Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson Named Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders at Temple

Terry Heiman-Patterson, MD, has been named Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders, and Professor of the Department of Neurology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM).

Board-certified in Adult Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases, Dr. Heiman-Patterson’s clinical and research interests include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis, spinal muscle atrophy, hereditary spastic paraparesis, myasthenia gravis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, polymyositis, muscular dystrophies and other neuromuscular diseases and peripheral neuropathies.

“Dr. Heiman-Patterson has dedicated her career to finding new treatments and caring for ALS and other patients with neurodegenerative diseases,” says S. Ausim Azizi, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at LKSOM. “We are indeed fortunate to have her join the Temple Neuroscience family to strengthen our clinical and academic capacity.”

Dr. Heiman-Patterson earned her medical degree at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY. She completed a Neurology Residency at Albany Medical College, and Muscular Dystrophy Fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

Prior to joining Temple, Dr. Heiman-Patterson served as Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology, Director of the Division of Neuromuscular Disease, and Professor of Neurology at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

“I am excited to bring my passion for ALS to the Temple Neurosciences Center,” says Dr. Heiman-Patterson. “Through innovative research, high-quality multidisciplinary clinical care and partnerships with my colleagues and the community at large, I look forward to providing excellent, compassionate care to my patients.”

Dr. Heiman-Patterson also served as Director of the MDA/ALS Center of Hope at Drexel for the past 20 years and Director of the outpatient Muscular Dystrophy Clinic at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center in Allentown for more than 30 years. She has published hundreds of papers, abstracts, and book chapters on ALS and related motor neuron disorders. She serves as the Co-chair of the Northeast Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Consortium (NEALS) Executive Committee and is the Co-founder and President of the ALS Hope Foundation. Dr. Heiman-Patterson has been recognized internationally by her peers and is the recipient of the prestigious Forbes Norris Award.