Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Fellowship

The Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Fellowship at UC Irvine is the only academic program of its kind in Orange County, serving a population of 3 million people and patients referred from outside the county. This comprehensive program includes early diagnosis and management of common and rare movement disorders. Our team includes faculty who are fellowship-trained in adult Parkinson’s and movement disorders, neurosurgeons, a social worker, a nurse practitioner, neuropsychologists, and physical therapists with specific training and focus in Parkinson’s and movement disorders. 

Our program is a Parkinson’s Study Group Site and a Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence, and it offers extensive clinical exposure.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through SF Match. Applicants must have completed a residency in neurology or neurological surgery, or an oncology fellowship, and be eligible for a California medical license prior to the July 1 program start date.

Nicolas M. Phielipp, PhD, is a fellowship-trained neurologist who specializes in the care and treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease, dystonias, tremor, Huntington’s disease and other movement disorders. He offers physical and electrophysiological diagnostic procedures and a range of treatment options, including pharmacological therapies, botulinum toxin, deep brain stimulation and lifestyle modifications. Phielipp’s research interests include the management of Parkinson’s disease and task-specific dystonias, such as writer’s cramp and musician’s, golfer’s or tennis player’s dystonia. He is also interested in developing techniques to better diagnose Parkinson’s disease, understanding the mechanisms involved in deep brain stimulation and improving the diagnosis and management of movement disorders in general. Phielipp’s one-year fellowship at the Favaloro Foundation-Institute of Neuroscience in Argentina was under the mentorship of Oscar Gershanik, MD. His three-year fellowship in neurophysiology and movement disorders was under the mentorship of Robert Chen and Anthony Lang at the University of Toronto. He has participated in several research projects involving transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of mood and motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the mechanism of deep brain stimulation in cervical dystonia, the mechanism of action of botulinum toxin in the treatment of writer’s cramp and musician’s dystonia, and the treatment of psychogenic/functional tremor.