Advancing Neuromodulation Research Through Global Collaboration
Dr. Joel Maamary, a scholar supported by the American Australian Association – St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Clinical Exchange Program, is advancing neuromodulation research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. His work focuses on pioneering clinical trials in deep brain stimulation (DBS) and neuromodulation, investigating new technologies to optimize treatment for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and Tourette’s syndrome.
At the heart of his work are clinical trials that aim to optimize patient outcomes. These trials, conducted at Mount Sinai—an institution renowned for its expertise in invasive neuromodulation—are crucial in shaping the future of treatments. Dr. Maamary explains: “We’re focused on improving quality of life. While we don’t have cures for many movement disorders, our goal is to maintain and enhance patients’ ability to function. Through these clinical trials, we’re investigating how advanced imaging analysis and biomarkers can help tailor treatments that adapt to a patient’s fluctuating symptoms.”
One particularly exciting development in the field is that, over the next 12 to 18 months, he will be part of the integration of new adaptive stimulation technology, which uses algorithms to monitor a patient’s brain activity in real time and adjust DBS output. This dynamic system has the potential to better manage symptoms and improve patients’ daily lives by minimizing fluctuations in their conditions. Mount Sinai’s capacity for such advanced research, according to Dr. Maamary, “gives us the ability to explore technologies that are not yet available to the public, which is crucial for learning and innovation.”
A Career-Altering Opportunity
For Dr. Maamary, the opportunity to work at Mount Sinai has been a long-standing dream. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but planning for an opportunity like this and securing the necessary funding is difficult,” he says. After completing his neurology training at the Royal Prince Alfred and St Vincent’s Hospitals, followed by a two-year fellowship at St Vincent’s, he thought his formal training was finished. “Then this opportunity came through the American Australian Association and St Vincent’s, and it opened a door I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to walk through.”
The skills he’s acquiring—ranging from advanced imaging analysis and coding techniques to neurophysiological biomarker research—are set to revolutionize the care he’ll provide when he returns to Australia. “Without the support of the American Australian Association, I couldn’t have accessed the resources I needed to advance in this field,” he says. “This has been both career-changing and, without overstating it, life-changing.”
Building Global Research Collaborations
Beyond personal growth, Dr. Maamary has been actively contributing to the global medical community. He has helped establish a research framework for ongoing DBS studies at Mount Sinai and, through networking with his supervisor A/Prof Joohi Jimenez-Shahed at Mount Sinai in New York, is currently in the process of setting up a multi-site collaboration with the Norman Fixel Institute in Florida and St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. The collaboration aims to deepen the understanding of movement disorders by analyzing brain biomarkers and their role in disease progression.
“We’re at a period in the world where we have access to large data sets and a strong research base,” says Dr. Maamary. “My mentor, A/Prof Stephen Tisch at St Vincent’s, and I are hoping to build on that and establish Australia as a leading center in neuromodulation and other movement disorders. These international collaborations make that possible because we are truly living in a global world.”
His ultimate goal is to bring the skills and technologies he’s developed at Mount Sinai back to Australia, improving local healthcare while strengthening cross-collaborations. By leveraging international partnerships, he hopes to elevate Australia’s research and treatment capabilities, particularly in neuromodulation and movement disorders.
