Thomas Wichmann, MD

Thomas Wichmann, MD, is the Emory National Primate Research Center's (EPC) Associate Director for Scientific Programs. In this role, he works with Paul Johnson, MD, the center's director, and the center’s leadership team to help guide the future directions of the center’s scientific research programs, establish scientific priorities and enhance support for EPC research.

Dr. Wichmann also maintains a research program with a focus on developing more effective and safer interventions to help those who have Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders. To do this, he focuses his research on brain activity changes associated with PD and the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on brain networks. The National Institutes of Health and national foundations have continuously funded his research since 1996.

Dr. Wichmann is also the principal investigator (PI) and project PI of Emory’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)-funded Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research. With a goal of developing more effective Parkinson's disease treatments that have fewer side effects, the Emory Udall Center integrates collaborative research, expert training of researchers and outreach to people who have PD and their caregivers, and open dialogue with the general public, including organizing seminars and other educational activities. Dr. Wichmann is also the A. Worley Brown professor of neurology, associate director of the Movement Disorder Division at Emory and a member of Emory’s DBS surgery team, for which he provides intraoperative electrophysiologic expertise as well as pre- and postoperative patient assessments.

He joined the EPC in 2004, has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and 65 review articles, and serves on several editorial boards. He attended the Universities of Münster and Freiburg in Germany for his medical training, graduated from the University of Freiburg with his medical degree and then remained at the university to complete postdoctoral training in pharmacology. He also trained in in vivo primate electrophysiology in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University. Following his time in Baltimore, Dr. Wichmann relocated to Atlanta, completed his residency training in neurology at Emory University and became a faculty member in the movement disorder division in Emory’s Department of Neurology where he specializes in caring for people who have PD and Huntington’s disease.