Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship
Through comprehensive exposure to multidisciplinary clinics, specialized electrodiagnostic training, and neuropalliative care, fellows cultivate the expertise to deliver nuanced and humanistic care to every patient. Paired with experienced mentors, you will collaborate on meaningful research projects and learn how to lead independent research."
Unique Features
Under the mentorship of nationally and internationally recognized leaders in muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, skeletal muscle channelopathies, autonomic disorders, and ALS, our fellowship provides comprehensive clinical and research training across a wide range of neuromuscular diseases. Six faculty members lead extramurally funded research, and fellows gain hands-on experience as sub-investigators, collaborating with experts across pulmonary, cardiology, sleep medicine, PM&R, and palliative care. As educational leaders, we host the annual Carrell-Krusen Neuromuscular Symposium, a nationally recognized conference that offers fellows the platform to present their work and engage with leading experts in the field.
View clinical & research faculty
1400+
NCS/EMGs conducted annually
3
Up to three fellows accepted (2 adult | 1 peds)
6
Faculty engaged in extramurally funded research
Program Specifics
Learn more about our one-year ACGME-accredited program.
- Clinical Training
Shaped by their own clinical expertise, our faculty have established subspecialty clinics, providing fellows with the flexibility to tailor their training to individual career goals. Altogether, patient-facing faculty provide 33 clinic sessions per week.
- Neuromuscular Clinic at Aston Ambulatory Center: A typical schedule includes evaluation & management of New and Established Neuromuscular (NM) patients in the morning and NCS/EMGs in the afternoons. We also host a weekly multi-disciplinary ALS clinic, which is supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Besides NCS/EMG, fellows will also receive training in NM ultrasound, autonomic testing, single-fiber EMG, skin biopsy, and interpretation of nerve and muscle biopsies.
- Neuro-palliative clinic at Aston Ambulatory Center: Our fellows also work with our NM palliative faculty, where they learn about the care of patients with advanced NM diseases.
- Parkland Neuromuscular Clinic: This clinic serves as a safety net for residents of Dallas County and is part of one of the largest public hospital systems in the United States. Fellows will be trained to manage the care of patients from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds through weekly Myasthenia Gravis and EMG clinics.
- Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic at Children's Health (1 month): Fellows will train with our pediatric NM faculty, where they will see patients with a broad spectrum of genetic pediatric and acquired NM disorders. They will also receive training in pediatric NCS/EMGs.
- Neuromuscular Clinic at VA Medical Center: This clinic provides valuable care to our veterans with NM and autonomic disorders. Fellows will work with our core NM faculty at this location.
- Elective Time: 10%
Upon completion of the fellowship, our fellows are eligible to sit for the Neuromuscular Medicine Subspecialty board conducted by the ABPN and the Electrodiagnostic Medicine board (ABEM). An optional second year is available to expand clinical expertise and conduct research in a specific neuromuscular disorder.
- Didactic Training
Didactics provide our trainees with time to reflect on clinical nuances, discuss recent discoveries and changes in guidelines, learn from complex cases, and take a thoughtful approach to building human connections with our patients. All the following are touchpoints to deepen your understanding of Neuromuscular Medicine while broadening your neurology knowledge base.
- Weekly
- Neuromuscular lectures: This comprehensive lecture series is designed specifically to develop critical skills necessary for the diagnosis, management, and research of neuromuscular disorders. It also includes detailed discussions on electrophysiological testing, muscle and nerve biopsy interpretation, molecular genetics of neuromuscular diseases, and the latest therapeutic strategies
- EMG review conference: During this weekly 1-hour session, all clinical faculty get together to view selected NCS/EMGs, autonomic studies, and ultrasound procedures, discuss clinical correlation, and share thoughts on differential diagnosis and management approaches. Our fellows are actively involved in these discussions and is a major cornerstone of their training and a driver of their evolving understanding and mastery of neurodiagnostics in neuromuscular disorders
- Departmental Grand Rounds: All faculty, APPs, residents, and fellows join departmental grand rounds in person to hear from leading national experts. These sessions provide a platform for in-depth discussions of recent advances and cutting-edge research across various specialties. It encourages critical thinking by presenting complex diagnostic challenges, novel treatment approaches, and emerging scientific insights.
