Thomas J. Guttuso, Jr. MD

Thomas Guttuso, Jr.

Thomas J. Guttuso, Jr.
MD

Professor; Co-Director of Movement Disorder Center

Department of Neurology

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Movement Disorders; Neurology; Parkinson's

Contact Information
5851 Main Street
Williamsville, New York 14221
Phone: (716) 932-6080
Fax: (716) 829-3010
tguttuso@buffalo.edu


Patient Care

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

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Professional Summary:

I am a movement disorder neurologist, and I care for patients with involuntary movements such as Parkinson‘s disease, tremor disorders and dystonia at our UBMD neurology clinic on Main Street in Williamsville. I manage the care of patients with medication and counseling, and I also perform botulinum toxin (Botox) injections to treat dystonia, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, spasticity and certain types of tremors and headaches. I collaborate with UBMD neurosurgeons specializing in movement disorders in order to give patients the best possible and coordinated care. For instance, I refer patients to my neurosurgery collaborators for deep brain stimulation (DBS) when I know this surgical therapy treatment will help my patients. I am also a member of the Parkinson Study Group, an international organization of clinical research centers, and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. My involvement with these groups allows me to identify opportunities for my patients to enroll in cutting-edge research studies and clinical trials that could benefit them.

My research has focused primarily on conducting clinical trials with the goal of finding new treatments for a variety of conditions. These conditions have included hot flashes, chemotherapy-induced nausea, hyperemesis gravidarum and Parkinson‘s disease (PD). Thus far, my research has shown the drug gabapentin to be an effective treatment for hot flashes in postmenopausal women and to possibly be an effective treatment for nausea and vomiting conditions, including hyperemesis gravidarum, that do not respond to more conventional therapies. In addition, I have collaborated with the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center to identify two brain sites where changes in an assessment called free water assessed by MRI correlates with changes in cognition in patients with PD. Specifically, we showed that free water increases over time in these brain sites and correlates with worsening cognition in PD.

In a small pilot clinical trial, our team then showed therapy with the neuroprotective element lithium to be associated with decreases in free water in these and one additional brain site implying that lithium may be protecting brain cells and slowing symptom progression in PD. This enabled us to secure funding from two organizations to support a larger PD/lithium clinical trial with results expected in 2025 and 2026.

I also teach medical students and residents about movement disorders in classroom settings as well as at the bedside in my outpatient clinic and on inpatient rounds at Buffalo General Medical Center.

Education and Training:

  • Fellowship, Experimental Therapeutics and Movement Disorders, University of Rochester (2003)
  • Residency, Neurology Residency, University of Rochester (2000)
  • MD, University at Buffalo (1996)
  • MS, University at Buffalo (1992)
  • BA, Cornell University (1988)

Employment:

  • Professor, Neurology, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
  • Associate Professor, Neurology, University at Buffalo (2013–2019)
  • Assistant Professor, Neurology, University at Buffalo (2003–2013)

Awards and Honors:

  • Neurology Residents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY. (2009)

Research Expertise:

  • Movement disorders

Research Centers:

  • Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center
  • Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC)
  • Jacobs Neurological Institute

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • May 2024–April 2025
    Repurposing lithium as a disease-modifying therapy in Parkinson’s disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
    Cure Parkinson's Trust
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $242,272
  • February 2023–January 2024
    Effect of low-dose lithium therapy on long COVID symptoms: a randomized controlled trial.
    Clinical and Translational Science Award
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $12,300
  • July 2019–June 2021
    Lithium's effects on therapeutic targets and MRI biomarkers in Parkinson's disease: A pilot clinical trial
    Buffalo Blue Sky Award
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $15,000
  • April 2018–April 2021
    A Phase 3, Twelve-week, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Parallel Group Study to Determine the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of P2B001 Compared to its Individual Components in Subjects with Early Parkinson’s Disease
    Pharma 2B, Inc.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • April 2018–December 2018
    A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of BIIB054 in subjects with Parkinson's Disease
    Biogen, Inc.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • January 2014–December 2017
    Comparison of gabapentin and ondansetron for treating hyperemesis gravidarum
    NIH
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $1,318,409
  • May 2014–April 2016
    Effect of 2.5 years of rasagiline therapy on progression of cognitive biomarkers assessed by MRI in Parkinson’s disease
    Teva Pharmaceuticals
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $150,929
  • February 2023
    Repurposing lithium as a disease-modifying therapy in Parkinson’s disease: A Phase I trial.
    Clinical and Translational Science Award
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $49,900
  • November 2022
    A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Phase 2a Study with Oral UCB0599 in Study Participants with Early Parkinson’s Disease
    UCB
    Role: Principal Investigator

Journal Articles:

See all (24 more)

Abstracts:

  • Guttuso Jr, T. Russak, E. Tamano de Blanco, M. Ramanathan, M. (2016) Cigarettes, Lithium and Parkinson’s Disease. Movement Disorders, (Jan) E7-E7

Professional Memberships:

  • International Parkinson & Movement Disorder Society; International Academic Movement Disorder Group (2015–present)
  • Parkinson Study Group (PSG); International Clinical Research Group (2008–present)

Presentations:

  • "Research in Residency for Fun and Profit" Experimental Therapeutics Conference (2019)
  • "Could lithium be a motor stabilizer for Parkinson’s disease?" Grand Rounds (2016)

Service Activities:

  • BMC Neurology (2021)
  • Journal of Clinical Medicine (2021)
  • Parkinsonism & Related Disorders (2021)
  • Movement Disorders (2021)
  • Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (2021)
  • American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (2021)
  • Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology (2021)
  • Neurology (2021)
  • Review faculty dossiers for promotion consideration.; Promotions Committee (2021–present)
  • Prepared and performed a 30-minute power point presentation on Movement Disorders/Parkinson’s disease followed by 40 minutes of Q&A for the UB Mini Medical School at the request of Roseanne Berger, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (2018–2021)
  • Reviewed 3 grant applications for the CTSA pilot study program at the request of Timothy Murphy, MD (2015–2021)
  • Served on the University Faculty Council (2015–2016)
  • Served on the Ad Hoc Tenure Promotions Committee (2014–2017)
  • Served as a panel member for the Pilot & Collaborative Translational & Clinical Studies grant review committee at the request of Kenneth Tramposch, Associate Vice President for Research (2010–2021)
  • Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) (2010–2015)
  • Developed a Standard Operating Procedure for the Laboratory Animal Facility, at their request, for use of the neurotoxin MPTP in mice; Advisor (2005–present)

School News:

In the Media:


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Contact Information

5851 Main Street
Williamsville, New York 14221
Phone: (716) 932-6080
Fax: (716) 829-3010
tguttuso@buffalo.edu

This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.

View this physician on UBMD