About us

Are you fascinated by the neurological roots of human behavior — and do you dream of making life better for those whose quality of life is affected by impaired memory, reason or intellect?

That describes every member of the team you’ll join as part of Geisinger’s Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Fellowship. And if it describes you, too, we’d love to have you join us.

Our subspecialty’s unique concern is nothing short of preserving and enhancing everything that makes us human. It’s a field that will only grow as our population ages, facing dementias and other problems associated with an aging brain.

As our behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellow, you’ll gain deep knowledge of the clinical and pathological aspects of neural processes associated with cognition, emotion, behavior and elementary neurological functioning. Working with faculty mentors dedicated to your success, you’ll master the clinical skills you’ll need to evaluate and treat patients facing these issues. 

It's a subspecialty that requires a special type of direct, yet sensitive communication. That’s why we’re devoted to fostering your professionalism and interpersonal and communication skills, too. And, of course, you’ll be grounded in the practice- and systems-based competencies you’ll need wherever you choose to apply your expertise. 

The Geisinger Memory and Cognition Program Fellowship in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry offers two tracks:

One-year clinical track

You’ll choose this track if you want to become competent in the independent, unsupervised practice of behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry and either enter practice within a year of completing residency or have time to take another year of fellowship in a different subspecialty either before or after you join us.  

The serial fellowship model focuses on enhancing the skills you need for the diagnosis and management of virtually all brain-based disorders. You can arrange this approach independently, but a good option is to complete two fellowships at Geisinger with recruitment coordinated between programs. The first dual fellowship serial programs will be vascular neurology/behavioral neurology, followed by epilepsy/behavioral neurology. As more neurology and psychiatry fellowships are put into place, this coordinated approach will be offered there as well.

Two-year clinical and research track

The first year of the two-year track will prepare you for the independent, unsupervised practice of behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry — but expands on this with a second year focused on clinical research and scholarly works in the field of behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry. Our goal is to prepare you for a career in behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry with added expertise in research.

What makes our program different?

The Geisinger Memory and Cognition Program, founded in 2015 by Glen R. Finney, MD, FAAN, has grown rapidly. Today, along with Dr. Finney, the program boasts two behavioral neurologists, three neuropsychologists, one psychometrician, one speech language pathologist and one nurse coordinator. We also collaborate with three pharmacists, an occupational therapist and a physical therapist in the multidisciplinary services offered through the Memory and Cognition Program.

The Memory and Cognition Program opened a dedicated clinic in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in 2018. The space is designed to be mission specific — it includes ample examination rooms, offices and conference/teleconferencing facilities. As our behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellow, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including a driving simulator and transcranial magnetic stimulator. The Geisinger Memory and Cognition Program also offers outreach to the nearby communities of Bloomsburg, State College and Scranton, offering you exposure to a broad patient population.

The chance to train with Dr. Finney, a leader in the subspecialty, makes our fellowship stand out from others. We also offer a multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and management of behavioral neurology disorders, a cutting-edge care model found in few advanced academic programs.

Another point of distinction? The development of a coordinated dual fellowship serial track with other subspecialties of neurology. You’ll also be trained in the Memory and Cognition Program’s initiative for de-escalation from brain-impairing medications to brain-sparing therapies, which is a particularly timely distinction given the opioid epidemic and the high rate of morbidity and mortality from narcotics among elders. 

Mobility is a key factor in many people’s quality of life. The integration of a driver’s safety evaluation program with a driving simulator is also rare in programs of this type, and training with it will broaden your knowledge.

Program director's message

Of all the organs and systems in the human body, the brain and nervous system are the most mysterious and complex. Our brain makes us who we are. It gives us language, music, art, logic, memories — everything uniquely human. Despite its centrality to our personal identity, we are only just beginning to understand how this amazing organ works. That’s what makes behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry such a fascinating subspecialty. It’s a subspecialty on the brink of amazing discoveries and its practitioners have the great privilege of working to enhance and preserve those functions patients most closely identify with their own sense of self. It’s a tremendous honor, as well as a fulfilling career path.

As founding director of Geisinger’s Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Fellowship Program, I am naturally enthusiastic about this new subspecialty. What I find even more exciting, however, is Geisinger’s multidisciplinary, team-based approach to neuropsychiatric and behavioral neurology care. I came from the University of Florida’s premier behavioral neurology program to Geisinger because of its strong commitment to building practice settings that offer comprehensive care — from social workers to speech, physical and occupational therapy — to patients with dementias and other neurological disorders. I was also drawn by the unparalleled opportunity to conduct research with both a world-class biobank (MyCode^®) and decades of searchable electronic health record data that spans generations.

I am proud of the Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Fellowship Program we’ve built. Our program is accredited by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS). Our clinicians and fellows have access to state-of-the-art tools, like a driving simulator, as well as the rich research opportunities previously mentioned. Our UCNS-certified faculty includes Maya Lichtenstein, MD, Joanne Alonso Byars, MD, Michael Justin Coffey, MD, and myself.

Behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry is a rapidly growing field. Fellows have a wealth of options, from private practice to research to academia. Geisinger offers opportunities in all of these interests. As a fellow, you may even choose to dual certify with a subspecialty on Geisinger’s growing list of fellowships.

I welcome you to continue exploring our program on this site. Or you can call 570-849-7886 or email emrathbone@geisinger.edu for more information.

Sincerely,

Location

Northeastern Pennsylvania is a unique and wonderful place to train. Opportunities for outdoor recreation are endless, the cost of living is low, and traffic is almost nonexistent. In addition, we’re close enough to Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C., to make weekend getaways easy.