Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship

The University of Washington Department of Neurology has two positions for ACGME-accredited neuromuscular medicine fellows. The UW Neuromuscular fellowship participants in AANEM application match. The fellow would be board eligible for the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and ABPN certificate in neuromuscular medicine. This fellowship is for one clinical year.

The Neuromuscular faculty at UW Medicine are at the forefront of neuromuscular disease research, patient care, and education. Our leading-edge research efforts have resulted in a greater understanding of muscle, motor neuron, and peripheral nerve diseases and we are driven to push forward the kind of high-quality, comprehensive care that people affected by neuromuscular disorders need. The care of these conditions has advanced greatly with an ever-increasing armament of immunologic and genetically targeted therapies becoming available for disorders that were, until recently, untreatable or even fatal.

We strive to provide the best care possible to patients within Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (the WWAMI region) and our clinicians provide sought-after expertise to patients of all ages. Our group also relishes the opportunity to train future generations of experts in these conditions and we hope you will join us in this important work. 

Clinical Excellence

Neuromuscular disorders affect young and old alike; impairing muscle function and nervous system control; limiting mobility; causing muscle cramps, pain, paralysis; and sometimes also impacting cardiac and respiratory function.

Fellows in our program gain clinical experience in patient care across multiple settings as well as in the performance of diagnostic evaluations (including electrodiagnostic testing and neuromuscular ultrasound).  Muscle and nerve pathology review sessions are regular and engaging, with fellows also participating in didactic sessions organized by Dr. Gonzalez-Cuyar with UW Medicine Pathology.  Fellows also have the opportunity to customize their training experiences if they wish to pursue specific clinical or research interests.  Clinical experiences are scheduled across multiple adult and pediatric settings including:

• University of Washington Medical Center: a large, academic, tertiary referral center that is ranked as the #1 hospital in Washington by U.S. News & World Report
• Seattle Children’s Hospital: the main pediatric tertiary referral center for the WWAMI region that has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 best children’s hospitals in the U.S. and the best in the Pacific Northwest
• Seattle VA Medical Center: providing specialty care and electrodiagnostic testing to the area’s veteran community
• Harborview Medical Center: providing specialty care and electrodiagnostic testing for a broad spectrum of patients from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the most vulnerable residents of King County

From Research to Cure

While much remains to be done to improve patient care, UW Medicine’s understanding of the mechanisms of disease and treatment of neuromuscular conditions is at the forefront of medicine in these conditions.  Details about adult neuromuscular research projects and clinical trials are available, with active work being done in the areas of:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)
• Hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN)
• Inclusion body myositis (IBM)
• Inflammatory myopathies
• Limb girdle muscular dystrophy
• Painful peripheral and diabetic neuropathy
• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

Meanwhile, faculty at Seattle Children’s Hospital have participated in studies leading to the FDA approval of multiple novel therapies for pediatric neuromuscular disorders including vamorolone (a novel corticosteroid for Duchenne muscular dystrophy), eteplirsen (an exon-skipping anti-sense oligonucleotide for Duchenne muscular dystrophy), and nusinersen (an anti-sense oligonucleotide that enhances the production of the protein that is deficient in SMA).  The research teams at Seattle Children’s Hospital are actively working on studies in the areas of:

• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
• Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)
• Mitochondrial disorders
• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

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How to Apply

The University of Washington Department of Neurology has filled two positions for ACGME-accredited neuromuscular medicine fellows for 2025-2026. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on January 1^st through the AANEM portal.

Visas

The UW Neuromuscular Fellowship Program accepts foreign national physicians who meet UW Eligibility and Selection requirements into its accredited Fellowship program. Foreign nationals requiring visa sponsorship must obtain a J-1 visa sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The UW does not generally provide H-1B sponsorship for residents or fellows in its clinical training programs unless the resident/fellow is otherwise ineligible for a J-1 visa. Requests for H-1B visa sponsorship are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to approval by the UW GME Office and the UW Provost’s Office. Please refer to UW Medicine Graduate Medical Education Policies and Procedures for more detail.

Fellowship Team

Current Fellows

Previous Graduates

Diversity Statement

The UW Neurology Department is committed to recruiting, training and promoting a diverse community of scholars. We welcome diverse individuals and are committed to including residents and faculty of diverse race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. We believe that diversity and inclusion are crucial components in providing both excellent patient care and an excellent learning environment.