Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers

Overview of Special Fellowship

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The VA Special Fellowship Program in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders provides two years of post-residency research, education, and clinical learning opportunities to eligible neurologists beginning each year in July.  Fellows are important members of our staff, enhancing clinical practice, conducting research, and teaching medical students, residents, patients, and their families about movement disorders.

Seattle

Rotations at the Seattle VA Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), Harborview Medical Center, and Seattle Children's Hospital offer exposure to a large population of patients with movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and Huntington's disease. Fellows receive extensive training in botulinum toxin injection and deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming. There are also opportunities to rotate at the UWMC Neurogenetics Clinic and Memory and Brain Wellness Center.

Fellows receive protected time to conduct research and have opportunities to work with investigators studying a wide range of topics in movement disorders.

Learn more about our ongoing Parkinson's disease Research:
Marie Davis Lab
The PaGeR Study
PPMI
Rehabilitation Medicine Research
Pacific Udall Center
Swati Rane Levendovsky Lab
Min Shi/Tess Stewart Lab

Educational activities enhancing clinical training include journal clubs, seminars, didactic sessions, and video case conferences.

Other benefits of the Seattle fellowship include:

• Assistance with obtaining a Washington State medical license required to practice at the affiliate hospitals.
• Support/funding to present abstracts at AAN, Movement Disorder Society, and/or other related professional meeting.
• Access to faculty development and grant writing workshops.

Apply through SF Match

Portland

Rotations at the Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) offer clinical exposure to a large volume of patients with Parkinson's disease, dystonia, Huntington's disease, and other movement disorders as well as training in botullinum toxin injection clinics, neurogenetics clinic, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming.

Research opportunities include a variety of basic and clinical projects.  An optional third year "research extension" is available.

Educational activities enhancing clinical training include journal clubs, seminars, and individual didactic sessions.  In addition, fellows participate in the Human Investigations program (HIP) at OHSU, leading to a Certificate of Training in Human Investigation, designed to meet the growing need for clinical investigators.

In addition to protected research time, other benefits of the Portland fellowship include: 

• Support to attend board review course
• Mock boards in preparation for board certification
• Travel expenses for oral exams taken during fellowship
• Support/funding to present abstracts at ANN, Movement Disorder Society, and/or other related professional meeting
• Assistance with obtaining Oregon trainee license required to practice at affiliate university (OHSU)

Fact Sheet

Brochure/How to Apply