narcolepsy and studies examining oxygen saturation and aging.

Research interests

Advancing non-invasive neuromodulation for neurologic disorders. Dr. Hungs brings extensive expertise in transcranial magnetic stimulation, with experience spanning clinical application, safety oversight, and neurophysiological research. His work includes early foundational investigations into TMS effects on language function, motor physiology, and narcolepsy-associated cataplexy, as well as current studies applying personalized, neuroimaging‑guided stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease, primary progressive aphasia, and traumatic brain injury.

Improving diagnosis and treatment of dementia. A major focus of Dr. Hungs’s work centers on aging and dementia. He has contributed to the broader understanding of physiologic factors affecting cognitive aging by participated in research examining arterial oxygen saturation and its association with cognitive impairment, balance, and gait among individuals over age 90. Additionally, he serves as site principal investigator for multiple Phase 3 Alzheimer’s Disease clinical trials, including studies of several monoclonal antibody-based therapies, semaglutide, and KarXT.

Sleep medicine and the hypocretin system. Trained as a sleep neurologist, Dr. Hungs has contributed significantly to understanding the molecular and neuropathologic underpinnings of narcolepsy. His collaborations at Stanford helped establish the role of hypocretin deficiency in narcolepsy, and he has published extensively on sleep physiology, diagnostic standards, and sleep‑related neurologic disorders. 

Conducting Institute research since: 2022

Current job title/position(s)

• Chair, Department of Neurology
• Clinical Director, HealthPartners Center for Memory & Aging
• Medical Director, APP Neurology Fellowship Program
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School

• M.D. / Ph.D., Medicine, Rheinisch‑Westfälischen Technische Hochschule, Aachen, Germany (1995)
• Residency, Neurology, Rheinisch‑Westfälischen Technische Hochschule (1995–1999)
• Fellowship, Sleep Medicine, Stanford University (1999–2001)
• Internship, Internal Medicine, Atlantic City Medical Center (2001–2002)
• Residency, Neurology, UC Irvine (2002–2005)

• Neurology Section Chief, Regions Hospital (2022–2023)
• Medical Executive Board roles at HealthEast (2010–2017)
• Member / Vice Chair, UC Irvine Institutional Review Board (2007–2010)
• Assistant Professor of Neurology, UC Irvine School of Medicine (2005–2010)
• Director, Center for Sleep Medicine, UC Irvine (2005–2010)

 Honors

• Fellow, American Academy of Neurology (2022)
• “Top Doctor,” MN Top Doctor – Sleep Medicine (2012–present)
• Faculty Appreciation Award, UC Irvine Neurology Department (2008)
• Neurology Resident of the Year (2003, 2004)

Professional memberships

• American Academy of Neurology
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Current research activities and funding

• Site PI, Remternetug vs. placebo in early Alzheimer’s disease (Lilly USA), Phase 3 (2024–2031)
• Site PI, KarXT + KarX‑EC for cognitive impairment in mild–moderate Alzheimer’s disease (Bristol‑Myers Squibb), Phase 3 (2025–2027)
• Site PI, Semaglutide for early Alzheimer’s disease (Novo Nordisk Fonden), randomized clinical trial (2021–2026)
• Co‑Investigator, Transcranial magnetic stimulation in early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease (Region’s Hospital Foundation, 2024-2026)
• Co-Investigator, Transcranial magnetic stimulation in mild Traumatic Brain Injury (Minnesota Office of Higher Education, 2024-2026)