Roy N Alcalay, MD, MS

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology
Profile Headshot

Overview

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology

Languages

  • French
  • Hebrew

Gender

  • Male

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • Tel-Aviv University School of Medicine

Research

Dr. Alcalay's primary research work involves the genetics and the epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. His research is supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Brookdale Foundation, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, the Michael J Fox Foundation and the Smart Foundation.

Columbia's movement disorders fellowship director, Dr. Alcalay is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology and of the Movement Disorder Society, Dr. Alcalay has contributed to a range of original articles in leading medical research journals, including the The New England Journal of Medicine, Neurology, Archives of Neurology, Genetics in Medicine, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Movement Disorders and Parkinsonism and Related Disorders.

Research Interests

  • Biomarkers, genetic and epidemiology of Parkinson's disease

Grants

K02 award
9/1/12-8/31/17
NIH (1K02NS080915)
The role of glucocerebrosidase in Parkinson’s disease
Description: This study will provide information on the link between GBA mutations and Parkinson, including the magnitude of the risk of PD in mutation carriers and the mechanisms mediating this risk.

The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (Alcalay PI)
7/1/11-present
Plasma Biomarkers in Parkinson’s Disease.
Description: the PDF supports biobanking DNA and plasma samples from PD cases and controls
http://www.pdf.org/en/research_alcalay

The Michael J Fox Foundation (Marder/Bressman/Giladi)
7/1/10 - 06/29/15                       
Parkinson’s Disease, Ashkenazi Jews and LRRK2: A consortium                              
This is a 3 site consortium designed to determine the phenotypic characteristics of LRRK2 carriers, the penetrance of LRRK2 in Ashkenazi, and genetic modifiers of LRRK2 including expression data.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/researchers.php?id=1259

The Michael J Fox Foundation (Alcalay, PI)
2/16/12-2/15/14
Neuropathological tissue collection in LRRK2 mutation carriers with and without Parkinson’s disease.
Description: this international collaboration aims to collect store and report pathological findings from LRRK2 mutation carriers and their family members with and without PD
https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/researchers.php?id=1259

The Irving Insitute, Columbia University
7/1/2012-6/30/2015
The role of glucocerebrosidase in Parkinson disease

The Michael J Fox Foundation (Un Kang, PI; Alcalay, site PI)
11/1/2012-10/31/2014    
Biofind: Biomarkers discovery cohort.  https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/researchers.php?id=1259

Past:

Patient Oriented Research Master’s Program
7/1/08-6/30/10
NIH: UL1 RR024156 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
This is a two year biostatistics Master’s program at Columbia University supported through the CTSA

K12 award
11/1/10-6/30/11
NIH (KL2 RR024157)
The role of glucocerebrosidase in Parkinson’s disease and cognitive impairment.

Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship
07/01/10-08/31/12
The role of glucocerebrosidase in Parkinson’s disease and cognitive impairment.
This is a two-year fellowship which aims to establish the recipients in an area of aging research. (PI, support was “frozen” while on K12 award, and ceased when K02 was awarded).
http://www.brookdalefoundation.org/leadership/fellows/Alcalaybio.html

