Duncan Wilson, MBChB, MRCP, PhD
Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney Sydney, Australia
Rural Beginnings I grew up in Milton, a town of about 3,000 people on New Zealand’ s South Island. When I was 11, my family moved to Dunedin to give my twin brother and me a better shot at receiving a good education. I was the first in my family to attend university. My parents instilled in us a drive to work hard and aim high.
Medicine was always my plan. I originally thought I’ d become a renal physician. When my wife started a PhD program in London, I took a hospital job in neurology. I was captivated: You realize how little we understand about the brain, despite its control over everything. That perspective changed my course entirely.
Training That Transformed Practice Before pursuing movement disorders, I completed a PhD in vascular neurology at University College London. I gained deep respect for how research shapes the future of medicine.
During my Edmond J. Safra Fellowship at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, I was involved in many research studies. Of the two most exciting projects, one found that incobotulinumtoxinA, a type of botulinum toxin and a neuro-muscular blocker, may help patients with proximal limb tremor regardless of origin; the other investigated fecal transplants in Parkinson’ s patients with PEG-J feeding
tubes, which bypass the stomach and administers nutrients directly into the small intestine, with promising early results showing reduced“ off” time.
I also gained exposure to a spectrum of movement disorders care: deep brain stimulation( DBS), tremor studies, botulinum toxin clinics, pediatric and genetic movement disorders and clinical trials. The nursing staff reshaped my view of what high-quality care really looks like. They filled the gaps between visits, managed dopamine challenges, helped manage medication side effects. They brought deep insight and passion to every patient interaction.
Laying the Groundwork in Christchurch I’ ve returned to New Zealand to expand the existing movement disorders program in Christchurch. This includes plans to bring DBS to the South Island for the first time. I’ ll also help lead the Neurodegeneration Research Group, guiding research into Parkinson’ s, Huntington’ s disease and dementia. I’ m excited to help shape what’ s next for patients in my part of the world.
It’ s hard to think how I’ d be here without the Fellowship. The exposure to rare conditions, neurophysiological testing, DBS and a movement disorders group encompassing pediatrics, genetics and psychiatry was an opportunity not many can access in New Zealand.
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