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Dr. Ciafaloni is a Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Neuromuscular Diseases in adults and children. She is Co-Director of the MDA Neuromuscular Clinic and Program Director of the ACGME Accredited Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship Program. She gra...
Dr. Ciafaloni is a Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Neuromuscular Diseases in adults and children. She is Co-Director of the MDA Neuromuscular Clinic and Program Director of the ACGME Accredited Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship Program. She graduated from Medical School at the Universita' Statale di Milano, in Milano, Italy in 1989. She trained at Columbia University in mitochondrial diseases, then at Duke University where she completed her Neurology Residency and Neuromuscular/EMG Fellowships. She has been on the Neurology Faculty at URMC since 2002.
Her current commitments include improving the diagnosis and treatment of adult and pediatric patients with neuromuscular diseases, especially Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, ALS, limb girdle muscular dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy, FSHD, and spinal muscular atrophy. She has national and international expertise in conducting clinical trials in adult and pediatric neuromuscular diseases including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Myasthenia Gravis, periodic paralyses, nondystrophic myotonias, myotonic dystrophy and FSHD.
She has a clinical research interest in the best treatment of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the course and outcome of pregnancy in women with muscular dystrophies, and sleep disorders in neuromuscular diseases.
She has been involved in clinical care, research, education and advocacy related to neuromuscular diseases for the past 15 years. Her background as Principal Investigator for several national and international multi-center trials includes: Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis, Cell Cept in myasthenia gravis, Dichlorphenamide (DCP) in periodic paralyses, Mexiletine in myotonia congenital, and Ataluren (PTC124) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She is Chair of the Clinical Research Committee of the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance Tracking and Research Network (MDSTARnet), a CDC funded project on Becker/Duchenne muscular dystrophy( 2004-present).
She is currently Site Investigator for the following Clinical Trials: 1. FOR-DMD: Double-blind randomized trial to optimize steroid regimen in Duchenne MD (1 R01 NS061799-01A2) 2. A Phase II Trial of Rituximab in Myasthenia Gravis- neuroNEXT 3. An Open-Label, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Eteplirsen in Patients with Advanced Stage Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Sarepta) 4. An Open-Label, Multi-Center, 48-Week Study with a Concurrent Untreated Control Arm to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Eteplirsen in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Sarepta) 5. A Pharmacokinetic Study of Oral Deflazacort in Children and Adolescent Subjects With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Marathon Pharmaceuticals, LLC) 6. An Open-Label, Long-Term Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Deflazacort in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Marathon Pharmaceuticals, LLC)
Faculty Appointments
Professor
-
Department of Neurology, NMD (SMD)
Robert C. and Rosalyne H. Griggs Professor in Experimental Therapeutics of Neurological Disease
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Department of Neurology (SMD)
Professor
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SMD) - Joint
Professor
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Department of Pediatrics (SMD) - Joint
Credentials
Residency & Fellowship
Fellowship, Neuromuscular Medicine, Duke Graduate Medical Education. 1999 - 2000
Residency, Neurology, Duke Graduate Medical Education. 1996 - 1998
Internship, Internal Medicine, Duke Graduate Medical Education. 1995 - 1996
Residency, Neurology, Duke Graduate Medical Education. 1994 - 1995
Residency, Neurology, Universita Degli Studi Di Milano. 1989 - 1993
Internship, Neuromuscular Medicine, Universita Degli Studi Di Milano. 1988 - 1990
Education
MD | Universita Degli Studi di Milano (Italy).1989
Awards
Guide to America's Top Physicians.2012
Patient and Family –Centered-Care Award.2011
Elected by her peers for inclusion in Best Doctors in America.2007
Pharmacia & Upjohn Research Award: For Outstanding Research in Myasthenia Gravis.2000
Research
Dr. Ciafaloni has a clinical research interest in the best treatment of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the course and outcome of pregnancy in women with muscular dystrophies, and sleep disorders in neuromuscular diseases.
She has been involved in clinical care, research, education...
Dr. Ciafaloni has a clinical research interest in the best treatment of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the course and outcome of pregnancy in women with muscular dystrophies, and sleep disorders in neuromuscular diseases.
