Barbara Westmoreland

Barbara F. Westmoreland, MD, died on March 17, 2026, in Rochester, Minnesota. She was a pioneering figure in clinical neurophysiology whose influence on the field, and on generations of trainees, was profound and enduring. She also had a substantial impact on neurologic medical education and was an example of selflessness for her colleagues.

Dr. Westmoreland was born on July 22, 1940, in New York City and graduated as valedictorian from Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1957. She received her Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1961, and earned her MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1965. She completed a medical internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 1965 to 1966, followed by a neurology residency at the University of Virginia from 1966 to 1970. She developed a career-defining interest in EEG during medical school and residency.

In 1970, Dr. Westmoreland came to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for fellowship training in EEG where she trained under the direction of Dr. Donald Klass who remained a close friend and colleague until his death. Following completion of her fellowship, she joined the Mayo Clinic staff in the Department of Neurology, becoming only the second woman appointed to the neurology physician staff. She held many leadership and committee roles at Mayo Clinic over her career and served as Chair of the Division of Clinical Neurophysiology. She retired in 2010 as Emeritus Professor of Neurology.

Dr. Westmoreland was internationally recognized as an authority in EEG and clinical neurophysiology. Her scholarly work included seminal descriptions of EEG findings including the first descriptive series of subclinical rhythmic electrographic discharges of adults (SREDA), published in 1981 with Dr. Klass. She authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 40 book chapters and was a co-author of multiple editions of the influential textbook Medical Neurosciences. Even after retirement, she remained a valued mentor, generously providing advice on challenging EEG questions from colleagues.

A deeply committed educator, Dr. Westmoreland was instrumental in shaping neurology and clinical neurophysiology education at Mayo Clinic. She helped establish the neurology curriculum for the Mayo Medical School which served as the basis of the book, Medical Neurosciences. She initiated the neurology residency EEG curriculum in 1971, which remains a core component of the program 55 years later, and became the first official program director of the clinical neurophysiology fellowship when it formally began in 1987. She was inducted into the Mayo Fellows Association Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame and received numerous honors for educational excellence, including the A.B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurologic Education from the American Academy of Neurology in 2002. Today, her name adorns the Westmoreland House of the Mayo Clinic Rochester neurology residency as a testament to her dedication to neurology education.

Her reputation as a teacher and mentor of clinical neurophysiology fellows was well-deserved. For those who trained in EEG at Mayo Clinic in the 1970s and 1980s she was instrumental in preparation for the rigorous, multi-part American Board of EEG Qualification in Electroencephalography (ABQEEG) examination which included a written examination, recording of a patient EEG (at a lab external to the fellowship site) and an arduous oral examination. She took pride in the success of the Mayo trainees.

As a colleague, she played an important role as a mentor to junior neurology colleagues who were seeking academic promotion, providing sage and encouraging feedback regarding each individual’s curriculum vitae.

Dr. Westmoreland also held numerous national leadership roles. She served as President of both the American Epilepsy Society and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. She was Chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Clinical Neurophysiology Certification Examination Committee and played a pivotal role in the development of clinical neurophysiology as a formally accredited subspecialty, shaping clinical neurophysiology training nation-wide.

In recognition of her lifetime contributions, she received the Herbert H. Jasper Award from the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society in 2005 and was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Neurological Association.

Dr. Westmoreland continued her service to colleagues after retirement as an active member of the Mayo Clinic Emeriti Association in Rochester and served as its chair. She personified hospitality and frequently provided tours of the emeriti offices for recently retired colleagues.

Dr. Westmoreland’s legacy as a clinician, educator, and scholar is indelibly woven into the fabric of clinical neurophysiology. She epitomized the role of a servant leader. She will be deeply missed.

Tribute from her colleagues in the Department of Neurology and Division of Epilepsy, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Figure. Dr. Westmoreland.