Ruth H. Walker

Dr Ruth H. Walker received her medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1985 and her PhD on basal ganglia anatomy from the same institution in 1992. She completed her residency in neurology at NYU and her fellowship in movement disorders at Mount Sinai. Since 1999 she has been on staff at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, where she is Director of the Movement Disorders Clinic. Dr Walker is Associate Professor of Neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and is board-certified in neurology.

Dr Walker's clinical and research interests involve the neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia; the structures which are affected by neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, dystonia, tics and tremors. In addition to diagnosing and treating patients with these disorders, she specializes in those affected by involuntary movements known as chorea, seen in disorders such as Huntington's disease.

Dr Walker has particular expertise in diagnosing and treating the very rare types of chorea known as neuroacanthocytosis, which includes chorea-acanthocytosis and McLeod's syndrome. She is recognized as an international authority on these disorders, has authored many articles and is the lead editor of a recent book on neuroacanthocytosis syndromes. She lectures internationally on these topics and regularly gives courses on chorea and other hyperkinetic movement disorders at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

Dr Walker's other primary interest is the neurochemical interactions of the structures of the brain which comprise the basal ganglia. Her laboratory work currently involves looking at mechanisms of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease.