I am a Neurologist who specializes in the treatment of Movement Disorders. My primary interest is in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). After joining University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) as faculty, I developed and became the Co-Director of Comprehensive Multi-disciplinary PD Clinic at UNMC. As a fellow at UNMC, I initiated the Orthostatic Tremor (OT) Research project which grew to become the largest ever prospective ongoing research project on OT, supporting multiple ongoing studies that I continue to be actively involved with it. I coordinated and participated in 3 International OT meetings at UNMC to conduct the research on this rare condition. I have strong interest in PD neuroprotection and participated in study of Leukine (GM-CSF) for immune-modulation in Parkinson’s Disease, which is a Phase 1a study. As a member of PD Study Group (PSG), I continued this research and am currently participating in 3 Multi-center PSG sponsored neuroprotection trials including STEADY-PD3 (Site Sub-I), SURE-PD3 (Site PI), and NILO-PD (Site PI). I recently expanded by research in PD to investigate driver safety in PD, and have developed novel mobile applications to measure a PD individual’s changing motor symptoms via finger-tapping and their self-awareness of these motor symptoms, which is modulated by complex cognitive and disease factors.
Positions and Employment
- Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE
- Director, International Neurology Program and Observership Program
- Co-Director, Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Parkinson Disease Clinic
- Associate Director, Movement Disorders Fellowship Program
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
- 2009-present Member, American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
- 2012-present Member, International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society (MDS)
- 2014-present Member, International Neurotoxin Association (INA)
- 2014-present Member and Co-chair, MERIT Committee, Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America (APPNA)
- 2014-present Member, King Edward Medical College Alumni Association of North America (KEMCAANA)
- 2015-present Member, Parkinson Study Group (PSG)
- 2015-present Member and Advisor, Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN)
- 2015-present Founding Member and Advisor, Movement Disorders Society of Pakistan (MDSP)
- 2017-present Chair Education Committee, Pakistan International Neuroscience Society (PINS)
Awards and Honors
- 2017 Nomination for Innovative Practice in Education award
- 2017 International Best Teacher Award, Pakistan Society of Neurology
- 2017 Most Innovative Teaching Award, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- 2017 Awarded Visiting Professorship by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan at National University of Medical Sciences in Pakistan.
- 2016 Awards for Workshops in Movement Disorders by Pakistan Society of Neurology
- 2016-present Residency Clinical Competency Committee, member
- 2016-present Chair Outreach SWOT Committee
- 2015-present Chair Residency Curriculum Committee
- 2012-2016 UNMC Committee on Global Health, member
- 2015 Organized 1st National Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Meeting in Pakistan
- 2015 Founding member of Movement Disorders Society of Pakistan
- 2011-2012 Administrative Chief Resident and member of Chief Residents Council
- 2011-2012 Department Chair Selection Committee, member
PUBLICATIONS
- Junaid H Siddiqui, MD, MRCP; Danish Bhatti, MD; Fahd Alsubaie, MBBS; Movement Disorders and Deep Brain Stimulation in the Middle East. World Neurosurgery (In press) WNS-17-1464R1
- Danish Bhatti, Rebecca Thompson, Yiwen Xia, Amy Hellman, Lorene Schmaderer, Katie Suing , Jennifer McKunec, Cynthia Penke , Regan Iske, Bobbi Jo Roeder, John Bertoni, Diego Torres Russotto. Comprehensive, blinded assessment of balance in orthostatic tremor. Parkinsonism and Related Disorder (doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2017.11.335)
- Lenka A, Pal PK, Bhatti DE, Louis ED. Pathogenesis of Primary Orthostatic Tremor: Current Concepts and Controversies. Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements 2017;7. Doi: 10.7916/D8W66ZBH
- Bhatti D, Thompson R J, Hellman A M, Penke C, Bertoni J, Torres-Russotto D. Smartphone Apps provide a simple, accurate bedside screening tool for Orthostatic Tremor (in press, Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice MDCP-17-0129.R1)
- Kerui Xu, M.P.H, Ph.D(c); Nada Alnaji, M.P.H, M.D.; John M. Bertoni, M.D., Ph.D; Li-Wu Chen, M.H.S.A, Ph.D; Danish Bhatti, M.D; Fei Jiang, M.P.H; Ming Qu, M.D., Ph.D Comorbid conditions in Parkinson’s disease: a population-based study of statewide Parkinson’s Disease Registry. Neuroepidemiology 2017 Dec 22;50(1-2):7-17.
