MDS European Section Nominees

The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) is the leading global organization reassembling professionals dedicated to the care and research of movement disorders. Its missions to promote education, training, and awareness worldwide is underpinned by a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognizing that access to high-quality care remains unequal across regions. 

The MDS Regional Sections play an essential role in translating the Society’s global mission into locally adapted actions by addressing specific linguistic, cultural, and local needs. The MDS-ES benefits from a rich legacy and exceptional expertise. Its strength lies in its diversity of history, medical cultures, and clinical practices. Building on the outstanding work of previous leadership, my vision is to take advantage of this diversity to build a dynamic and inclusive community that inspires and supports the next generation of movement disorder specialists. We must continue to encourage young neurologists to engage in the field, develop their leadership potential, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration with allied health professionals and basic scientists. To achieve these goals, the development of innovative educational tools—combining in-person and modern e-learning platforms—will be essential. The rapid evolution of our field presents exciting opportunities, including breakthroughs in therapeutics, the emergence of new biomarkers, and the identification of prodromal and presymptomatic stages of disease. At the same time, we must prepare for broader challenges, such as the integration of artificial intelligence into clinical practice, and the imperative to promote environmental sustainability in both our professional activities and patient care.

Jean-Christophe Corvol is Professor of Neurology at Sorbonne University and Head of the Neurology Department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. He leads a research team at the Paris Brain Institute and serves as co-chair of the French clinical research network for Parkinson’s disease. Trained in both Neurology and Pharmacology (MD, 2003), he completed a PhD in Experimental Neuroscience in 2005 at the Institut du Fer à Moulin (Paris) under the supervision of JA Girault, focusing on dopamine signaling. He then pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in neurogenetics in the lab of J. Oksenberg at UCSF (San Francisco, USA). His research interests center on the molecular mechanisms, genetic modifiers, and pharmacological aspects of Parkinson’s disease. His work adopts a translational approach, bridging experimental models and clinical research, particularly through candidate gene and genome-wide association studies. A long-standing and active member of the Movement Disorder Society (MDS), he was part of the inaugural LEAP MDS Program Class in 2015. He has since served as MDS-ES Officer and contributed to several committees, including the Awards Committee, Financial Affairs Committee, and Industry Education and Services Committee. He chaired the Local Organizing Committee for the 2019 MDS Congress in Nice and currently sits on the Education Committee, Curriculum Development Committee, LEAP Steering Committee, and ES Summit Oversight Committee. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Movement Disorders journal, Member of the Movement Disorders Scientific Panel of the European Academy of Neurology and serves on the Board of the French Movement Disorders Society.

The European Section of the IPMDS has an important function in ensuring training of the next generation of movement disorder specialists in Europe, and in the advancement of knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, which are affecting an ever increasing proportion of the population. 

The MDS-ES builds on a rich tradition of neurological expertise and research methdologies, and collaboration in all aspects of training and research is crucial to the development of our discipline, optimal care provision, including diagnosis and treatment of our patients, and enhancement of the unique opportunities provided by European and other collaborations. I will use my experience in working with movement disorders specialists in several European and international institutions, track record in the MDS and several of its committees, and my knowledge of clinical issues and research, to bring together expertise, experience, expectations and aims of movement disorders specialists and trainess and other healthcare specialists to work towards those aims.

I am a clinical neurologist with training in clinical neurology and psychiatry, both in Germany and the UK. Throughout my career I have been involved in research as well as clinical practice, and have been a Professor of Clinical Neurosciences at University College London since 2015. My main interest lies in parkinsonian disorders, but I have worked on other movement disorders such as Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, dystonia, functional movement disorders, tremor and chorea. I am an honorary professor at Queen Mary University London, gave the 2018 Youdim lecture at the Institute of Psychobiology in Jerusalem, received the Silver Medal of the European Society for Person Centered Healthcare in 2018 and the Journal of Parkinson’s disease Clinical Parkinson’s Prize in 2024. I have been a member of the MDS since 1997 and have served on multiple MDS committees and task forces, including as secretary and treasurer of the MDS-ES and as Vice chair of the Education committee, been a member of the MDS Parkinson’s disease Non-Motor Symptoms and Multiple System Atrophy study groups and am currently Vice-chair of the Parkinson’s disease Non-Motor Symptoms Study Group. 

