Sarah Elizabeth Pirio Richardson, MD

Biography

Dr. Pirio Richardson is a tenured Professor of Neurology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and serves as Vice Chair for Faculty Development for the Neurology department. She is the Co-Director of The Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorders Center. She is the Chief of the Neurology Service at the New Mexico VA Health Care System.

She completed an undergraduate degree at Stanford University in Human Biology. She then graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine with honors in research (2000), and trained in Neurology at the University of California, Davis (2004). At UC Davis, she received the Housestaff Professionalism Award (2004). She completed a fellowship in Movement Disorders and Motor Control at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the Human Motor Control Section (2007).

Dr. Pirio Richardson has an active research program focused on dystonia, Parkinson disease, clinical trial readiness and noninvasive neurostimulation in movement disorders and traumatic brain injury.She is the director of the noninvasive neurostimulation lab at the New Mexico VA which aims to non-invasively alter brain plasticity to improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with movement disorders and traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Pirio Richardson is also active in international societies, serving on key committees. She was recently elected to the Movement Disorders Society-Pan American Section, Executive Committee. She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Education Committee. She has been appointed to the Medical Advisory Board of the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Foundation and the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation.

Personal Statement

Dr. Pirio Richardson is Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Development at the University of New Mexico Department of Neurology as well as serving as the Chief of the Neurology Service for the New Mexico VA Healthcare System. She has an active research program focused on dystonia, clinical trial readiness and noninvasive neurostimulation in movement disorders and traumatic brain injury. She is active in the International Movement Disorders Society.

Education

Medical School
2000
University of New Mexico

Fellowship
Movement Disorders
2007
National Institute of Health

Internship
Internal Medicine
2001
University of California, Davis

Residency
Neurology
2004
University of California, Davis

Certification

Gender

Female