Ataxia Center of Excellence
Dr. Tetsuo Ashizawa and Dr. Sub Subramony
lead the UF Ataxia Center of Excellence. This is a unique program and is funded by the NIH Rare Disease Clinical Research Network. UF was awarded a one million dollar grant to continue to see patients with ataxias and also to form the world’s largest research network working on ataxias. The network aims to develop a better understanding of the epidemiology, the pathogenesis, genetics, and potential treatments.
Highlights of the Ataxia Center
- An automated gait and balance analysis at every visit
- Enrollment into the large NIH effort coordinated from UF
- The potential to get your care from over 10 interdisciplinary specialists in a single day on a single floor of a single building
- The world renown fast-track interdisciplinary work-up and care for deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS) for Ataxia and other movement disorders
- On site MRI, swallowing and rehabilitation
- Expert Botulinum Toxin Clinic
- Expert Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Troubleshooting clinic where people travel from all over the world for diagnosis and management of DBS related ataxia problems or issues
- Interdisciplinary complex case conference every month to address the most difficult management issues
- Weekly video rounds and didactics for staff, doctors, and scientists
- Home to one of the world’s largest movement disorders databases (INFORM)
- Home to over 50 research studies and also many basic science laboratories including stem cells, gene therapy, imaging, DBS, and protein processing science
- Train multiple doctors in clinical-research fellowships each year, and train scores of graduate students for their masters and PhD degrees
In addition Dr.’s Ashizawa, K. McFarland and L. Ranum (renowned ataxia geneticist) run one of the largest research discovery programs in ataxia in the United States.
For more information on our specialized interdisciplinary clinics check our Clinic Page.
Also, the National Ataxia Foundation has helpful information.
