Neuro-Infectious Diseases/Autoimmune Neurology Fellowship

Welcome to the Department of Neurology

Program Information:

Program Director: Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS
Associate Program Director: Amanda Piquet, MD

 

Our Neuro-Infectious Diseases/Autoimmune Neurology Fellowship is a joint program between the Department of Neurology and the Division of Infectious Diseases. It is open to both neurologists and infectious disease physicians who wish to learn more about neuro-infectious and neuro-inflammatory conditions. It is a one-year clinical fellowship at the University of Colorado Hospital from July 1 to June 30

 

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Our fellow will be trained in the diagnosis and management of various neuro-infectious diseases (e.g., bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic meningoencephalitis and myelitis) among both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed (e.g., HIV/AIDS, transplant patients) patients. They will also be trained in the diagnosis and management of various neuro-inflammatory diseases (e.g., autoimmune encephalitis, sarcoid, lupus, multiple sclerosis), and become very familiar with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory medications. Finally, they will be introduced to public health processes at the local, state, and national levels. After graduation, our fellow would be well-trained for a variety of academic or private practice neurology or infectious disease positions.

​Here are some neuro-infectious/neuro-inflammatory conditions our fellow has diagnosed, managed and/or researched:

Acute demyelinating

Gamella endocarditis resulting in stroke

Neurosyphilis

​Acute flaccid myelitis

​​Guillain-Barre syndrome

Nocardia meningoencephalitis

Aspergillus meningoencephalitis

​​Haemophilus influenzae meningitis

​Nontuberculosis mycobacterial myelitis

Autoimmune encephalitis

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Hashimoto’s encephalopathy

​Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES)

Brain abscesses 

​​HHV-6 encephalitis

 

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)

Candida meningitis

HIV dementia

Ramsay Hunt syndrome

​Central pontine myelinolysis

​​​HIV encephalitis

​​Rapidly progressive dementia

Checkpoint inhibitor associated encephalitis

HIV myelitis

​​​Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

​Chikungunya virus disease

​​HSV encephalitis

​​​Stiff person syndrome

​CNS lymphoma

HTLV-1 myelitis

​Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis

​CNS Toxoplasmosis

Intravascular Lymphoma

Subdural empyema

​​CNS vasculitis

​​Leukoencephalopathy NOS

​Transverse myelitis

Coccidioides meningitis

​​Listeria meningitis

​​Tuberculosis meningitis

​COVID-19 encephalopathy

Lupus cerebritis

​​VZV encephalitis

​​Cryptococcus meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis

VZV vasculitis

EBV encephalitisMultiple sclerosisWest Nile virus acute flaccid paralysis
​​Enterobacter meningitisNeurocysticercosisWest Nile virus meningoencephalitis
Epidural spinal abscessNeuromyleitis opticaZika virus disease
Erdheim-Chester CNS diseaseNeurosarcoidosis 

 

Denver, Colorado, offers many outdoor and cultural activities. Whether you like skiing, hiking, drinking craft beer, visiting museums, or going to games, there is plenty to see and do while training here!

 

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Eligibility Criteria:

  1. All applicants for this non-ACGME fellowship program must be eligible for full University of Colorado Hospital credentialing
  2. Possession of a current, valid, unrestricted Colorado medical license prior to the start of the fellowship.
  3. Completion of an accredited 1) residency in neurology or 2) fellowship in infectious diseases
  4. Board-certified or board-eligible in neurology, internal medicine, and/or infectious diseases

Application Information:

 

Please have your complete application in by December 15 one and a half years prior to the desired fellowship start date (e.g., Dec 2022 for a July 2024 start). We will begin reviewing complete applications in December, followed by virtual interviews throughout January and early February. We hope to have final decisions by mid-February. 

 

​Fellowship Position Status

 

2022-2023 – Fellowship positions filled
2023-2024 – Fellowship positions filled
2024-2025 – Fellowship positions open

 

 

Application Materials:

 

  1. Intent to Apply Form 
  2. CV
  3. Personal statement on how this fellowship will fit in with your career goal
  4. 3 letters of recommendation, preferably from faculty who can comment on your skills and interest
  5. USMLE/COMLEX scores (steps 1, 2, and 3)
  6. Letter of good standing which includes status in current program and dates of training (residency graduation certificate is also acceptable if training is complete
  7. ECFMG certificate (if applicable)

  
Daniel Smith, MD:  Ohio Health
Murtaza Khan, MD: University of Kansas Medical Center
Christine Gill, MD:  University of Iowa
Ronak Kapadia, MD: University of Calgary
Kyle Coleman, MD, MS:Indiana University
Elizabeth Matthews, MD:  Current Fellow