Kacey Hu, MD
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Los Angeles, California
Personal Insights into Neurology Two cities shaped who I am and how I got here: Los Angeles, where I grew up, and Evanston, Illinois, where I was born, and where I attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate and medical student. I chose the University of Southern California( USC) for my residency so that I could be closer to family. It’ s all come full circle.
My first introduction to neurology came when my dad was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’ s disease. I was in middle school, and we didn’ t know much about the condition. His neurologist— who still sees him today— was incredibly kind and reassuring. She framed the diagnosis as something we would navigate together, focusing on quality of life. That mindset made a huge difference for our whole family. It also shaped how I approach care as a doctor. I understand how overwhelming it can be to hear a diagnosis like that for the first time, or to feel uncertain about what the future holds.
Inspired by Mentors Although my personal experience drew me toward neurology, I entered medical school with an open mind. Early on, I connected with a mentor, Cindy Zadikoff, MD, a movement disorder specialist who led the neurology clerkship at Northwestern. Shadowing her clinic solidified neurology as the career I wanted— in part because you can develop long-term relationships with patients. That’ s as important to me as providing excellent clinical care.
She also introduced me to the Parkinson’ s Progression Markers Initiative( PPMI), which opened my eyes to the research side of the field. My residency program director at USC, Jennifer Hui, MD, also a movement disorder specialist, introduced me to my current research mentor, Xenos Mason, MD. Under his guidance, I’ ve been studying deep brain stimulation, with a focus on how clinical and social factors might influence outcomes. So far, we’ ve found that comorbidities, such as cardiac disease and weight, can correlate with poorer outcomes, while insurance status and ZIP Code don’ t appear to have the same effect.
The Gift of Time While going through residency, you feel like you can barely focus on research. The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship changed that for me. I received the gift of dedicated time to work with my mentors and pursue clinical questions that, I hope, will lead to better care someday. After maternity leave, I’ ll return to USC as faculty, continuing with research and clinical trials, and caring for patients in clinic.
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