Ryan R. Walsh

About Ryan R. Walsh

I graduated cum laude from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Biology and went on to complete medical and doctoral training in the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program at The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I then received both post-doctoral training in functional magnetic resonance imaging and residency training in Neurology at The University of Chicago Medical Center. I subsequently pursued fellowship training in Movement Disorders at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I developed an investigation of brain networks underlying Parkinson Disease cognitive dysfunction. Following fellowship, I joined the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health (LRCBH) as the inaugural Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program. There I helped grow the clinical and research enterprises, including surrounding a grant from the Elaine P. Wynn and Family Foundation and an NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant where I was Principle Investigator (PI) of a research project focused on multi-modal MRI imaging in PD. The overarching goal of my research was to develop multi-modal MRI that simultaneously evaluates brain structure, function, and blood flow to improve the ability to diagnose, track, and treat PD and other neurodegenerative disorders, about which I have presented and published widely. I also inaugurated LRCBH as a Parkinson Study Group site (where I am a PI and a member of both the Biomarkers and Cognitive Working Groups) and a Huntington Study Group Site (where I am a PI) prior to moving to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute as Associate Professor. I have also been site PI on numerous clinical trials, participated in multiple Data Safety Monitoring Boards and Scientific Advisory Boards/Steering Committees, and have presented at and/or Chaired multiple national conferences/conference sessions related to brain imaging in PD and related disorders. My efforts have been recognized by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) where I was selected for the inaugural AAN Emerging Leaders Program, was a three-term member of the AAN Science Committee in addition to being involved in multiple other programs, and where I have been selected as a Fellow and most recently served as Vice-Chair of the Industry Relations Subcommittee. In addition, I was PI for the Barrow Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence and inaugural Director of the Barrow Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence, prior to joining SPARC in September, 2021.

Experience

1. Senior Director

   Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc.

   Apr 2024 — Present · US

Education

• Georgetown University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Biology, General

• The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

  Resident and Post-doctoral trainee, Neurology & Neuroscience

• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

  MD, PhD, Medicine & Neuroscience

• University of Alabama School of Medicine at Birmingham

  Fellow, Movement Disorders