Arnold
News

Meet Jennifer Arnold, MD

Published Date:
What brought you to SIU Medicine?

I was born in Springfield and spent all of my childhood here, leaving only to go to college, then medical and graduate school.

I always knew I wanted to return home eventually. I am fortunate that we have an excellent academic medical program as well as an outstanding hospital system in my hometown. It was an easy decision to move back home when I finished my training to establish my career.

Why did you choose neurology as a focus?

I was always fascinated with infectious disease stories when I was young, and this led me to start research with Dr. Linda Toth here at SIU, studying the effects of infection on sleep. I became enraptured with the neurology of sleep and never looked back. I turned my focus to the brain when I started graduate school at the University of Illinois.

My graduate work in this area led to ongoing fascination with cognition and consciousness, and when it came time to choose a focus in medical school, it was easy for me to choose the brain. I haven’t regretted this decision and each time I see a patient with an unusual cognitive symptom it reminds me about the complexity of our minds and how they function.

Learn more about Jennifer Arnold, MD.

More from SIU News

White Coat pledge

Physician Assistant, DMSc programs celebrate 2024 graduates & new students

The SIU School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) community kicked off August with three key celebratory events that showcased the dedication, achievements and future aspirations of its students and faculty.
Jensik inventor award

Jensik honored as SIU Inventor of the Year

Phil Jensik, PhD, associate professor in SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology, has been named SIU’s Inventor of the Year for 2024. His research explores mutations in genes that result in neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disabilities, speech disorders and autism, affecting about 1 in 10 U.S. children.
Mars

Springfield physician to share Mars mission insights

Think you have what it takes to live on Mars? Springfield emergency medicine physician Dr. Nathan Jones thought he did. And now he knows for certain. Late one night in 2023, Jones clicked a link on