Faculty in the Kellar Family Division of Movement Disorders are dedicated mentors, and offer research training opportunities to medical students, residents, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical fellows.

Resident and Medical Student Research

Residents and medical students interested in research opportunities should contact investigators below.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Steven J. Frucht

Steven J. Frucht, MD, and team frequently encounter unusual patients that trigger interest in case reports, case series, reviews, etc., which students and residents can assist with.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Un J. Kang

The research of Un J. Kang, MD, focuses on how brain circuitry is perturbed by dopamine loss and produces Parkinson’s disease symptoms and how the compensatory plasticity contributes to the motor complications (including levodopa-induced dyskinesia) from pharmacologic treatment of Parkinson’s disease. He is also interested in the molecular dysfunctions that contribute to neuronal dysfunction and loss in synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy and translating this knowledge into biomarkers that inform disease pathogenesis and therapeutic trials.

Medical students and residents can get involved by participating in the following projects:

• statistical analysis of clinical and biomarker data of public database of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders
• systematic data analysis of clinic patients with videos
• review articles of movement disorders topics

Research Opportunities with Dr. Thong C. Ma

The research of Thong C. Ma, PhD, focuses on the cellular- and circuit-level changes that underlie impairment in these neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease. These are addressed by measuring and manipulating neuronal activity/circuits, interrogating signaling pathways, and assessing cell type–specific gene expression in patient biospecimens, human cell models, and animal models.

Research Opportunities with Dr. Giulietta M. Riboldi

The research of Giulietta M. Riboldi, MD, PhD, focuses on the understanding of the genetic determinants of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. In particular, Dr. Riboldi’s team is studying the role of genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s disease (especially GBA1) as well as the interaction between genetics and the immune response in the pathogenic mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease through genomic analysis. Her research also focuses on the diagnosis of unsolved rare genetic movement disorders through in-depth advanced genomic analysis.

Graduate Student Research

Graduate students interested in obtaining a PhD at NYU should inquire through the NYU Neuroscience program and the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences PhD program. Dr. Kang is a trainer for PhD theses for these programs.

Those from other programs who are interested in rotations should select a laboratory and consult your school’s program policies and requirements for more information about choosing a lab.

Postdoctoral Research for Basic Scientists and Movement Disorders Fellows

In partnership with the Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone, National Institutes of Health T32–funded postdoctoral positions are available for research in neurodegenerative disorders, including movement disorders. The goal of this program is to train scientists and clinician–scientists to be future leaders in the field of neurodegenerative research and the aging brain. This can be coordinated with clinical training for movement disorders fellows.

Research Fellowships

NYU Langone’s Division of Movement Disorders offers research fellowships for movement disorders fellows in coordination with a clinical fellowship. They should contact Dr. Kang at Un.Kang@NYULangone.org before the SFMatch.

NYU Langone’s Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder offers research fellowships for Italian neurologists and researchers. Our fellowships train young neurologists and scientists in the comprehensive care of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders as well as in the latest clinical, translational, and basic research.

Support for our fellowship programs is provided by the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation, the Kellar Family Foundation, and the Paolo and Marlene Fresco Foundation.

Fresco Research Fellowship for Italian Researchers

Our basic research fellowship program allows Italian researchers to engage in predoctoral work relevant to the Fresco Institute’s mission within our own institute and the Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

To join one of our teams, you must be an Italian citizen with an MS or advanced degree in biomedical sciences. You must also have an excellent record of research in molecular genetics, electrophysiology, cellular imaging, rodent behavior, computational neuroscience, or a combination of these fields.

Successful candidates benefit from state-of-the-art research facilities at NYU Langone as well as from the extensive research community in New York City. As a predoctoral fellow, you receive a competitive salary and benefits.

To learn more, email Sara Budar at Sara.Budar@NYULangone.org