Movement Disorders Fellowship | Emory School of Medicine

Number of Fellows: 2 per year
Length: 2 years
Accreditation: non-accredited
Salary Level: PGY 5 Level

Program Overview

Emory Movement Disorders program offers a comprehensive movement disorders fellowship which accepts 1-2 fellows annually. The focus in the first year is on intensive clinical training, while optional second year can be tailored to fellows’ specific clinical and research interests. Caring for more than 10,000 patients annually, the Emory Movement Disorders program offers fellows exposure to the full range of movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonism, dystonia, tremor disorders, Tourette’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease, ataxias, drug-induced movement disorders and other neurogenetic disorders. In addition, a very active Botulinum Toxin Injection Clinic treats over 1000 patients with dystonia, and a very active Deep Brain Stimulation program provides experience in the operating room and with programming post-operatively. We perform DBS surgery routinely on patients with tremor, Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, and treat close to 100 patients annually. The second year can be tailored to the interest of the fellow including experience in functional neurosurgery, sleep, cognitive disorders, clinical and basic research. The Department of Neurology consistently ranks among the top few institutions in federal research funding with a substantial portion in movement disorders. With a large and highly productive research faculty in both clinical and basic research, fellows have the opportunity to design an individualized research training program in either clinical or laboratory aspects of movement disorders.

Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited neurology residency is required.

We participate in SF Match.

Contact Information:

Program Director
Christopher Caughman, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Neurology
Movement Disorders
12 Executive Park Drive, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Email

Program Coordinator
Kia Willingham
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Neurology
Movement Disorders
12 Executive Park Drive, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Email
Phone: (404) 712-7237
FAX: (404) 727-0803

Current Fellows

Keerthana Nalamada, MD

Keerthan Nalamada was born and raised in New York. She studied cell biology and neuroscience at Rutgers University for her undergraduate degree. After a life altering year abroad in England, working alongside medical students in the NHS, she decided to pursue medicine at Norwich Medical School. Keerthan then moved back home and completed her neurology residency at the University of Connecticut. She chose Emory for fellowship to learn from experts in movement disorders, and their comprehensive approach to treating a variety movement disorders. Outside of clinic, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, attending comedy shows/gigs and yoga and fitness.

Sally Iwamoto, MD

Sally Williams Iwamoto was born and raised in Decatur, GA, but moved north to earn her BA in Dance from Wesleyan University and MD from Boston University. Her interest in Movement Disorders started with an exploration of the Dance for PD program and continued throughout her medical education. She moved back home to the warmer weather to attend Emory University for her neurology residency and fellowship training. When not in the clinic, she can be found baking up elaborate cakes or at the rock climbing gym with her husband and daughter.

Jamal Al Ali, MD

Jamal Al Ali was born and raised in Lebanon. He studied biology and medicine at the American University of Beirut, where he fell in love with neurosciences while working at a laboratory researching neurogenetic disorders. He moved to Boston to pursue his research interests at Massachusetts General Hospital. For two years he worked on a rare neurogenetic disease called X-linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism, that is when he grew interested in movement disorders. He moved to Chicago to finish his neurology residency at the University of Chicago, then chose Emory to pursue a fellowship in movement disorders. Jamal enjoys the outdoors and good weather, and never misses a chance to explore local music scenes.

Bogdana Petko, MD

Donna was born in Ukraine and moved to the US when she was seven years old. She calls Albuquerque, NM, home but has been all over for school and training - University of Denver for undergrad, Creighton Med School in Omaha and University of Virginia in Charlottesville for neurology residency. She chose Emory's Movement Program not only because of its excellent reputation, but also for its collegiate and warm atmosphere. When not in clinic, Donna enjoys traveling and exploring new places, reading (and going to bookshops to buy more books than she can possibly read), drawing/painting, hiking and trying new restaurants with friends.