Selected Publications

  1. Alcalay RN, Dinur T, Quinn T, Sakanaka K, Levy OA, Waters C, Fahn S, Dorovski T, Chung WK, Pauciulo M, Nichols W, Rana HQ, Balwani M, Bier L, Elstein D, Zimran A. Comparison of Parkinson Risk in Ashkenazi Jewish Gaucher Patients and GBA Heterozygotes JAMA Neurol. 2014. In Press.
  2. Altarescu G, Ioscovich D, Alcalay RN, Zimran A, Elstein D. α-synuclein Polymorphisms in Patients with Gaucher Disease and Parkinson Disease. Neurosci Lett. 2014. In press.
  3. Arkadir D, Noreau A, Goldman SJ, Rouleau GA, Alcalay RN. Pure hereditary spastic paraplegia due to a de-novo mutation in the NIPA1 gene. Eur J Neurol. 2013. In press.
  4. Sharp M, Marder KS, Cote L, Clark LN, Nichols WC, Vonsattel JP, Alcalay RN. Parkinson's disease with Lewy bodies associated with a heterozygous PARKIN dosage mutation. Mov Disord. 2013 Dec 27. doi: 10.1002/mds.25792. [Epub ahead of print].
  5. Alcalay RN, Mirelman A, Saunders-Pullman R, Tang MX, Mejia Santana H, Raymond D, Roos E, Orbe-Reilly M, Gurevich T, Bar Shira A, Gana Weisz M, Yasinovsky K, Zalis M, Thaler A, Deik A, Barrett MJ, Cabassa J, Groves M, Hunt AL, Lubarr N, San Luciano M, Miravite J, Palmese C, Sachdev R, Sarva H, Severt L, Shanker V, Swan MC, Soto-Valencia J, Johannes B, Ortega R, Fahn S, Cote L, Waters C, Mazzoni P, Ford B, Louis ED, Levy OA, Rosado L, Ruiz D, Dorovski T , Pauciulo M, Nichols W, Orr-Urtreger A, Ozelius L, Clark L, Giladi N, Bressman S, Marder KS. Parkinson Disease Phenotype in Ashkenazi Jews with and without LRRK2 G2019S mutations. Mov Disord. 2013 Dec;28(14):1966-71. PMCID: PMC3859844
  6. Alcalay RN*, Caccappolo E*, Mejia-Santana, Tang M -X, Rosado L, Orbe Reilly M, Ruiz D, Louis ED, Comella C, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M , Novak K , Friedman JH, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B, Payami H, Molho E, Factor SA, Nutt J, Serrano C, Arroyo M, Ottman R, Pauciulo M, Nichols W, Clark LN, Marder KS. Cognitive and motor function in long duration PARKIN-associated PD. JAMA Neurol. 2013 Nov 4. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.4498. [Epub ahead of print]
  7. Virmani T, Thenganatt MA, Goldman J, Kubisch C, Greene PE, Alcalay RN. Oculogyric crises induced by levodopa in PLA2G6 parkinsonism-dystonia. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013 Oct 23. pii: S1353-8020(13)00379-9. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2013.10.016. [Epub ahead of print]
  8. Use of Genetic Tests among Neurologists and Psychiatrists: Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Needs for Training. Salm M, Abbate K, Appelbaum P, Ottman R, Chung W, Marder K, Leu CS, Alcalay R, Goldman J, Curtis AM, Leech C, Taber KJ, Klitzman R. J Genet Couns. 2013 Jun 21. PMCID: PMC3812264.
  9. Sakanaka K, Waters CH, Levy OA, Louis ED, Chung WK, Marder KS, Alcalay RN. Knowledge of and interest in genetic results among Parkinson disease patients and caregivers. J Genet Couns. 2013. Jun 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMCID: PMC3808456.
  10. Sternberg EJ, Alcalay RN, Levy OA, et al. The "head snap": a subtle clinical feature during the finger-nose-finger maneuver in essential tremor. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 2013 Apr 18;3. pii: tre-03-159-3719-1. Print 2013. PMCID: PMC3636493.
  11. Sternberg EJ, Alcalay RN, Levy OA, Louis E. Postural and intention tremors: Detailed clinical study of essential tremor vs. Parkinson's disease. Front Neurol. 2013 May 10;4:51. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00051. eCollection 2013. PMCID: PMC3650675.
  12. Thenganatt M, Alcalay RN, Vonsattel JP, Greene PE. Somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations and parkinsonism. Ann Neurol. 2012 Nov;72(5):823.
  13. Chetrit EB, Alcalay RN, Steiner-Birmanns B, Altarescu G, Phillips M, Elstein D,Zimran A. Phenotype in patients with Gaucher disease and Parkinson disease. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2013 Mar;50(3):218-21. doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2012.11.011. Epub 2012 Dec 20
