Irene Cortese MD

Irene Cortese obtained her MD and neurology specialty training at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH/NINDS/Neuroimmunology Branch (NIB). During this time, she obtained her ECFMG certification, and after obtaining US Neurology residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, she pursued dual clinical fellowship training in neuromuscular disease at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Clinical Neuroimmunology at NIH/NINDS/NIB. She stayed at NIH as a staff clinician and was Director of the Neuroimmunology Clinic from 2013-2021. Dr. Cortese is currently Chief of the newly established NINDS Experimental Immunotherapeutics Unit, and the PI of the NIH natural history study of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and early phase interventional studies in the same disease.