She has been involved in clinical care, research, education and advocacy related to neuromuscular diseases for the past 15 years. Her background as Principal Investigator for several national and international multi-center trials includes: Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis, Cell Cept in myasthenia gravis, Dichlorphenamide (DCP) in periodic paralyses, Mexiletine in myotonia congenital, and Ataluren (PTC124) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She is Chair of the Clinical Research Committee of the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance Tracking and Research Network (MDSTARnet), a CDC funded project on Becker/Duchenne muscular dystrophy( 2004-present).
She is currently Site Investigator for the following Clinical Trials: 1. FOR-DMD: Double-blind randomized trial to optimize steroid regimen in Duchenne MD (1 R01 NS061799-01A2) 2. A Phase II Trial of Rituximab in Myasthenia Gravis- neuroNEXT 3. An Open-Label, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Eteplirsen in Patients with Advanced Stage Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Sarepta) 4. An Open-Label, Multi-Center, 48-Week Study with a Concurrent Untreated Control Arm to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Eteplirsen in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Sarepta) 5. A Pharmacokinetic Study of Oral Deflazacort in Children and Adolescent Subjects With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Marathon Pharmaceuticals, LLC) 6. An Open-Label, Long-Term Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Deflazacort in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Marathon Pharmaceuticals, LLC)
DMD is caused by a non-working gene that causes an important protein called dystrophin to not be made properly. Dystrophin helps protect the muscles from breaking down and becoming weaker. This study will help researchers find out if replacing the no...
Mendell JR, Muntoni F, McDonald CM, Mercuri EM, Ciafaloni E, Komaki H, Leon-Astudillo C, Nascimento A, Proud C, Schara-Schmidt U, Veerapandiyan A, Zaidman CM, Guridi M, Murphy AP, Reid C, Wandel C, Asher DR, Darton E, Mason S, Potter RA, Singh T, Zhang W, Fontoura P, Elkins JS, Rodino-Klapac LR
Nature medicine.. 2025 January 31 (1):332-341. Epub 10/09/2024.
Lietsch M, Chan K, Taylor J, Lee BH, Ciafaloni E, Kwon JM, Waldrop MA, Butterfield RJ, Rathore G, Veerapandiyan A, Kapil A, Parsons JA, Gibbons M, Brower A
International journal of neonatal screening.. 2024 April 1810 (2)Epub 04/18/2024.
Armstrong N, Apkon S, Berggren KN, Braun C, Ciafaloni E, Connolly A, Kennedy A, Kuntz N, Mathews K, McGuire M, Parad R, Scavina M, Scharf RJ, Waldrop M
Lee BH, Deng S, Chiriboga CA, Kay DM, Irumudomon O, Laureta E, Delfiner L, Treidler SO, Anziska Y, Sakonju A, Kois C, Farooq O, Engelstad K, Laurenzano A, Hogan K, Caggana M, Saavedra-Matiz CA, Stevens CF, Ciafaloni E
Neurology.. 2022 October 399 (14):e1527-e1537. Epub 10/03/2022.
Guglieri M, Bushby K, McDermott MP, Hart KA, Tawil R, Martens WB, Herr BE, McColl E, Speed C, Wilkinson J, Kirschner J, King WM, Eagle M, Brown MW, Willis T, Griggs RC, , Straub V, van Ruiten H, Childs AM, Ciafaloni E, Shieh PB, Spinty S, Maggi L, Baranello G, Butterfield RJ, Horrocks IA, Roper H, Alhaswani Z, Flanigan KM, Kuntz NL, Manzur A, Darras BT, Kang PB, Morrison L, Krzesniak-Swinarska M, Mah JK, Mongini TE, Ricci F, von der Hagen M, Finkel RS, O'Reardon K, Wicklund M, Kumar A, McDonald CM, Han JJ, Joyce N, Henricson EK, Schara-Schmidt U, Gangfuss A, Wilichowski E, Barohn RJ, Statland JM, Campbell C, Vita G, Vita GL, Howard JF, Hughes I, McMillan HJ, Pegoraro E, Bello L, Burnette WB, Thangarajh M, Chang T
JAMA.. 2022 April 19327 (15):1456-1468. Epub 1900 01 01.
