Fellowship Programs

Program Length: One to two years
Salary: Consistent with PGY level
Application: Before September
Notification: By mid-November

To apply, please review our Program Description with application process (PDF format, 180Kb)

THERE IS NO ACTUAL APPLICATION FORM, ONLY A PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.

Interested persons should refer to the AUPN guide, made available by the AAN, or contact the office of Dr. Stanley Fahn:

Margaret Gallagher
Assistant to Dr. Stanley Fahn

mgallagher@neuro.columbia.edu
Phone: 212.305.5295
Fax: 212.305.3530

See some of our former and current fellows (link opens a new window)

Fellowship Program

Under the direction of Dr. Stanley Fahn (pictured left), the Center for Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders has been committed to teaching at all levels of medical education. The members of the Movement Disorders Division participate in teaching at Columbia's Medical School, in the Columbia Neurology Residency program, and in the Movement Disorders Fellowship program, established in 1982. The faculty are regular participants in the courses at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Neurology and the International Congresses of the Movement Disorder Society. Faculty members have also participated in administering the examinations of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Faculty members serve as scientific advisors to many of the movement disorder foundations, including the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, the American Parkinson's Disease Association, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, the Myoclonus Research Foundation, and the Tourette Syndrome Association. The Movement Disorders Division was the host faculty for the Fifth International Congress of Movement Disorders in October 1998, and participated in the organization, planning and execution of the World Parkinson Congress of 2006.

The major educational activity of the Movement Disorders Division is the Fellowship Program in movement disorders. Established in the early 1980s by Dr. Stanley Fahn, the program has trained over 100 neurologists, many of whom have made important contributions to the field. Former trainees have pursued successful academic careers, established movement disorder divisions and became division chiefs or neurology department chairpersons. Many foreign graduates have returned to their native countries to become leading movement disorders specialists in their home country.

The Fellowship Program is a 1-2 year training program consisting of three individualized tracks: a clinical program in movement disorders, a basic science program, or a combination of the two. A combination of the two is possible and has been selected by several trainees.

The goal of the clinical fellowship is to train neurologists to become experts in the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders. Fellows work directly with the movement disorder attendings, including Dr. Fahn, Dr. Cheryl Waters, Dr. Paul Greene, Dr. Blair Ford, Dr. Elan Louis, Dr. Steven Frucht, and Dr. Pietro Mazzoni. Dr. Frucht coordinates the program and assists the Fellows to participate on clinical research projects. Fellows learn the techniques and therapeutic use of botulinum toxin injections for dystonia, hemifacial spasm and related disorders, develop skills in research design and data analysis, develop experience in clinical trials and epidemiology, gain familiarity with rating scales and develop a core of clinical and basic science knowledge relevant to the field of movement disorders. Clinical trials are directed by Dr. Waters. Drs. Greene, Ford, Frucht and Dr. Seth Pullman conduct training in botulinum toxin injection technique. Besides dealing directly with patients, education is also provided by video rounds, patient rounds, and clinicopathologic conferences made possible by an active brain collection program.

Fellows may pursue training in advanced electrophysiological techniques under the supervision of Dr. Pullman in the Motor Control Physiology Laboratory. An active neurosurgery program includes formal training in intraoperative monitoring of stereotactic neurosurgery for movement disorders and postsurgical adjustments of deep brain stimulators. Additional training that can be integrated into the fellowship includes training in epidemiology and biostatistics at the School for Public Health, training in neuropsychology, and laboratory experience in basic motor control physiology with Dr. Claude Ghez. Columbia University fellows may also elect to pursue studies in Positron Emission Tomography scanning and functional imaging with Dr. David Eidelberg at North Shore University Medical Center. Clinical genetics studies are under the direction of Dr. Karen Marder, and neuroepidemiology research related to movement disorders is actively pursued by Drs. Richard Mayeux, Karen Marder and Elan Louis. All these research activities are available to Fellows.

The primary goals of the laboratory fellowship are to provide an experience in research design and laboratory techniques devoted to addressing basic questions in movement disorders, using tools of modern molecular genetics, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Specific techniques employed include stereotaxic brain injections of toxins, monitoring animal behavior, receptor binding assays, receptor autoradiography, assays of neurotransmitter agents and metabolites in tissues and body fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography, tissue culture, immunohistochemistry, enzymatic assays, molecular biology of DNA mapping, and developing mouse genetic models of movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease and torsion dystonia. It is anticipated that graduates of the lab fellowship will develop careers as laboratory researchers in the field of movement disorders. Current projects include studies on dopamine, acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters and their receptors, evaluation of potential therapeutic agents, production of animal models of movement disorders, transplantation in animal models, and molecular genetics. Dr. Robert Burke, Dr. Serge Przedborski, Dr. David Sulzer and Dr. William Dauer direct these labs, and there are close collaborations with other neuroscientists at Columbia University.

Clinical and laboratory fellows participate in ongoing research projects and are encouraged to develop their own ideas and research. The Program fosters a stimulating academic environment that helps young investigators successfully compete for grants.

Applicants to the fellowship program must have completed a three-year Neurology residency at an approved training program. Visitors from other countries must possess adequate immigration status, usually a J-1 Exchange Visitor pass. Applications must include an introductory letter from the candidate, a curriculum vitae and bibliography, and three letters of recommendation, including one from the candidate's chairman of neurology, mailed to: Dr. Stanley Fahn, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032. Applicants may be invited to visit the Center in September and October for an interview. Candidates are usually selected by mid-November.