- Bi-Weekly:
- Neuropathology conference: In collaboration with neuromuscular pathologists, the fellows engage in detailed discussions on interpretation of histopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings. Emphasis is placed on correlating clinical presentations with biopsy results to enhance diagnostic accuracy in a wide range of neuromuscular disorders
- Monthly:
- Journal club: Provides a collaborative forum for trainees and faculty to critically review and discuss current scientific literature relevant to neuromuscular specialty. Participants analyze current research articles, evaluate study design and methodology, and explore clinical implications to enhance evidence-based practice
- Case Conference: Goal is to enhance clinical reasoning and management skills. Fellows, residents, and faculty collaboratively review complex and unique cases. The interactive format enables multidisciplinary discussion, promotes evidence-based decision-making, and fosters a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions
- Weekly
- Research Opportunities
Section Research
The Neuromuscular section is actively involved in advancing translational and clinical research, participating in over 20 industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials. Projects include Myasthenia Gravis, ALS, Dysautonomia, and MSA as well as quality improvement initiatives. We are part of the Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Clinical Trial Research Network (FSHD CTRN), an international consortium of academic centers with expertise in FSHD.
Fellow Research Opportunities
Fellows may pursue a second year of research fellowship and benefit from close mentorship, serving as sub-investigators in trials and collaborating with faculty across pulmonary, cardiology, sleep medicine, neurosurgery, PM&R, and palliative care. Working alongside world experts, fellows develop skills in grant writing, data collection and analysis, and scientific writing for publication. Our integrated Biostatistics and Clinical Informatics section enriches research mentorship by collaborating with fellows to develop high-quality study designs.
Examples of current research opportunities include:
- Dysautonomia, MSA: Steven Vernino, M.D., Ph.D., Meredith Bryarly, M.D
- ALS: Jaya Trivedi, M.D., Haibi Cai, M.D.
- Myasthenia Gravis: Shaida Khan, M.D.
- FSH: Jaya Trivedi, M.D.
- Health disparities and QI: Shaida Khan, M.D.
- Myopathies: Salman Bhai, M.D.
- Amyloidosis: Lauren Phillips, M.D.
As educational leaders, we organize the annual Carrell-Krusen Neuromuscular Symposium, a widely attended national conference that has been held for over 45 years. This event provides fellows with a valuable platform to present their research to a broad audience of peers and experts. Fellows also share their work at the Annual Neurology Research Day or Pediatric Neurology Research Symposium, where poster sessions are reviewed for originality, design, and impact—preparing them for success at national meetings.
Funds to Attend Meetings
Trainees have educational funds and can apply for scholarship funds to support attendance when presenting an abstract or poster at a conference. Fellows can apply for the UTSW-led Clinical and Translational Science Award and OBI travel funds.
- Program Leadership & Application Information
Program Director
Associate Program Director
Children's Health, Site Director
Requirements
Applicants must have completed a neurology residency training in an ACGME-accredited program.Application & Typical Timeline
Interested candidates may submit their applications on the AANEM Neuromuscular Fellowship Portal.- 1st January - applications open in January
- Spring - interviews upon receipt of application
- 1st June - Match Results announced on the AANEM.
Current Fellows
Vaishnavi Aryapadi, M.D., M.S.
Adult Neuromuscular Medicine
Residency: UT Southwestern, Neurology
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Graduate: University of Illinois at Chicago
Publications
Erin McCoy, M.D.
Pediatric Neuromuscular Medicine
Residency: Univ. of Louisville, Child Neurology
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
From Fellowship Alumni
"I chose neuromuscular medicine in part due to the tremendous faculty members in this section, many of whom I worked with during residency. A unique feature of this fellowship is a separate clinic template for the fellow (essentially, a fellow’s personal patients). There’s a significant amount of EMG/NCS practice with experienced technicians, as well as opportunities in skin biopsy and autonomic testing. Scheduled case conferences with neuromuscular pathologists are another highlight."
"All faculty are interested in furthering the growth of the fellows — fellows are not a workforce but instead are here to learn. There are opportunities to learn skin biopsy, neuromuscular ultrasound, and exposure to exercise testing at IEEM. I spent my elective time in neuromuscular pulmonology to understand respiratory care and complications in progressive neuromuscular disease — an important foundation for my interest in neuropalliative care. I pursued additional training in palliative care and established a neuropalliative clinic at Aston Ambulatory Center to care for patients with neurodegenerative diseases."