Rare-Disease Specialist Joins Cedars-Sinai Movement Disorders Program

Yvette Bordelon, MD, PhD, who specializes in some of the most difficult-to-treat movement disorders, has joined the Movement Disorders Program in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai. She will work on clinical trials and treat patients with Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other movement disorders, which currently have no cure.

“Huntington’s disease is particularly challenging to treat because it causes a constellation of symptoms that affect patients’ ability to think, move and behave normally,” said Michele Tagliati, MD, the Caron and Steven D. Broidy Chair in Movement Disorders and vice chair of the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai. “Dr. Bordelon will elevate the profile of our Movement Disorders Program, bringing critical expertise in Huntington’s disease and other, less common, neurodegenerative disorders with a cutting-edge, compassionate and patient-centered focus.”

Bordelon, who comes to Cedars-Sinai from UCLA, earned her MD and PhD degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, where her mentor was movement disorders pioneer Marie-Francoise Chesselet, MD, PhD. Bordelon completed residency training at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals as well as a movement disorders fellowship at Columbia University.

“Our work in Dr. Chesselet’s lab was focused on understanding the brain circuitry involved in movement and mood and thinking,” Bordelon said. “It coincided with the discovery of the huntingtin gene, the gene linked to Huntington’s disease, in 1993, so it was an exciting time to enter the subspecialty. There are a number of studies centered around gene therapies that are filtering into the pipeline right now, and that's an electrifying place to be.”

Bordelon also specializes in atypical variants of Parkinson’s disease, which progress more quickly than traditional Parkinson’s disease and lead to poorer patient outcomes. While these disorders have no cure, Bordelon said that helping patients manage symptoms and providing emotional support can make a big difference.

“Acknowledging what people living with these disorders are going through and providing help and resources throughout their lifetime is an important piece of being a movement disorders specialist,” Bordelon said. “Because these disorders are so rare, it’s often reassuring to people affected by them just to know that we’ve seen some of their symptoms before and are willing to work with them to try things that might help.”

Bordelon noted that during her nearly 20 years in practice, the number of medications available to manage movement disorders has significantly increased. None slow disease progression yet, but they do help address patients’ symptoms and improve their quality of life. Meanwhile, the quest for therapies that will slow progression continues.

“We’re on our way toward helping patients live longer—and better—with these diseases,” Bordelon said.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: How Supportive Care Medicine Helps Patients