My vision as a movement disorder neurologist and researcher is 

• to improve patients’ access to movement disorder and other health professionals care
• to facilitate mentorships in the MDS community
• to bring the opportunity to young researchers including those from underserved areas, to have the opportunity to develop their capabilities by creating research, educational nd professional aopportunities.
• to create liaison opportunities to create multidisciplinary teams for patients care and research

My educational background includes being MD; PhD, and a movement disorders neurologists at Hospital Universitario Burgos, Spain with my fellowship completed at Rush University under the direction of Dr Christopher Goetz in 2000. I have been able to create the movement disorders unit at my hospital, train young neurologists in movement disorders, and be involved in different research networks including the Scientific and Executive Comittee of the European Huntington´s disease Network, the Parkinson´s disease longitudinal network in Spain, Chair of the Telemedicine Study Group of the International Parkinson´s disease and Movement Disorder Society (2015-2021), member of the European Section Executive Committee and of MDS Clinical Outcome Assessment Program Committee the MDS, and past member of the LEAP program. I am well published and widely recognized as an expert in clinical rating scales, clinical manifestations of movement disorders, neuroepidemiology, telemedicine novel therapies for Movement Disorders including Parkinson´s disease and Huntington´s disease. My publication record to date includes 246 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading journals in the field including Movement Disorders, Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, Lancet Neurology, and Neurology. I am currently the principal investigator of a research project funded by the Spanish Government targeted to prevent falls by using a multidicisciplinary telemedicine clinic and remote novel technology, the development of digital biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease and Huntington¡s disease, and the analysis of environmental risk factors for PD. 

I am honored to have the possibility to be considered as candidate to serve as MDS-ES Officer. 

My vision for MDS-ES, as part of a team, is to take on the challenge of these times and use it as an opportunity to strengthen the importance of the European region.

I would support general neurologists and patients to be involved in the educational resources, especially in underserved parts. I would encourage to incorporate modern technologies in the education in our field.

I would like also to work with other colleagues from Affiliate Societies. The particular and important relationship with EAN would be also a key focus. Integration of the knowledge and multidisciplinary approach from associate disciplines like neurosurgery, allied health (with all subspecialities), basic sciences would be a key target. I also would like to support the young neurologists to be involved in different educational and scientific activities. 

Thank you.

Cristian Falup-Pecurariu is Head of the Department of Neurology, County Clinic Hospital Brasov and Professor of Neurology, Transilvania University from Brasov, Romania. He holds a 1 year fellowship of the European Neurological Society in movement disorders and sleep medicine at Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain. 

During his career he was President of the European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees (EAYNT), EAYNT Liaison Officer with World Federation of Neurological Society, co-representative of Europe on the International Working Group for Young Neurologists and Trainees (World Federation of Neurology). He is MDS member from 2003. In the past he served in MDS as member and afterwards Chair of the Education Committee of MDS-ES, now being member of the Education Committee, Chair of the Non Motor PD Study Group, Chair of the COA Education and Training Program Committee. He is also former member of the Executive Committee of the MDS-ES, former member of the International Executive Committee of the MDS. In EAN he is serving as member of the Program Committee and of the Mentorship Task Force. He is the initiator and Course Director of the Brasov Movement Disorders Teaching Course (14 editions). He enjoys traveling and hiking.

I would like to contribute to the MDS-ES Executive Committee. I would consider it a privilege to represent the interests of fellow European MDS members. Having been an MDS member for over 15 years, and worked within several MDS committees and study groups, I believe I have the necessary understanding of the aims, goals, and workings of MDS in order to succeed in this position. 

Having worked as a neurologist in Australia, the USA, and Ireland, in public, private and academic settings, I appreciate different educational needs and clinical practice challenges. Therefore I would bring a broad international perspective to the role.  My primary goals would be to contribute to online and regional education programs, and to support the MDS-ES to be recognized as the foremost authority for movement disorders education in Europe. I am particularly interested in assisting training for botulinum neurotoxin and movement neurophysiology training. 

I am a clinical and academic neurologist, with expertise in movement disorders, botulinum toxin, movement neurophysiology, and deep brain stimulation. I am a Consultant Neurologist at the Beacon Hospital and Beaumont Hospital, and Clinical Associate Professor at University College Dublin in Ireland. I recently established the first movement neurophysiology laboratory in Ireland, and direct the Botulinum Toxin Clinic for movement disorders and the Parkinson’s MDT clinic at the Beacon Hospital. I serve on the Board of Parkinson Ireland, the national charity for Parkinson’s Disease in Ireland.   Following medical school at Trinity College, Dublin, I undertook neurology training at the Royal Northshore Hospital in Sydney, and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Florida. I was Associate Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic, and established the Ataxia Clinic at Mayo Clinic. I was Director of the Movement Disorders Fellowship.  I have over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. 

