Dr. Beal was the former chair of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and neurologist-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He was the University Professor of Neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine until his passing. Dr. Beal led the Department of Neurology and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School in 1998 and served until 2012. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia in 1976 and completed his residency training in Neurology at The Massachusetts General Hospital.

He was an internationally recognized authority for his inspirational work with neurogenerative disorders and focused on mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and devised key therapeutic strategies by combining genetic and pharmacologic approaches to improve function. He received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding achievements including membership in the National Academy of Medicine.

He passed away in June 2021.