- Howard E. Gendelman, Yuning Zhang, Pamela Santamaria, Katherine E. Olson, Charles R. Schutt, Danish Bhatti, Bhagya Laxmi Dyavar Shetty, Yaman Lu, Katherine A. Estes, David G. Standaert, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, LuAnn Larson, Jane L. Meza, Matthew Follett, Erica Forsberg, Gary Siuzdak, Tony W. Wilson, Carolyn Peterson & R. Lee Mosley. Evaluation of the safety and immunomodulatory effects of sargramostim in a randomized, double-blind phase 1 clinical Parkinson’s disease trial. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2017 Mar 23;3:10
- Michelle Fullard, Dylan Thibault, Andrew Hill, Joellyn Fox, Danish Bhatti, Michelle A. Burack, Nabila Dahodwala, Elizabeth Haberfeld, Drew Kern, Olga S Klepitskaya, Enrique Urrea-Mendoza, Phillip Myers, John G. Nutt, Miriam Rafferty, Jason M. Schwalb, Lisa M. Shulman, and Allison W. Willis. Utilization of Rehabilitation Therapy Services in Parkinson’s disease in the United States. Parkinson Study Group Healthcare Outcomes and Disparities Working Group. Neurology. 2017 Aug 23
- Bhatti D, Balasetti V., Malgireddy K., Rush ET, Torres-Russotto D. Tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive behavior, and dysmorphic features in a patient with deletions at chromosome 18q22.1 and chromosome 13q12.3-q13.1. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2016 Nov;32:133-134.
- Bhatti D, Torres-Russotto D. Pharmacological Management of Psychosis in Parkinson Disease: A Review. Current Drug Therapy 2012, 7, 151-163
- Bhatti D, Thompson R, Malgireddy K, Bayer B, Bessette D, Fleisher M, Murman D, Torres-Russotto D, Anxiety spectrum disorders are common in patients with orthostatic tremor”. (submitted)
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
- Resident Block Curriculum with Mini-Courses: I directed designing and transition of the Resident didactics into blocks or mini-courses covering all sub-specialties. Each mini-course is directed by a sub-speciality faculty having its own curriculum, blending into a larger comprehensive curriculum.
- Blended Learning in Movement Disorders: This 5-week long Blended learning course was created for the Neurology resident at UNMC and conducted in 2017 with face to face weekly didactics and online component of reading materials and assignments and quizzes.
- Online Learning in Movement Disorders: This is a 6-month online course that was created using Moodle Learning Management System and delivered as distance learning online to first cohort of 18 Neurologists and residents in 2017. The course included lectures, quizzes and assignments delivered in 12 modules. It will be repeated and expanded over time.
- Online Mini Fellowship in Stroke: A 6-month online course is being developed to be delivered as distance online learning for Neurologists and neurology residents. The course will include lectures, quizzes and assignments delivered in 12 modules.
- Visiting Scholars Program: I have developed a program for international neurology faculty to visit UNMC for sub-specialty focused and goal-directed exposure to our practices to transfer skills and fill knowledge gaps internationally.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
- 2017 Patient Awareness and Education Seminar on Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for Essential Tremor. UNMC, Omaha NE
- 2017 Parkinson Disease the battle between Brain and Mind. News article, p 138, Feb 2017. Omaha Magazine
- 2017 Living with Parkinson Disease: Stories of Courage, Annual Parkinson’s Disease patient and caregiver symposium, Omaha NE
- 2017 Risk Factors for Parkinson Disease, Annual Parkinson Disease CME conference, UNMC, Omaha NE
- 2016 Risk Factors for PD, Annual PD Symposium, Omaha NE
- 2016 Risk Factors for PD, Annual IA APDA symposium, Sioux City, IA
- 2016 Nebraska Medicine Newsletter, Points of Care: PD Comprehensive Clinic
- 2016 TV appearance: UNO Television – KYNE-TV Channel 26 (Nebraska ETV Network) and KUON-TV Channel 12
- 2015 Annual PD Symposium for Patients and Caregiver, Omaha NE. Role of Genetics in Parkinson Disease
- 2015 Newspaper Article: Errant Tennis serve toss symptom of PD (The Grand Island Independent Nov 22nd 2015; World Herald News Nov 29th 2015)
- 2014 Annual PD Symposium for Patients and Caregiver, Omaha NE. What is Atypical Parkinsonism?
- 2014 HD Genetics 101Huntington Disease Conference Fall 2014, Omaha NE
- 2014 Healthy living with Parkinson. APDA NE support groups,
- 2014 Ask the Experts. APDA NE support groups
- 2014 APDA newsletter articles (multiple)
- 2014 What Can I do for my Tremor? UNMC Blog article
- 2013 Annual PD Symposium for Patients and Caregiver, Omaha NE.
- 2013 Omaha Health Expo. Living Well with Parkinson Disease. Patient and Caregiver Question Answer session
- 2012 Annual PD Symposium for Patients and Caregiver, Omaha NE.
