About Our Program
The Neuroimmunology and MS Center is affiliated with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Our fellows receive intensive clinical training in the following areas:
1) Differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders
2) Prophylactic agents for relapsing-remitting MS
3) Treatment of progressive or aggressive MS, including the use of chemotherapeutic agents and monoclonal antibodies
4) Interpretation of MRI and other imaging techniques of relevance to MS
5) Symptomatic treatments for management of pain, spasticity, fatigue, bowel- or bladder- dysfunction
6) Rehabilitation of chronic neurologic illness.
Fellows also have the opportunity to receive additional clinical training in subspecialties of particular relevance to Multiple Sclerosis, such as:
- neuro-ophthalmology
- neurological rehabilitation
- rheumatology.
A major focus of the fellowship is the design and implementation of clinical trials. The neuroimmunology fellow participates in a number of multi-center clinical trials as well as our own investigator-initiated clinical studies.
In addition to clinical training and direct research experience, fellows will take graduate classes in basic immunology, epidemiology, or clinical trial design.
Curriculum:
We encourage the fellow to attend regional or national society meetings and to present their work.
The fellow will be involved in:
- weekly division meetings to discuss cases, research initiatives, and patient outreach
- two fellow led sessions per month reserved for a didactic presentation and journal club
- the education of neurology residents and medical students at UMass Chan.
- both in formal lectures to the residents related to multiple sclerosis,
- during the residents’ rotations through the MS Center.
Weekly Tuesday - Interdisciplinary neurology conferences
Fellows participate in weekly conferences with collaborative colleagues from neurosurgery, neuro intervention, radiology, and other specialty groups to provide level one patient care with a collaborative specialty focus. The fellow must take part in at least one presentation during the training year.
Weekly - case discussion forums
Fellows participate in weekly division meetings, didactic lectures, research and case discussions presented to current attendings designed to:
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Introduce new learning styles of approaching difficult cases
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learn to focus on specific and acute solutions via ongoing laboratory research and clinical trials
The fellow will also enroll in biostatistics and epidemiology night classes, beginning in September. Fellows are encouraged and supported to participate in ACTRIMS, ECTRIMS, and CMSC meetings and present their research work.
Monthly Friday Journal Club
Individual lectures are presented one time a month on Friday by fellows.
Rotation Coverage:
The 12-month fellowship provides a broad range of curricular activities to increase the breadth of knowledge in neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis services while avoiding resident and fellow fatigue through the rotation service schedule. The fellow will:
- develop technical skills of Botulinum Toxin injections for migraines and spasticity
- program/refill and troubleshoot baclofen pumps
- learn basic management of neurogenic bladder (including the use of a bladder scanner), and
- learn various pharmacologic agents used to target specific symptoms.
During the first two months of the fellowship, clinical responsibilities in the MS Center will be limited to four half-days per week, in order to
allow extra time for multidisciplinary training.
These multidisciplinary activities will include scheduled “shadowing” sessions each week with multiple disciplines including:
- neuro-radiology
- neuro-urology
- rheumatology
- physiatry
- neuro-psychiatry
- physical therapy
By the fall, the fellow will be expected to spend up to six half days in the clinic with neuroimmunology faculty. The fellow will be trained in complex multidisciplinary/interprofessional teams of nurse navigator, MS nurses, NPs and PT/OT.
Time of the MS fellowship will be protected for educational pursuits and didactic activities.
The fellow will attend:
- weekly UMMHC MS Center case management meetings
- biweekly research meetings
- monthly MS journal club meetings
- UMass Neurology Grand Rounds lectures and will give one or more of these during the course of the year.
Research and Clinical Opportunities:
UMass has a vibrant and supportive research community that will directly benefit the Neuroimmunology Fellow training within the MS Center of Excellence. Besides providing comprehensive care for MS patients UMass participates in multiple clinical trials from phase 1-4, investigator-initiated studies and translational/ bench collaborations with other research labs at UMASS, other MS Centers, both nationally and internationally, to drive the development of new therapies, discovery and validation of biomarkers of the disease activity, prognosis and therapeutic response. The fellow will be mentored to develop an investigator-initiated research study, supported by the mentor to execute the study and publish the data, as well as fellows will be asked to participate in our ongoing clinical trials as EDSS raters or treating physician. The available resources at the UMass MS Center will allow the fellows to investigate varied aspects of multiple sclerosis and add to the growing research in the field.