Haber G, Conway KM, Paramsothy P, Roy A, Rogers H, Ling X, Kozauer N, Street N, Romitti PA, Fox DJ, Phan HC, Matthews D, Ciafaloni E, Oleszek J, James KA, Galindo M, Whitehead N, Johnson N, Butterfield RJ, Pandya S, Venkatesh S, Bhattaram VA
Muscle & nerve.. 2021 February 63 (2):181-191. Epub 11/17/2020.
McDonald CM, Shieh PB, Abdel-Hamid HZ, Connolly AM, Ciafaloni E, Wagner KR, Goemans N, Mercuri E, Khan N, Koenig E, Malhotra J, Zhang W, Han B, Mendell JR,
Kay DM, Stevens CF, Parker A, Saavedra-Matiz CA, Sack V, Chung WK, Chiriboga CA, Engelstad K, Laureta E, Farooq O, Ciafaloni E, Lee BH, Malek S, Treidler S, Anziska Y, Delfiner L, Sakonju A, Caggana M
Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics.. 2020 August 22 (8):1296-1302. Epub 05/18/2020.
Veerapandiyan A, Wagner KR, Apkon S, McDonald CM, Mathews KD, Parsons JA, Wong BL, Eichinger K, Shieh PB, Butterfield RJ, Rao VK, Smith EC, Proud CM, Connolly AM, Ciafaloni E
Muscle & nerve.. 2020 July 62 (1):41-45. Epub 05/05/2020.
Crow RA, Hart KA, McDermott MP, Tawil R, Martens WB, Herr BE, McColl E, Wilkinson J, Kirschner J, King WM, Eagle M, Brown MW, Hirtz D, Lochmuller H, Straub V, Ciafaloni E, Shieh PB, Spinty S, Childs AM, Manzur AY, Morandi L, Butterfield RJ, Horrocks I, Roper H, Flanigan KM, Kuntz NL, Mah JK, Morrison L, Darras BT, von der Hagen M, Schara U, Wilichowski E, Mongini T, McDonald CM, Vita G, Barohn RJ, Finkel RS, Wicklund M, McMillan HJ, Hughes I, Pegoraro E, Bryan Burnette W, Howard JF, Thangarajh M, Campbell C, Griggs RC, Bushby K, Guglieri M
Guglieri M, Bushby K, McDermott MP, Hart KA, Tawil R, Martens WB, Herr BE, McColl E, Wilkinson J, Kirschner J, King WM, Eagle M, Brown MW, Willis T, Hirtz D, Shieh PB, Straub V, Childs AM, Ciafaloni E, Butterfield RJ, Horrocks I, Spinty S, Flanigan KM, Kuntz NL, Baranello G, Roper H, Morrison L, Mah JK, Manzur AY, McDonald CM, Schara U, von der Hagen M, Barohn RJ, Campbell C, Darras BT, Finkel RS, Vita G, Hughes I, Mongini T, Pegoraro E, Wicklund M, Wilichowski E, Bryan Burnette W, Howard JF, McMillan HJ, Thangarajh M, Griggs RC
Contemporary clinical trials.. 2017 July 58 :34-39. Epub 04/24/2017.
Romitti PA, Zhu Y, Puzhankara S, James KA, Nabukera SK, Zamba GK, Ciafaloni E, Cunniff C, Druschel CM, Mathews KD, Matthews DJ, Meaney FJ, Andrews JG, Conway KM, Fox DJ, Street N, Adams MM, Bolen J,
Pediatrics.. 2015 March 135 (3):513-21. Epub 02/16/2015.
Statland JM, Bundy BN, Wang Y, Rayan DR, Trivedi JR, Sansone VA, Salajegheh MK, Venance SL, Ciafaloni E, Matthews E, Meola G, Herbelin L, Griggs RC, Barohn RJ, Hanna MG,
JAMA.. 2012 October 3308 (13):1357-65. Epub 1900 01 01.
Nabukera SK, Romitti PA, Campbell KA, Meaney FJ, Caspers KM, Mathews KD, Hockett Sherlock SM, Puzhankara S, Cunniff C, Druschel CM, Pandya S, Matthews DJ, Ciafaloni E, Starnet M
Journal of child neurology.. 2012 June 27 (6):734-40. Epub 12/07/2011.
