Rachel Saunders-Pullman, MD, MPH, MS

Dr. Rachel Saunders-Pullman is a movement disorders specialist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel/Mount Sinai, Bachmann-Strauss Chair, and Professor of Neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is a clinician, educator and clinical researcher whose clinical focus is in the care of patients with parkinsonism, dystonia, myoclonus and tremor.  She treats Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism, with focus on genetic Parkinson's; dystonia, including blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, limb dystonia; tremor; myoclonus; and ataxia, and genetic movement disorders.

Her research focus is the study of genetic and epidemiologic factors relating to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dystonia with focus on the elucidation of new genes, and interaction between genes, and development of predictors and markers of PD and dystonia. These will be useful in understanding the underlying conditions, detecting disease earlier and tracking the progression of disease, with the goal of facilitating trials for PD and dystonia. Dr. Saunders-Pullman leads an NIH funded study evaluating oligogenic etiology of Parkinson Disease in Ashkenazi Jews, focused primarily on LRRK2 and GBA PD, and immune and lysosomal storage disorders. She is Co-Chair for the Movement Disorders Society Task Force on Genetic Testing in Parkinson Disease.  She is the Program Director for the overall movement disorders fellowship for both Sinai programs.