Neurology Education Programs

The Department of Neurology education programs have been centered around humanistic practice since 1977, to drive the relationship between physicians and patients in clinical care, research, and educational practice, Nx to train neuroscientists, neurology physicians, and neuropsychiatrists at UMass Chan Medical School. Our program is founded on a distinguished history of scientific discovery, diversity, and recognition. 

The multidisciplinary approach in learning includes working with neuropsychologists, cognitive and behavioral neurologists, and other health care partners to advance treatment and patient care through the collaboration between UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan.  

Residency training in neurology heavily favors early exposure to acute neurologic problems and hospital-based care while the combined neuropsychiatry residency program strives to educate and train residents to be knowledgeable in the correlation of brain function and behavior, informed in the broad range of neurobiological, neurological, psychotherapeutic, social, cultural and rehabilitative perspectives and who are able to serve each department as a resource in the complementary field. We are dedicated to the training of psychiatrist/neurologists skilled at the management of high levels of neurological and psychiatric comorbidity, who serve their community by engaging in research and providing compassionate, person- and family-driven, trauma-informed, recovery-focused, respectful care and advocacy for those in need of neuropsychiatric and mental health services.

Dr. Carandang is proud of our strong recruitment process for our education programs, and our ability to attract diverse trainees, develop national and international professional relationships, and create opportunities for medical students and trainees to participate in global health education.

Dr. Carandang shares,“We want to protect and continue our innate core as an educational program while establishing a workplace culture that supports and assists our team in obtaining their professional goals while enjoying the work they do.”

Many of our current faculty members participated in our residency and fellowship programs.

• Dr. Lan Qin was the first Clinical Neurophysiology fellow to attend our program, and now she is the fellowship director.    
• Dr. Carolina Ionete was the first Neuroimmunology fellow and is now the MS Center director.  
• Dr. Idanis Berrios Morales was a Neuroimmunology fellow and is now the fellowship program director.  
• Dr. Galica was our first Neurorehabilitation fellow and now works with Dr. Bradylyons, a graduate fellow from our program in Neurorehabilitation and Recovery.

Our team strives to recognize and celebrate the achievements and successes of developing our faculty team, growing department specialty areas, increasing our patient population for clinical services, and discovering new cures for neurological diseases. Congratulations and Staff recognitions for the 2024-2025 school year: 

• Dr. Rakhee Lalla and Dr. Danison Emmerson, are associate resident program directors working with Kate Daniello, MD. residency program director in neurology.   
• Dr. Ayshe Anna Beesen, is the director of the Neurocritical Care Fellowship.
• Dr. Annie Ferris, is the co-director of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship Program working with Majaz Moonis, MD, fellowship director 
• Dr. Christine Eckhart, joined the Neurocritical Care team at the end of July, moving the staffing team to five faculty members.  

Raphael Carandang, MD, vice chair of academic affairs shares, “Our mission strives to preserve our academic successes and annual worldwide diverse student and trainee acceptance population, continuing to grow in reputation with a competitive academic curriculum, offering competitive training programs through our residency, fellowship, graduate students, and post-doctoral training, in a positive workplace climate where our team enjoys coming to work every day to support our faculty’s professional goals. “  

Our department develops clinics to be centers of excellence in care. Our residency graduates, fellows, and PhD students join UMass Chan Medical School from reputable academic institutions, and our trainees receive quality placements after graduation, many becoming academic faculty.    

We offer continuing education available to trainees and faculty through our grand-rounds seminars, a neuro-humanities curriculum, faculty care program, neuroscience of disease, neurology seminar series, neuro-nexus seminar programs, and the neuroinflammation data club, held with guest speakers.