Dr. David "Charles" Tegeler is a nationally recognized neurologist, neurosonology pioneer, and academic leader whose career spans more than three decades of innovation in stroke care, neurovascular imaging, and brain‑body research. A Professor of Neurology and holder of the McKinney‑Avant Chair in Neurosonology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, he has shaped the evolution of neurovascular diagnostics and neurologic care across clinical, academic, and community settings.
Dr. Tegeler completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, where he also trained in Internal Medicine. He went on to complete his Neurology residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, joining the faculty there before moving to Wake Forest in 1990. Over the course of his tenure, he has held numerous leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Neurology (2019–2025), Co‑Medical Director of the Wake Area Neuroscience Service Line, and Convening Academic Neurology Chair for Advocate Health.
A central figure in the development of neurovascular ultrasound, Dr. Tegeler has served for more than 30 years as Medical Director of the Neuro‑ultrasound Laboratory. He founded the Wake Forest Baptist Health Telestroke Program in 2009, directed the Ward A. Riley Ultrasound Center—a core laboratory for carotid IMT research—and led the internationally recognized Wake Forest Neurovascular Ultrasound Courses for nearly two decades. His longstanding leadership of the Brain Body Research Program reflects his commitment to exploring innovative, non‑pharmacologic approaches to stress, trauma, and insomnia.
Dr. Tegeler’s research has focused on stroke prevention, neurovascular imaging, and emerging neurotechnologies. He served as principal investigator for the carotid IMT reading center for the METEOR‑China Study and has led numerous other investigations. Since 2007, he has collaborated with Brain State Technologies (now Cereset Research™) to evaluate closed‑loop, frequency‑based neurotechnology for a range of neurologic and neuropsychological conditions—work that continues to expand the boundaries of brain‑body therapeutics.
His academic service includes cross‑appointments in the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center, the Center for Integrative Medicine, the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and the School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (WFU/VT). He has chaired multiple promotion and tenure committees and served as Neurology Vice‑Chair for Faculty Development, reflecting his dedication to mentoring and faculty advancement.
Dr. Tegeler’s national leadership is equally distinguished. He is a past President of the American Society of Neuroimaging, which honored him with both the John and Sophia Prockop Memorial Lectureship Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award. He has chaired the Neuroimaging Section of the American Academy of Neurology, led the Neurosonology Community of Practice of the AIUM, and served as President of both the North Carolina Neurological Society and the North Carolina Stroke Association. His contributions also include service on the Board of Directors of IAC‑Vascular Testing and as Vice‑Chair of the North Carolina Stroke Advisory Council.
With a career defined by innovation, mentorship, and a deep commitment to improving neurologic care, Dr. Tegeler continues to influence the fields of neurosonology, stroke, and brain‑body medicine through his scholarship, leadership, and vision.
AdvisorPast President