Cunniff C, Andrews J, Meaney FJ, Mathews KD, Matthews D, Ciafaloni E, Miller TM, Bodensteiner JB, Miller LA, James KA, Druschel CM, Romitti PA, Pandya S
Journal of child neurology.. 2009 April 24 (4):425-30. Epub 12/12/2008.
Miller LA, Romitti PA, Cunniff C, Druschel C, Mathews KD, Meaney FJ, Matthews D, Kantamneni J, Feng ZF, Zemblidge N, Miller TM, Andrews J, Fox D, Ciafaloni E, Pandya S, Montgomery A, Kenneson A
Birth defects research. Part A, Clinical and molecular teratology.. 2006 November 76 (11):793-7. Epub 1900 01 01.
The Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet) -Surveillance Methodology
Miller LA, Romitti PA, Cunniff C, Druschel C, Mathews KD, Meaney FJ, Matthews D, Kantamneni J, Feng ZF, Zemblidge N, Miller TM, Andrews J, Fox D, Ciafaloni E, Pandya S, Montgomery A, Kenneson A.
Surveillance Methodology. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2006; 76(11): 793-7.
Nishino I, Noguchi S, Murayama K, Driss A, Sugie K, Oya Y, Nagata T, Chida K, Takahashi T, Takusa Y, Ohi T, Nishimiya J, Sunohara N, Ciafaloni E, Kawai M, Aoki M, Nonaka I
Neurology.. 2002 December 1059 (11):1689-93. Epub 1900 01 01.
Andreoli and Carpenter's Cecil Essentials of Medicine
(2010)
Chapter: Neuromuscular Junction Disease
Authors: Ciafaloni E.
Publisher:
Saunders Elsevier 2010
Pediatric Clinical Advisor
(2007)
Chapter: Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Ciafaloni E.
Publisher:
Mosby Elsevieer 2007
Pediatric Clinical Advisor
(2007)
Chapter: Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Ciafaloni E.
Publisher:
Mosby Elsevier 2007
American Academy of Pediatrics, Textbook of Pediatric Care
(2006)
Chapter: Muscular Dystrophy s
Authors: Moxley RT and Ciafaloni E.
Publisher:
- 2006
Clinical Neurophysiology of disorders of muscle and neuromuscular junction
(2003)
Chapter: Mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Ciafaloni E, and Arnaudo E
Publisher:
Elsevier 2003
Neurologic Disorders in Pregnancy
(2003)
Chapter: Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy
Authors: Ciafaloni E, Massey JM
Publisher:
Parthenon Publishing 2003
Clinical Evaluation and Diagnostic Tests for Neuromuscular Disorders
(2002)
Chapter: Repetitive Stimulation Tests
Authors: Ciafaloni E, and Massey JM
Publisher:
Butterworth-Heinemann, Woburn, MA 2002
unknown
(1990)
Chapter: Familiar cases of mitochondrial myopathies: mtDNA deletions and genetic analysis
Authors: Bresolin N, Moroni I, Ciafaloni E, Moggio M, Meola G, Gatti A, and Scarlato G
Publisher:
Chapman and Hall Ltd. of London 1990
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Ratings
Care provider's discussion of any proposed treatment (options, risks, benefits, etc.)
4.9 stars
Likelihood of recommending this care provider to others
4.9 stars
Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition
4.9 stars
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care
4.9 stars
Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries
4.9 stars
Patient Comments
5.0 stars
Very professional, inquired on current condition, explained various aspects of condition, treatment and status.
Nov 04, 2024
5.0 stars
Reception was fast. Doctor was on time. Assistant was great. Love my doctor
Aug 25, 2024
5.0 stars
Always the very best on all levels!
Aug 05, 2024
4.2 stars
I didn't know anything about this sickness she did her best to explain.
Jan 09, 2024
5.0 stars
I am grateful to have Dr. Ciafaloni to my doctor.
Jul 13, 2023
5.0 stars
Took a lot of time explaining illness and likely progression and potential treatments.