Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology

Didactic activities of the fellowship are structured based on the recommendations of the Fellowship Core Curriculum of AAN MS Section 2021 and will take place on a weekly basis (typically one hour every Thursday). Formal didactic teaching will include topic seminars by our faculty or guest speakers on a broad range of MS topics, including disease etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and related inflammatory, and demyelinating diseases. The fellow will be scheduled to lead presentations of clinical cases of significant educational value, important publications, and updates from MS scientific meetings at the departmental and section journal clubs. The fellow also will be encouraged to independently participate in the monthly lecture series organized by the NMSS, AAN and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS). The program allows for one day (or two half days) per week free of other activities to allow for independent studies and research as well as four-week elective time to pursue training in specific areas of interest related or career goals. The fellow will have the opportunity to attend lectures and seminars available through the departments of Neurology, Radiology, Rheumatology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Pathology during the course of their fellowship. 

The fellow will be encouraged to participate in clinical research and will be expected to complete an independent research project by the end of the training, with the goal of presentation at a national meeting. The fellow will be mentored in planning and conducting research, encouraged and assisted in preparing presentations, posters, and publications and other scientific activities. In addition, the fellow can participate in clinical trials or translational research performed by the teaching faculty of the program. Northwestern University and the Department of Neurology also provide classes, courses and lectures in scientific methodology, medical statistics and epidemiology, which provide learning opportunities in clinical trial design and implementation.

The major focus of the one-year fellowship training is on developing skills in expert clinical patient care. The fellow will be seeing patients in the Neurology Department Outpatient Facility MS/Neuroimmunology specialty clinics under the supervision of Drs. Roumen Balabanov, Bruce Cohen, Carolyn Bevan, Elena Grebenciucova and Edith Graham. These activities will allow for independent supervised assessment of new and follow-up patients. The fellow will also be involved in the neuroimmunology consult service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This combination of activities will prepare the fellow to treat acute and chronic multiple sclerosis as well as other neuro-immunologic disorders with a full range of therapeutic modalities. 

The MS/Neuroimmunology Fellowship is a comprehensive multidisciplinary training program. The fellow will have the opportunity to work at the specialized MS Rehabilitative Clinic at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab with Dr. James Sliwa, as well as at the pediatric MS and Demyelinating diseases clinic at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital with Dr. Jennifer Rubin and Dr. Kavita Thakkar. In addition, the fellow will work with Dr. Igor Koralnik in the Department of Neurology's outpatient clinical facility seeing patients in his Neuroinfectious Disease Clinic. This activity will provide a unique opportunity to be exposed to neuroinfectious diseases, with expert emphasis on progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and neurological complications of COVID-19. The training experience will further include rotations in the neuro-ophthalmology clinic with Dr. Neena Cherayil, the neuro-otology clinic with Dr. Nicholas Hac and the autoimmune epilepsy clinic with Dr. VanHaerents. 

Candidates must have completed residency program in neurology accredited in the United States or Canada.

Residents are selected for the MS fellowship from eligible applicants based upon their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills and personal qualities. No discrimination is made based upon sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability or veteran status. Approximately half of the eligible applicants are invited for personal interviews.

We participate in the electronic San Francisco Match (SF Match), and all candidates must register with the SF Match in order to submit a rank list. Applications are now being accepted for 2026 positions, and interviews are held in January 2025.

Please collect the following documents:

• Three letters of recommendation (one should be from your neurology residency program director) and their contact information
• Personal statement
• Copy of official USMLE Step/Scores I, II & III
• ECFMG certificate
• Medical school transcript

Please direct questions to neurologyfellowships@nm.org.

Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago.

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