My first MDS congress attendance was in 2009 in Buenos Aires, and I have been a member and attended almost every congress since. I was awarded the Presidential Junior Award at the 2014 Congress in Stockholm, and was selected for the LEAP program in 2016. I served on the Moving Along Editorial Board for 4 years. I have also been a member of the Education Committee, the Career Development Subcommittee (contributing to the Career Development Badge), the Membership and Public Relations Committee, and several Study groups (Telemedicine, Tremor, Ataxia, FND, and Clinical Neurophysiology). I have been an invited speaker to the Congress.

I am passionate about advancing our understanding of movement disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease, atypical Parkinson syndromes, and tremor disorders. My background in both clinical research and basic science provides me with a unique perspective on the translational aspects of neurodegeneration, from genetics to the molecular mechanisms driving these diseases. 

As the field moves from traditional clinical definitions to molecular-based diagnostics and therapies, I see an unprecedented opportunity to redefine how we approach diagnosis and treatment. 

As a member of the Executive Committee of the Movement Disorder Society, I aim to be a proactive leader, facilitating collaboration and innovation within the community. My goal is to contribute to the development of novel, targeted therapies that can significantly improve patient outcomes. By fostering a strong connection between clinical practice and cutting-edge research, I aspire to shape the future of movement disorder research and ultimately enhance the quality of care for patients worldwide.

Prof. Dr. med. Franziska Johanna Marion Hopfner is a Consultant Neurologist and Research Group Leader at the Neurological Clinic and Polyclinic, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany. She earned her medical degree from LMU in 2011, followed by a doctoral thesis with summa cum laude honors at the Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich. Dr. Hopfner completed her specialist training in Neurology at the Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and further training in Psychiatry at LMU Munich. She received her habilitation and Venia Legendi in Neurology in 2018.

Dr. Hopfner has led research projects, including a fellowship at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford, and served as Junior Group Leader at Hannover Medical School. She has been a consultant neurologist since 2020 and is actively involved in teaching and organizing scientific events. A member of multiple neurology societies and an ad hoc reviewer for various journals, Dr. Hopfner is committed to advancing neurological research and education. Her research focuses on the molecular biology of neurodegeneration and clinical tremor research.

It would be an honor for me to serve on the executive committee of the European section of the MDS. I believe the role of the MDS on a global scale has experimented a growth over the last decades. Consequently, the collaborations, education, and innovative research facilitated by the MDS have had and continue having a great impact on improving the understanding and education of movement disorders and ultimately the patient care. I believe that by serving on the MDS-ES executive committee, I can help foster an environment that supports these initiatives within the MDS community.

One of my key objectives is to strengthen the bridge between clinical practice and research, basic science and emerging technologies. These fields hold tremendous potential, and I am eager to contribute to the Society’s efforts in expanding education in these areas. Additionally, I aim to enhance the reach and influence of the MDS by further engaging medicine students, residents and other early-career professionals, as I did during my time as Chair of the Young Members Group Steering Committee.

As the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the MDS Podcast, I have already demonstrated my dedication to creating accessible educational contents. In this new role, I would like to further promote innovative learning solutions that empower our community of neurologists, scientists and other health professionals.

I am committed to bringing my leadership experience, expertise in movement disorders, and passion for innovation to the executive committee, helping to shape the future of the MDS and advance its mission. 

Dr. Matarazzo is a Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders specialist at HM CINAC, Madrid, where he focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and research of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. After completing his medical and neurological training at the Complutense University of Madrid, he received a clinical research fellowship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His research interests include functional and molecular neuroimaging, particularly PET imaging, as well as the use of new technologies and focused ultrasound in movement disorders. His work has resulted in numerous publications and presentations at international conferences.

An active contributor to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), Dr. Matarazzo co-founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the MDS Podcast. He also holds positions on several MDS committees, including the Nominating Committee and the Scientific Issues Committee. Previously, he chaired the Young Members Group Steering Committee, where he helped increase engagement among early-career professionals.

Dr. Matarazzo has been a dedicated member of the MDS since 2014 and is committed to advancing the Society’s missions through his leadership and expertise.

I believe I may help further expand and empower the MDS. My vision is to promote active involvement of Balkan and Eastern European countries in the MDS-ES, and to support MDS activities in these underserved areas. Establishing research and education relationships between Western and Eastern European countries in the field of Movement Disorders, fostering collaboration of young neurologists from different geographical areas of Europe and ensuring optimal access to care for the patients residing in different European counties are important tasks of the MDS-ES. 

Dr. Stankovic obtained her medical and Phd degrees at School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. She is a board-certificate neurologist with an expertise in Movement Disorders. Main areas of her research include multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease. Within MDS she was a junior coordinator of the MDS initiative for the revision of diagnostic criteria for multiple system atrophy which was awarded best review article published in Movement Disorders Journal in 2021-2022. Currently she is chairing the MSD-ES Education Committee and co-chairing the MDS Curriculum Development Sub-Committee.