Return to Main Menu

Movement disorders present diversity  by Heather Woolwine Public Relations Serendipity is defined as “an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.” It was that strange, serendipitous force that led Saima Athar, M.D., Ph.D., to MUSC and the Movement Disorders Program.   New to the university in July, Athar first discovered MUSC in 2000 when she was applying to medical programs in the United States that offered integrated internship and residency curriculums. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany to Pakistani parents, she completed her medical degree from the University of Hamburg in 1998, and in 2001, she obtained her Ph.D. “I liked the idea of being able to view medicine from both sides,” she said.   By attending college and medical school, Athar opened herself to opportunities uncommon to women of Pakistani descent and even those in her immediate family. “Growing up very connected to my family and roots in Pakistan, even though I didn’t live there, made it difficult to leave and live by myself somewhere. As a woman, going out into the world and pursuing a career is not a familiar concept for my family,” she said.   Athar began her foray into the world away from home when she spent a year in the United Kingdom as a junior house officer in general medicine at Queen’s Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent. It was here that she began her course toward a permanent commitment with MUSC. “I decided to take the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) just to see how I would do, and my brother thought it would be a good idea to keep my options open,” she recalled. “I shocked myself when the results from the first part of the exam came back and I had done well. I was even more shocked when I took the second part and also scored well. That’s when I began applying to schools in America to see what I might be able to do.”   When Athar returned to Germany, she met a nurse in her medical school class who was friends with MUSC’s Vanessa Hinson, M.D.  A movement disorders specialist, Hinson was chief neurology resident at the time. Athar later contacted Hinson upon her new friend’s suggestion.   When they met, Hinson and Athar quickly surmised that they had a lot in common professionally, and both were natives of Hamburg. “She had so many wonderful things to say about the program and how much she really enjoyed Charleston. When I came to visit, she welcomed me into her home and showed me around town.”   For both women, Charleston shared many of the same qualities of their beloved home town, including a close proximity to the water and the hospitable feel. “She sold me on coming here,” Athar said.   After she completed her residency in neurology in 2004, Athar became a fellow at Emory in Atlanta for the next two years, first to study movement disorders, and then sleep disorders. Two years was long enough away from the familiarity and camaraderie at MUSC.   “I’m a little intimidated by big cities like Atlanta. I like to know where I’m driving,” she said with a laugh. “Being in Charleston, because of the similarities of it to Hamburg, is like being far away from home but no different from home. With Dr. Hinson as head of the movement disorders program, I knew it would have a bright future and I believe it has been a good choice to come back here.”   Commending Hinson and neurologist Kenneth Bergman for building the program, Athar said the program continues to expand and will possibly offer a fellowship in the near future. “Drs. Bergman and Hinson have made this program very strong and I hope that I can add to that,” she said. “The sleep program here is growing stronger too, and the movement disorders program and the sleep program together have the potential to impact the care of many patients with movement disorders.” A feel for patients According to Athar, patients, especially those with Parkinson’s disease (PD), often have sleep disorders. In fact, she reported that 90 percent of patients with Parkinson’s report sleeping problems varying from insomnia and kicking/restless leg syndrome to dream enactment, or acting out dreams as they occur. “The most common finding in PD patients with sleep problems is sleep fragmentation,” she said. “The patient may get enough hours of sleep, but will have awakenings that they may or may not be aware of that prevent them from getting enough REM or quality sleep. With dream enactment, this disorder could pose a major risk to patient’s safety or that of their spouse or bed partner. REM sleep behavior disorder is rare in the general population, but is reported to occur in PD patients in the range of 25(percent)-43 percent.”   Athar looks forward to expanding her professional abilities, which would include performing various outpatient procedures and diagnostic tests. As for research, her interests lie in drug studies for products that could make the leap quickly from bench to bedside. For example, she said a clinical study could look at the use of Botox for Parkinson’s patients who endure saliva overproduction that is accompanied by a large social stigma associated with drooling.   “Movement disorders fascinate me because of the diversity they present,” Athar said. “Its not just Parkinson’s; every patient is different. Even patients with the same disorder must be treated individually and you have to figure out a new approach every time,” she said.   Athar currently resides in Mount Pleasant with her husband, Suheb Farooqi, a mechanical engineer and computer scientist; 3-year-old daughter, Sufia; and 16- month-old son, Safiy. Friday, Dec. 15, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.