  14. Louis ED, Hernandez N, Alcalay RN, Tirri DJ, Ottman R, Clark L. Prevalence and features of unreported dystonia in a family study of "pure" essential tremor. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013 Mar;19(3):359-62. PMCID: PMC3565033
  15. Rana H, Balwani M, Bier L, Alcalay RN. Age-specific Parkinson disease risk in GBA mutation carriers: information for genetic counseling. Genet Med. 2013 Feb;15(2):146-9. PMCID: PMC3519952.
  16. Alcalay RN, Clark LN, Marder KS, Bradley EC. Lack of Association between Cancer History and PARKIN Genotype: A Family Based Study in PARKIN/Parkinson's Families. Genes, Chromosomes Cancer. 2012 Dec;51(12):1109-13. PMCID: PMC3465486.
  17. Kumar K ,Ramirez A, Gobel A, Kresojevic N, Svetel M, Lohmann K, Sue C, Rolfs, A, Mazzulli J, Alcalay RN, Krainc D, Klein C, Kostic V, Gruenwald A. Glucocerebrosidase mutations in a Serbian Parkinson's disease population. Eur J Neurol. 2013 Feb;20(2):402-5.
  18. Alcalay RN, Gu Y, Mejia-Santana H MSc, Cote L, Marder KS and Scarmeas N. The Association between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord. 2012 May;27(6):771-4. PMCID: PMC3349773.
  19. Pankratz N, Beecham GW, DeStefano AL, Dawson TM, Doheny KF, Factor SA, Hamza TH, Hung AY, Hyman BT, Ivinson AJ, Krainc D, Latourelle JC, Clark LN, Marder K, Martin ER, Mayeux R, Ross OA, Scherzer CR, Simon DK, Tanner C, Vance JM, Wszolek ZK, Zabetian CP, Myers RH, Payami H, Scott WK, Foroud T; PD GWAS Consortium. Meta-analysis of Parkinson's disease: identification of a novel locus, RIT2. Ann Neurol. 2012 Mar;71(3):370-84.
  20. Alcalay RN, Caccappolo E, Mejia-Santana H, Tang M -X, Rosado L, Orbe-Reilly M, Ruiz D, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Louis ED, Comella C, Colcher A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M , Novak K, Friedman JH, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B , Siderowf A, Payami H, Molho E, Factor S, Ottman R, Clark LN and Marder KS. Cognitive performance of GBA mutation carriers with early onset PD: the CORE-PD study. Neurology. 2012 May 1;78(18):1434-40. Epub 2012 Mar 21. PMCID: PMC3345785.
  21. Poulopoulos M, Cortes E, Vonsattel JP, Fahn S, Waters C, Cote LJ, Moskowitz C, Honig LS, Clark LN, Marder KS, Alcalay RN. Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of LRRK2 G2019S Patients with PD. J Mol Neurosci. 2012 May;47(1):139-43. Epub 2011 Dec 23. PMCID: PMC3383342.
  22. Srivastava A, Tang MX, Mejia-Santana H, Rosado L, Louis ED, Caccappolo E, Comella C, Colcher A, Siderowf A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Alcalay RN, Ross B, Orbe Reilly M, Rezak M, Novak K, Friedman JH, Pfeiffer RD, Marsh L, Hiner B, Merle D, Ottman R, Clark LN, Marder K. The relation between depression and Parkin genotype: The CORE-PD study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2011 Dec;17(10):740-4. PMCID: PMC3221786.
  23. Friedman JH, Agarwal P, Alcalay R, Black KJ, Chou KL, Cote L, Dayalu P, Frank S, Hartlein J, Hauser RA, Lang AE, Marek K, Marsh L, Marshall F, Moskowitz C, Ravina B, Riley D, Sanchez-Ramos J, Simon DK, Simuni T, Sutton J, Tuite P, Weintraub D, Zesiewicz T. Clinical Vignettes in Parkinson's disease: A collection of unusual medication induced hallucinations, delusions and compulsive behaviors. 2011 Aug;121(8):472-6. Epub 2011 Jun 10
  24. Louis ED, Hafeman D, Parvez F, Liu X, Alcalay RN, Islam T, Ahmed A, Siddique AB, Patwary TI, Melkonian S, Argos M, Levy D, Ahsan H. Tremor severity and age: A cross-sectional, population-based study of 2,524 young and midlife normal adults. Mov Disord. 2011 Jul;26(8):1515-20.
  25. Louis ED, Hafeman D. Parvez F, Alcalay RN, Islam T, Baker Siddique A, Islam Patwary T, Melkonian S, Argos M, Levy D, Ahsan H. Prevalence of essential tremor in Araihazar, Bangladesh: A population-based study. Neuroepidemiology. 2011 Jan 19;36(2):71-76.
  26. Caccappolo E, Alcalay RN, Mejia-Santana H, Tang MX, Rakitin B, Rosado L, Louis ED Comella CL, Colcher A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner CM, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote LJ, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M Novak K, . FriedmanJH, Pfeiffer R Marsh L, Hiner B, Siderowf AD, Ross BM, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Ottman R, Clark LN, Marder K. Neuropsychological profile of parkin mutation carriers with and without Parkinson disease: the CORE PD study. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2011 Jan;17(1):91-100. Epub 2010 Nov 24. PMCID: PMC3366462.