Abdalmalik Bin Khunayfir, MD

Abdalmalik Bin Khunayfir, born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, pursued his medical education at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. He then continued his training in the United States, completing a neurology residency at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, followed by a one-year neuromuscular fellowship at the same institution. Abdalmalik has a particular interest in botulinum toxin injections and the use of ultrasound in clinical practice. Outside of his professional career, he enjoys playing soccer and traveling.

Fellowship Alumni

Name	Residency Institution	Years	Current Position
Ricardo Lopez Castellanos, MD	University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	2022-24	Autonomic Fellowship, Beth Israel, Boston, MA
Yulia Salamatova, DO	University of Florida, Jacksonville	2022-23	Private Practice, Atlanta
Paola Testini, MD	SUNY Downstate	2021-23	Assistant Professor, University of Utah
Paul Beach, DO, PhD	Emory University	2020-22	Assistant Professor, Emory
Margi Patel, MD	University of Alabama Birmingham	2019-21	Private Practice, Texas
Chris Caughman, MD	Emory University	2019-21	Assistant Professor, Emory
Sahyli Perez Parra, MD	Dartmouth University	2018-20	Private practice, Florida
Richa Tripathi, MD	Wayne State University	2017-19	Assistant Professor, West Virginia University
Lenora Higginbotham, MD	Johns Hopkins University	2016-18	Assistant Professor, Emory
Anh-Thu Vu, MD	University of Pennsylvania	2016-18	Assistant Professor, Drexel
Joash Lazarus, MD	Emory University	2015-17	Private practice, Atlanta, GA
Vibhash Sharma, MD	UT Southwestern	2014-16	Assistant Professor, University of Kansas
Laura Scorr, MD	Thomas Jefferson University	2014-16	Assistant Professor, Emory
Jaime Hatcher-Martin, MD, PhD	Emory University	2013-15	Assistant Professor, Emory
Aasef Shaikh, MD, PhD	UH Case Medical Center	2013-14	Vice Chair, Department of Neurology; University Hospitals Cleveland Associate Professor of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
Shaohua (Daniel) Chen, MD		2012-13	Private Practice, Pennsylvania
Michael Silver, MD		2011-12	Assistant Professor, Emory
Daniel Huddleston, MD		2010-11	Assistant Professor, Emory
Leslie Cloud, MD		2007-11	Associate Professor, VA
Gonzalo Revuelta, DO		2008-10	Associate Professor, Medical University South Carolina
Camille Vaughn, MD		2007-10	Associate Professor, Geriatrics, Emory
Pratibha Aia, MD		2007-08	Associate Professor, Emory
Christine Doss-Esper, MD		2005-06	Associate Professor, Emory
Saima Athar, MD		2004-05	Assistant Professor of Neurology, MUSC
Marsha Smith, MD		2003-04	Private practice, Ohio
James Greene, MD, PhD		2002-04	Associate Professor, Emory
Karen Sawabini, MD		2002-04	Adjunct Faculty, University of Tennessee; Private practice, Knoxville, TN
Xuemei Huang, MD		2002	Associate Professor, Penn State College of Medicine
Michael Okun, MD		2000-02	Chairman of Neurology, Director of Movement Disorders at University of Florida Medical School, Gainesville, FL, Medical Director, National Parkinson Foundation
Claudia Testa, MD, PhD		2000-01	Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Bing Liu, MD		2000-01	Private practice, Concord, NC
Natividad Stover, MD		1998-2001	Assistant Professor of Neurology at University of Alabama in Birmingham
Kevin Cannard, MD		1997-98	Associate Professor, Neurology and Medicine (Clinical Pharmacology) Uniformed Services University, Neurologist, Walter Reed Army & National Naval Med. Cntrs.
Thyagarajan Subramania, MD		1994-96	Professor of Neurology, Hershey School of Medicine
Scott Chandler, MD		1994-95	Vice-president of Health Affairs and Strategic Relations at Healtheon/WebMD