Expertise
Parkinson's Disease, Movement Disorders, Functional Neurological Disorders, and Public HealthEducation
Indiana University School of Medicine and MITHighlights
Medical Director, Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Neurology at CUIMC
Founder of the PD Movers
As they say, knowledge is power. Creating reliable, accessible and culturally sensitive information for the community so that they can be empowered to manage their health and well-being is critical to addressing existing health disparities and improving quality of life.
— Hiral Shah, MD
Experience
Hiral Shah, MD, is a Neurologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for the last 16 years. She serves as the Medical Director of the Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence at CUIMC. She provides clinical care for individuals with neurological disorders, with a specific expertise in movement disorders including Parkinson's disease as well as functional neurological disorders.
She has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization, has training as a Global Health and Aging Policy Fellow, Global Mental Health Scholar, and Community-based Participatory Research Scholar. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Young Onset Parkinson's Network. Her approach is to address the concerns of individuals and families in a holistic manner, including addressing the physical and mental aspects of their health condition. Her research focuses on attempting to identify and address the factors that contribute to stigma and isolation with respect to Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
She is the Founder of the PD Movers, a group of African-American/Black individuals and care partners impacted by Parkinson's disease and has developed an educational book, The PD Movers — We Keep Moving that utilizes storytelling and illustrations to create heightened awareness of Parkinson's disease in communities of color, inspire individuals to use their voice to uplift their health, and create connection. This community-based approach to developing educational resources was highlighted in the journal Parkinsonism & Related Disorders.
Education
Dr. Shah received her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and Neurology residency at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She served as Chief Resident of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She completed her Movement Disorders Fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center under Dr. Stanley Fahn and Dr. Un Kang.
