How To Create Your Own Training Program

Training Programs

The iconic work of David S. Zee, M.D., over the past four decades has placed the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine at the epicenter of numerous major breakthroughs in vestibular science. Zee created a program steeped in a tradition of rigorous scientific inquiry focused on delivering basic science insights from bench to bedside. His dozens of trainees are among the world leaders in vestibular science, clinical research and patient care. For example, our current division director, David Newman-Toker, M.D., Ph.D., (a Zee disciple), has been instrumental in developing the widely-known "HINTS" (Head Impulse, Nystagmus, Test of Skew) three-step ocular motor examination battery for rapid differentiation between peripheral and central vestibular disorders in the emergency department.

From this historic foundation, the division now seeks to transform clinical care for all patients with dizziness, vertigo and vestibular disorders, bringing modern technology to bear on patient care processes in a rapidly evolving health care system. We have already begun to disseminate HINTS and related diagnostic techniques using novel technologies such as portable video oculography (VOG) and computer-based diagnostic decision support. We seek to eliminate frontline misdiagnosis of vestibular strokes/TIAs, vestibular neuritis and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and simultaneously reduce wasteful use of advanced diagnostics (such as neuroimaging) and hospital admission for stroke workups.

Research Fellowship Training Programs

The Neuro-Visual and Vestibular (NVV) Division in the Department of Neurology offers individual research fellowships linked to each of its research programs. Each fellowship lasts at least one year, with experiences tailored to individual candidates. Please visit the Vestibular Ocular Motor Research (VOR) Laboratory website and corresponding pages for eye movement engineering, basic research and clinical research opportunities for postdoctoral fellows. If you are interested in more information, contact our center at NVV@jhu.edu or directly at VORLab@jhu.edu.

The division also offers shorter research opportunities for students, residents or fellows linked to each of its research programs. These experiences are tailored to individual candidates. Please visit the corresponding program web pages for eye movement engineering, basic research and clinical research opportunities for students and other trainees.

Vestibular and Ocular-Motor Oto-Neurology Clinical Fellowship Training Program

The Neuro-Visual and Vestibular (NVV) Division in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine seeks the best and the brightest as future trainees for its Vestibular and Ocular Motor Oto-Neurology Clinical Fellowship Training Program. Through this program we will develop the next generation of clinical, research and education leaders in oto-neurology.

Current clinical faculty members in the NVV Division include David Newman-Toker, M.D., Ph.D.; David S. Zee, M.D.; Daniel Gold, D.O.; and Amir Kheradmand, M.D., all of whom are trained in Oto-Neurology. Newman-Toker and Gold have additional fellowship training in neuro-ophthalmology, and Newman-Toker holds a doctoral degree in clinical research methods from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Our close colleagues and collaborators in otolaryngology include experts in medical and surgical neuro-otology (John Carey, M.D.; Charles Della Santina, M.D., Ph.D.; Yuri Agrawal, M.D.; Michael Schubert, Ph.D. and others), with an emphasis on otologic causes of hearing and balance disorders.

Fellows will rotate with each of the various faculty members, who have distinct clinical, research and educational interests. Fellows will also rotate on our new "tele-dizzy" consultation service using remote video oculography (VOG) consultation to the Emergency Department and urgent follow-up clinic, giving unique, unprecedented access to training in acute vestibular disorders and posterior fossa strokes. Fellows will see a wide spectrum of vestibular disorders in the Oto-Neurology Clinic.

They will also spend time in the Neuro-Otology Clinic with our otolaryngology-based specialists in hearing and balance disorders. Fellows will benefit from these cross-disciplinary perspectives to achieve excellence in the evaluation and treatment of patients with vertigo, dizziness and hearing loss, with a special emphasis on the diagnosis and management of nystagmus and other complex ocular motor disorders. Fellows will also have the opportunity to spend time in the Ataxia Clinic, run by our Movement Disorders Division, and may attend various weekly multidisciplinary conferences.

For those interested in research opportunities, we have ongoing projects in the basic science of spatial perception, NIH-sponsored clinical trials on diagnosis of acute dizziness and vertigo, and numerous dizziness-related health services research projects. For those seeking academic careers and interested in additional training in patient-oriented research methods, there are opportunities to seek certificate courses or degree-bearing training through partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health through the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation (GTPCI). The division also has strong ties with the Departments of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for clinical and research collaborations.

We welcome candidates who have completed residency training in neurology in ACGME-accredited programs. We strongly encourage those who have completed related fellowships (such as neuro-ophthalmology, movement disorders, stroke) to apply.

We anticipate two fellows per year if suitable candidates are available. Acceptance will be on a rolling basis, with typical applications arriving by September of the year before matriculation (which will generally be in July, as with most clinical training programs). The standard clinical fellowship length will be one year, but we will consider longer, tailored experiences for those with interest in research training.

This is an exciting time to pursue a career in oto-neurology! If you are interested or have questions please do not hesitate to email Dr. Dan Gold, our fellowship director.

To Apply:Please send a letter of intent (two pages or less, please) and a current curriculum vitae (CV) to:

Dan Gold, D.O.
Associate Professor of Neurology, Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Medicine
e-mail: Dgold7@jhmi.edu

To request an appointment or refer a patient, please contact the Vestibular Disorder Staff at 410-955-9313.
Request an Appointment

Adult Neurology: 410-955-9441
Pediatric Neurology: 410-955-4259
Adult Neurosurgery: 410-955-6406
Pediatric Neurosurgery: 410-955-7337

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