Dysautonomia
Foundation Research --
Current Projects
Max
J. Hilz, M.D., Ph.D.
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Professor of Neurology, Director of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
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Associate Professor of Neurology and Medicine (Cardiology), New York University School of Medicine
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Associate Director, Dysautonomia Treatment and Evaluation Center, New York University, New York, NY
Dr. Hilz completed his medical training at the Universities of Cologne and Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and received his M.D. degree in Erlangen in 1980. He had training in Intensive Care Medicine and Anesthesiology at the Hospital of the City of Nuremberg, Europe’s largest community hospital. After a short period of training at the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, he started a residency in Neurology and then in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 1987, he was certified in Psychotherapy. In 1988 he passed the German Board examination in Neurology and Psychiatry. In 1991, he received the academic degree of Dr. med. habil. (a degree equivalent to D.Sc. or Ph.D.) and became ‘Privatdozent’ (equivalent to Assistant or Associate Professor) of Neurology in Erlangen.
In
1992, he immigrated to the USA. After having passed the appropriate medical
licensing examinations, he received a New York State Medical License in 1994. He
became Director of the Neurodiagnostic Laboratory at the Department of Neurology
of New York University and was appointed Associate Professor of Neurology.
He
is certified in Special Neurological Intensive Care Medicine and holds all the
certificates in Neurosonology and Clinical Neurophysiology of the German Society
of Clinical Neurophysiology. In 1995, Dr. Hilz passed the examination of the
American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
Since
1993, he has been working closely together with Dr. Felicia Axelrod at the
Dysautonomia Treatment and Evaluation Center.
Dr.
Hilz has published many research articles evaluating the mechanisms leading to
clinical symptoms in Familial Dysautonomia patients. He has been presenting his
research results to the leading national and international research societies in
the fields of Neurology and the Autonomic Nervous System.
Dr.
Hilz is the Secretary Treasurer of the Autonomic Nervous System Section of the
American Academy of Neurology, the Deputy Treasurer of the European Federation
of Autonomic Societies (EFAS), the Secretary of the German Autonomic Society and
of the Autonomic Nervous System Research Society at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
His
research focuses on better understanding the clinical mechanisms leading to
dysfunction of the central autonomic nervous system and peripheral autonomic
nervous system in Familial Dysautonomia. His work has included descriptions of
cardiovascular and cerebrovascular autonomic dysregulation, peripheral organ
malperfusion, and mechanisms leading to respiratory problems in FD. He uses a broad
scope of methods evaluating sensory and autonomic function and established one
of the world’s largest databases to test the function of the so-called small
diameter nerve fibers even in young children and teenagers. In cooperation with
internationally renowned groups, he developed novel testing equipment and
methods to better analyze the clinical disorders caused by dysfunction of the
autonomic nervous system.
The goal, even of those studies that do not directly assess autonomic function in Familial Dysautonomia, but in other autonomic diseases, is to better understand the principle of autonomic dysfunction in FD and to improve therapy options and the quality of life as well as life expectancy for the FD patients.