Autonomic Disorders Research | NYU Langone Health

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Neurology Divisions & Centers Research Autonomic Disorders Research

Autonomic Disorders Research

The research team at NYU Langone’s Division of Autonomic Disorders, part of the Dysautonomia Center led by Horacio Kaufmann, MD, has made a number of discoveries that have changed our understanding of autonomic disorders and has brought new treatment options to people living with autonomic dysfunction. Our primary focus is on neurologic conditions that affect the autonomic nervous system. We translate laboratory findings into specific treatments for autonomic disorders.

The Dysautonomia Center is the leading site for research on and treatment of genetic, autoimmune, and degenerative diseases affecting autonomic neurons, with a focus on familial dysautonomia (FD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Our research program is supported by the Familial Dysautonomia Foundation Inc. We receive grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition.

Our research team includes scientists and physician–scientists who have diverse backgrounds in physiology, neurology, sleep medicine, movement disorders, medicine, and psychiatry. Our team also includes research coordinators, project assistants, and data managers who maintain databases and oversee project logistics.

Research Collaborations

Because the autonomic nervous system innervates all body organs, we collaborate with several specialists in a multidisciplinary approach. Collaborators at NYU Langone include physicians and scientists at the Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders, intensivists at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Medical Intensive Care Unit, specialists in pediatrics, gastroenterology, urology, orthopedics, pulmonology, cardiology, and neuroradiology.

We also have close collaborations with the following domestic and international institutions:

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  • Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Maryland
  • Stanford University, Stanford, California
  • University of Texas-Southwestern, Texas
  • Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
  • Fleni, Argentina
  • Hospital University Cruces, Spain
  • Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
  • Salerno Medical School, Italy
  • Seoul National University, South Korea
  • University of Barcelona—Movement Disorders Unit, Spain
  • University of Barcelona—Sleep Disorders Unit, Spain

These collaborations enable cross-disciplinary projects that advance our understanding of autonomic disorders.