Tawfiq Al-Lahham, MD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Director of the MDA-ALS Center

Dr. Al Lahham has years of clinical experience providing comprehensive management for neurological conditions with subspeciality in the clinical and electrodiagnostic aspect of neuromuscular medicine. His clinical and research practice focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and myasthenia gravis. The goals of his research is to identify the pathophysiological processes that cause motor neuron degeneration and to find novel therapeutic interventions.

Education & Training

  • MD, Damascus University School of Medicine 
  • Resident, Saint Louis University, Internal Medicine
  • Resident, Saint Louis University, Neurology
  • Fellow, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Neurophysiology- Electromyography, and Neuromuscular Diseases
  • Fellow, Northwestern University, Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuropathology

Specialized Areas of Clinical, Research and/or Educational Interests 

  • Research: ALS (drug trials, biomarkers, technology) 
  • Clinical: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Myasthenia gravis; Muscle diseases; Neuropathy; Electromyography
  • Education: Electrodiagnostic testing; Neuromuscular diseases

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology: Neurology  
  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology: Neuromuscular Medicine
  • American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Professional Organization Membership

  • American Academy of Neurology
  • American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Honors & Awards

  • Orlando Health, named “Top Doctors” 2019-2020
  • Teaching award for medical student education at Saint Louis University Hospital
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Fellowship Award- Clinical Trial Methods Course

Selected Publications

Primary Lateral Sclerosis and Early Upper Motor Neuron Disease: Characteristics of a Cross-Sectional Population. Fournier CN, Murphy A, Loci L, Mitsumoto H, Lomen-Hoerth C, Kisanuki Y, Simmons Z, Maragakis NJ, McVey AL, Al-Lahham T,Heiman-Patterson TD, Andrews J, McDonnell E, Cudkowicz M, Atassi N.  Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disorders. 2016 Mar;17(3):99-105.

Racial Differences in Motor Neuron Disease.  Gundogdu B, Al-Lahham T, Kadlubar F, Spencer H, Rudnicki SA. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. 2014 Mar;15(1-2):114-8.

Methadone induced Torsades de Pointes mimicking seizures in clinical presentation. Raina S, Paydak H, Al-Lahham T, Shihabuddin BS. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse  2014 Nov;40(6):490-2.