Nigel S. Bamford, MD

Nigel Bamford, MD, is a pediatric neurologist who treats children with movement disorders. As the director of the Pediatric Movement Disorders Clinic at Yale, he aims to integrate pediatric neurology, pediatric neurosurgery, genetics and psychology into the care of children with abnormal motor function. Thanks to progressing research, the knowledge base of movement disorders is quickly advancing, and Dr. Bamford is often able to tell patients “we have seen this before and have good treatments that will help your child.”

An associate professor of pediatrics and neurology and is the chief of pediatric neurology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Bamford is also an active neuroscientist who has done groundbreaking research on the mechanisms underlying motor learning, habit formation and movement disorders. Being a physician-scientist is a clear advantage, he says. “The overlap between studies in basic neuroscience and clinical medicine is providing new insights and generating novel, successful treatments that help children live happy lives.”

One of Dr. Bamford’s special interests within pediatric neurology is the diagnosis and treatment of paroxysmal dyskinesias, an uncommon disorder characterized by intermittent excessive and abnormal movements. “I have seen many children with this disorder and careful and directed treatment can reduce or eliminate the abnormal movements and improve their lives,” he says. Dr. Bamford, who identified a particular brain cell that causes these movements, heads a federally funded lab that is investigating brain pathways and novel treatments for dyskinesias.