Class of 2025
Taha Omer, MBBS, Dip. Ther, DCSM, MRCPI, MRCP( London), PhD
University of Calgary Alberta, Canada
Cultivating Curiosity My parents worked in the business sector in Sudan. They taught me that working toward goals is highly rewarding, and raised me in an environment that emphasized curiosity, compassion and perseverance. I developed a drive to learn new things and to keep progressing.
From a young age, I was fascinated by how the body works— especially the brain. My teachers and mentors encouraged me to dig deeper, not just by learning facts, but also by understanding how those facts apply to real people’ s lives. That foundation stayed with me throughout my training.
After attending medical school at the University of Khartoum, I pursued a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, where I focused on biomarkers and progression in neurodegeneration and gained essential tools in research methodology, epidemiology, imaging, genetics and neurophysiology. I completed my neurology training at Trinity College Dublin, University College London, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queen Square in London.
I was drawn to movement disorders because of their complexity, the resilience of patients and the chance to build long-term, meaningful therapeutic relationships. In this field, compassion and innovation come together.
Honing Care and Research Skills The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship has been transformative, giving me the opportunity to grow as a clinician and a leader. I’ ve cared for patients across the full spectrum of movement disorders while sharpening my skills in advanced therapies such as deep brain stimulation, infusion therapies and botulinum toxin injections.
The Fellowship also allowed me to explore research topics I care deeply about, such as patient-centered outcomes in Parkinson’ s, non-motor symptoms in dystonia and how the gut microbiome might influence dopamine metabolism. One of my current projects evaluates the internal consistency of self-administered questionnaires for anxiety and depression in dystonia.
Fusing Practice with Purpose My goal is to join an academic center where I can offer advanced, compassionate care while participating in cutting-edge research. I hope to help shape a patientcentered, multidisciplinary movement disorders program, one that doesn’ t just treat symptoms but also improves lives.
10 The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders