The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders

The Movement Disorders Program at the University of Calgary is honoured to have been chosen by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) as one of eight international academic centres to be awarded an Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders.

Calgary (the lone Canadian site for the Class of 2025) joins centres in the United States, Germany and Australia in recruiting candidates to train as a movement disorder clinician-researcher — a neurologist with additional training and expertise in diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s and related diseases.

The eight centres were chosen based on several criteria, including a history of training successful movement disorder clinician-researchers; the breadth and depth of clinical care and research education and opportunities; departmental support for the fellow; and programs and opportunities for fellows to advance equitable access and diversity across clinical care, research, education and community outreach.

"We are thrilled to be selected by The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help train the next generation of movement disorder clinician-researchers," says Dr. Justyna Sarna, a neurologist in the Movement Disorders Program in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

"The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders is truly changing the future of care for patients with Parkinson's and other diseases. We can't wait to recruit an incredible candidate for this fellowship."

The fellowship position will begin in July 2023 and train in Calgary for two years.   

The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders is growing a global base of dedicated movement disorder specialists who can make significant contributions by delivering high-quality patient care, leading scientific advances toward better understanding and treatment of movement disorders, and engaging their local or underrepresented communities. The Fellowship now extends across 28 world-renowned academic institutions in eight countries and is on track to graduate 72 new specialists by the year 2028.

For more information about the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders in Calgary, please email sajjad.surani@ucalgary.ca.