Trainees receive instruction in the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of multiple sclerosis and other immune-mediated disorders of the central nervous system. These include neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, MOG antibody-associated disease, autoimmune encephalitis, transverse myelitis and CNS vasculitis. They learn to provide individualized care using the latest diagnostic criteria, advanced neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and laboratory testing to guide accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Our educators emphasize a multidisciplinary, whole-patient approach, integrating neurology with physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, urology, ophthalmology and social work to address the wide-ranging symptoms and needs of patients with multiple sclerosis and related disorders. Working alongside our clinical partners at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, trainees have access to infusion therapies, symptom management, mobility support and comprehensive disease-modifying therapy planning. They learn to address the medical, functional and emotional aspects of life with a chronic neuroimmune condition.

Research & Innovation

Our division is actively engaged in clinical and translational research aimed at improving the diagnosis, treatment and lived experience of individuals with neuroimmune diseases. Faculty participate in investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials evaluating emerging disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), biomarkers, and cutting-edge treatments in NMOSD, MOGAD and autoimmune encephalitis.

Ongoing research priorities include:

• Emerging disease-modifying therapies in MS including BTK-inhibitors and CAR-T targeted therapies
• Emerging therapies in remyelination

We also collaborate across specialties to explore shared mechanisms of autoimmunity and to develop integrated models of care that bridge neurology, immunology and rehabilitation science.

Education & Training

Education is central to the mission of our division. Our faculty provide robust training to medical students and neurology residents in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune CNS disorders. Trainees gain experience with immunotherapy selection and monitoring, management of acute and chronic complications, and the use of MRI and serologic testing in diagnosis and follow-up.

In addition, we offer education in symptom management — including fatigue, spasticity, bladder dysfunction and cognitive changes — as well as the principles of multidisciplinary care and disability advocacy. Our curriculum includes didactic lectures, interdisciplinary case conferences and participation in clinical trials.

Through this educational framework, we aim to cultivate future clinicians who are thoughtful, evidence-driven and deeply interested in the complex needs of patients with neuroimmunologic disease and the developments in the field.