Dystonia Expert Steven Frucht, MD Appointed Director of the Movement Disorders Division
Dr. Frucht, a renowned expert in hyperkinetic disorders, joins the Robert and John M. Bendheim Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center.
Steven Frucht, MD, a renowned expert in hyperkinetic movement disorders, has joined The Mount Sinai Medical Center as Director of the Movement Disorders Division in the Robert and John M. Bendheim Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center, and as Professor of Neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His appointment began January 1.
"As a leader in movement disorders, Dr. Frucht has made significant contributions to understanding and treating dystonia, myoclonus, and tremor," said Stuart C. Sealfon, MD, Glickenhaus Professor and Chair, Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "We are very happy to have recruited this master clinician, outstanding teacher, and researcher to direct the division."
In addition to evaluating the full spectrum of patients with movement disorders, Dr. Frucht’s research interests focus on the evaluation and treatment of tremors and myoclonus, or brief and involuntary movements of the arms and legs. He is especially interested in task-specific dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by abnormal, involuntary, and sometimes painful muscle contractions. As a classically trained violinist and pianist, Dr. Frucht has a particular interest in how task-specific dystonia affects musicians. Research shows musicians may be more susceptible to the condition, which can be a career-ending diagnosis.
At Mount Sinai, Dr. Frucht plans to further his research of hyperkinetic movement disorders and expand experimental therapeutics research in the Movement Disorders Division. He plans to consolidate the strengths of the program, further its commitment to community medicine, and increase funding of research happening at Mount Sinai.
"Mount Sinai has a long history of experimental therapeutics, fantastic neuroscientists, and one of the busiest Deep Brain Stimulation programs in the country," said Dr. Frucht. "Mount Sinai has one of the premier movement disorders centers in the nation, and I look forward to propelling it further to the forefront of movement disorders research."
Dr. Frucht serves as a permanent member of the National Institutes of Health K-award study section for neurology, which supports a period of mentored or independent career development in preparation for a role as an independent researcher. He has participated in numerous clinical trials, published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, and authored two textbooks. Dr. Frucht is an active member of the Parkinson Study Group, Huntington Study Group, and Dystonia Study Group, and has lectured nationally and internationally in courses sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology and International Movement Disorders Society.
A native New Yorker, Dr. Frucht received his undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard before training in neurology at New York Hospital, where he served as chief resident. After completing training in Clinical Movement Disorders at Columbia University, he joined the Columbia faculty where he remained until his appointment at Mount Sinai.
Movement disorders are one of the most common neurological conditions, affecting more than 42 million Americans. One of the world’s leading multidisciplinary centers for the study of movement disorders, the Robert and John M. Bendheim Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center serves as a forum for collaboration among internationally acclaimed neuroscientists. The Center offers state-of-the-art clinical care, translational research, and basic science programs aimed at discovering cures for Parkinson’s, dystonia, and other movement disorders. The Center employs deep brain stimulation in one of the largest such programs in the country. The Center also plays a major role in evaluating cell-based and gene therapies for the treatment of movement disorders.
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's best hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place.
For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org. Follow us on Twitter @mountsinainyc.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
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