  27. Alcalay RN, Siderowf A, Ottman R, Caccappolo E, Mejia-Santana H, Tang MX, Rosado L, Louis ED, Ruiz D, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Orbe Reilly M, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Comella C, Colcher C, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Rezak M, Novak KE, Friedman JH, Pfeiffer RF, Marsh L, Hiner B, Clark LN, Marder KS. Olfaction in parkin heterozygotes and compound heterozygotes: the CORE PD study. Neurology 2011 Jan 25;76(4):319-326. Epub 2010 Dec 29. PMCID: PMC3034420.
  28. Alcalay RN, Caccappolo E, Mejia-Santana H, Tang M -X, Rosado L, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Louis ED, Comella C, Colcher A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M, Novak K, Friedman JH, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B, Siderowf A, Ottman R, Clark LN, and Marder K. Frequency of known mutations in early onset PD; implication for genetic counseling: the CORE-PD study. Arch Neurol. 2010;67(9):1116-1122. PMCID: PMC3329730.
  29. Alcalay RN, Mejia-Santana H, Tang M -X, Rakitin BC, Rosado L, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Louis ED, Comella C, Colcher A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M , Novak K , Friedman JH, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B, Siderowf A, Ottman R, Clark LN, Marder KS and Caccappolo E. Self report of cognitive impairment and Mini-Mental State Exam Performance in PRKN, LRRK2 and GBA carriers with early onset PD. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2010 Aug;32(7):775-9 PMCID: PMC2911493.
  30. Marder KS , Tang MX , Mejia-Santana H, Rosado L, Louis ED, Comella C, Colcher A, Siderowf, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S Ross B, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Alcalay RN, Rezak M , Novak K , Friedman J, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B, Caccoppolo E, Ottman R, Clark LN. Predictors of Parkin Mutations in Early Onset Parkinson disease: the CORE-PD Study. Arch Neurol. 2010;67(6):731-738. PMCID: PMC3329757.
  31. Alcalay RN, Mejia-Santana H, Tang M -X, Caccappolo E, Rosado L, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Kisselev S, Louis ED, Comella C, Colcher A, Jennings D, Nance M, Bressman S, Scott WK, Tanner C, Mickel S, Andrews H, Waters C, Fahn S, Cote L, Frucht S, Ford B, Rezak M , Novak K , Friedman JH, Pfeiffer R, Marsh L, Hiner B, Siderowf A, Ottman R, Clark LN, Marder KS. Motor phenotype of LRRK2 G2019S carriers in Early Onset Parkinson Disease. Arch Neurol. 2009;66(12):1517-1522. PMCID: PMC2837584.
  32. Alcalay RN, Simoes R, Feigin A, Frucht S. Neuralgic Amyotrophy Following Botulinum Toxin Injection. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2010 May;16(4):301-2. Epub 2009 Oct 7.
  33. Clark LN, Kisselev S, Park Naeun, Ross B, Verbitsky M, Rios E, Alcalay RN, Lee JH, Louis ED. Mutations in the Parkinson's Disease Genes, Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) and Glucocerebrosidase (GBA), are not Associated with Essential Tremor. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2010 Feb;16(2):132-135.
  34. Alcalay R, Patel S, Wu S, Frucht S. Oromandibular dystonia as a complication of Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis. Mov. Disord 2009 Jul 15;24(9):1397-9.
  35. Gardner RC, Alcalay RN, Schmahmann JD. Transient exacerbation of ataxia with smoking: A prevalence study. Mov. Disord. 2009 Apr 30;24(6):937-8.
  36. Alcalay RN, Smith EE. MRI showing white matter lesions and multiple lobar microbleeds in a patient with reversible encephalopathy. J Neuroimaging. 2009 Jan;19(1):89-91.
     37. Alcalay RN, Giladi E, Pick CG, Gozes I. Intranasal administration of NAP, a neuroprotective peptide, decreases anxiety-like behavior in aging mice in the elevated plus maze. Neurosci Lett 2004 May 6;361(1-3):128-3.