Irene A Malaty, MD : Bio and credentials

My name is Irene Malaty, MD, and I am a board-certified neurologist and movement disorders specialist at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, serving as a professor in the University of Florida Department of Neurology.

I received my medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed my neurology residency and my movement disorders fellowship at UF.

I have been intrigued by the brain since I was young. Beginning in high school, I loved learning about how the brain controls our thoughts, speech and actions, and pondering the mysteries of how the mind operates. Parkinson’s disease also has a family connection for me as one of my favorite uncles lived with Parkinson’s disease.

In clinic, I see patients of all ages for various movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome and tic disorders, dystonia, essential tremor and atypical parkinsonism. My goal is to help people live their best life by listening to their concerns, educating them about their condition and treatment options and addressing the motor and non-motor (mood, cognitive and behavioral) symptoms of what is affecting them. We are a team, working together!

When I am not in clinic, I conduct research and clinical trials to learn more about people’s symptoms and to find better ways to treat movement disorders. Some research I have conducted includes exploring the use of pump-aided continuous levodopa infusion to avoid ups and downs of Parkinson's medication, and trying out a novel botulinum toxin that could last up to twice as long as the options already on the market.

I also have projects looking at factors affecting individuals with tic disorders, including personal stressors, and a study looking at "dignity therapy" in people with advanced Parkinson's disease to promote sense of purpose and value. I work together with researchers across the globe to explore hot topics in movement disorders such as unusual tic presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I serve on the Science Committee of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and was selected for the inaugural class of the AAN's Women Leading in Neurology program. I co-chair a task force to help shape the way doctors define and discuss tic disorders. I also teach about movement disorders internationally and co-authored "Living with Parkinson's Disease."

When I’m not at the clinic, I love traveling, viewing art and staying active by running and indoor cycling.