A new Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry (BNNP) Fellowship Program, a joint collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Neurology, has been officially approved by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties. Directed by Michael Schrift, DO, MA, FANPA, and Associate Program Director, Michael Persenaire, MD, this new fellowship will approach brain-behavior relationships in a transformational way. 

Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry is a medical subspecialty committed to better understanding the links between neuroscience and behavior, and to the care of individuals with neurologically-based behavioral disturbances associated with cognition, emotion, behavior and elementary neurological functioning. This patient population is growing and requires physicians to be well-versed in this rapidly evolving field. The new fellowship training program will bring together neurologists and psychiatrists whose current practice overlaps with the BNNP patient population. 

Fellows will work at the Memory and Brain Wellness Center at Harborview Medical Center as well as in the UW Epilepsy, Movement Disorder and Brain Injury Medicine Programs. Over time, we hope to develop a cohort of experts who work well together to deliver exceptional patient care. The curriculum will include didactics and case conferences that will serve as a venue to discuss, co-manage, and share perspectives and resources. The BNNP fellowship will improve clinical care for our patients, improve the educational experience for trainees, and create new opportunities to advance knowledge in clinical neurosciences. The fellowship will also provide opportunities for collaborative scientific work and improve our understanding and treatment of these disorders. 

Graduates will manage the array of BNNP disorders upon completion of a 1-year clinical fellowship or a 2-year clinical-research fellowship and qualify for board certification in BNNP. We will host up to two fellows a year and hope to recruit the first fellow for Fall 2023. The BNNP Fellowship Program is supported by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, and the Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions.