There are four fellowship positions available beginning July 2025.

Interviews will take place between March and May 2024.

Our top-ranked ACGME and UCNS accredited one-year* program offers specializations in:

Clinical neuromuscular medicine

Electrodiagnostic studies

Neuromuscular pathology

Basic/translational/clinical research

* Additional years often available

Accreditations

ACGME
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
Neuromuscular Medicine

UCNS
United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties
Neuromuscular Pathology

Our program has sixteen clinical faculty and four APPs that specialize in adult and pediatric neuromuscular disorders, electromyography and nerve conduction studies, nerve/muscle imaging, and nerve/muscle pathology. We have robust clinical, translational and basic science research programs covering the entire neuromuscular disease spectrum.

Our neuromuscular medicine training program is ACGME-accredited and in substantial compliance (i.e., in great standing). The MDA Clinics at our institution are among the largest in the country. Our section has active, but always manageable, inpatient neuromuscular consultation services at Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s Hospitals. Our neuromuscular consult services afford trainees the opportunity to lead subspecialty care for urgent and emergent neuromuscular conditions in the inpatient setting.

We perform more than 3,500 EMG-NCS studies annually, primarily in our outpatient electrodiagnostic medicine suite, but also in the inpatient setting at Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s Hospitals. We perform 300-400 nerve and/or muscle ultrasounds annually and our suite is also equipped to perform autonomic testing (including Qsweat).

Our clinical neuromuscular pathology lab processes and interprets more than 600 muscle, 100 nerve, and 200 skin biopsy specimens per year. The laboratory also runs over 11,000 myopathy and neuropathy autoantibody tests per year and is one of only a few clinical laboratories offering neurofilament biomarker testing on serum and CSF.  Decades of banked tissue and serum specimens provide an invaluable resource for trainees interested in clinical and/or pathology research. Research opportunities are afforded by a large amount of elective and dedicated research time built into the fellowship.

We provide a supportive, rewarding, equitable, inclusive training environment that prioritizes education over service and the wellness of our trainees.

Program features

Best neuromuscular teaching (based on national self-assessment exam scores)
  • Top 10%: 69% of our neuromuscular fellows
  • Top 25%: 92% of our neuromuscular fellows
  • Learn from and with colleagues and attendings
  • Cross-coverage
  • Elective time: research, electrodiagnostics, neuromuscular imaging, pathology and laboratory medicine
Large clinical experience
  • Over 140 neuromuscular patients seen weekly
    • Outpatient and inpatient services
    • Exposure to adults and children
    • Active hospital consultation services at SLCH and BJH
  • Four weekly neuromuscular teaching conferences
16 neuromuscular attendings
  • Widely varied interests
    • Clinical: muscle, nerve, neuromuscular junction & rehabilitation
    • Laboratory testing
  • Teaching in clinical, laboratory & research
  • Mentoring in many clinical & research options
Electrodiagnostic service
  • Three attendings
    • Areas of neuromuscular expertise:
      • Muscle, neuromuscular junction, autonomic, nerve
      • Adult & pediatric neuromuscular disorders
    • Over 3,500 studies per year
    • Ultrasound
Neuromuscular laboratory medicine
  • Neuromuscular immunology
  • Antibody testing
  • Biomarkers
Neuromuscular pathology
  • Neuromuscular pathology lab
    • Muscle biopsies: 600 per year
    • Nerve biopsies: 130 per year
    • Skin biopsies: 200 per year
    • Directed by neuromuscular physicians
  • Specialty testing
    • Mitochondrial
    • Immune disorders
    • Glycogen pathway disorders
    • Hereditary myopathy proteins
    • Genetics & exome sequencing
  • Teaching archive
    • 15,000 biopsies for learning & research
  • Two weekly teaching conferences
Neuromuscular genetics service
  • Large and growing DNA and fibroblast bank
  • New genetic syndromes characterized
Neuromuscular research
Work environment
  • Saint Louis: family friendly, large city
  • WashU neurology: top-ranked, academic, large department
  • Happy FellowsGraduates who are still smiling
Outcomes: What happens after fellowship?
  • Neuromuscular medical school faculty: 70%
  • Practice: 30%

Director

Cindy  V. Ly, MD, PhD

Cindy V. Ly, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Neurology

Coordinator

Karen Dietz

Karen Dietz

Senior Coordinator, Neurology