Massachusetts General Hospital

Biography

Dr. Alice Flaherty is a neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of both neurology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

She heads MGH Neurology's Brain Stimulator Unit, and treats patients with movement, mood, and psychogenic disorders. She was the site principle investigator for the trial of the first successful genetic treatment of Parkinson's Disease. While still a resident she wrote The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Neurology. It received a national award for its innovative approach, has been multiply translated, and remains by far the most widely used neurology text in its class.

During her research fellowship, she wrote The Midnight Disease, an award-winning nonfiction book about the neural basis of creativity. The Washington Post and The San Francisco Chronicle named it one of the best books of 2004. Her work on this subject has been featured in publications ranging from The New Yorker to Brazilian business magazines to a photo-essay in National Geographic.

As a clinician, Dr. Flaherty was honored by the Schwartz Center's statewide Compassionate Caregiver program. Through teaching at Harvard and MIT, Dr. Flaherty helps students to better accept and overcome their own mental health problems. A strong media advocate for the abilities of the mentally and neurologically ill, she has appeared as an expert on documentaries and news stories for the ABC, BBC, CBC, NBC, and PBS, as well as productions in Japan, Germany, and the Middle East.

Dr. Flaherty completed her AB, MD, internship, residency, and fellowship at Harvard. In an attempt at diversity, she also did a PhD at MIT.

Neurology Research Investigator Profile

2011

Research

Dr. Flaherty's research focuses on how our brains represent our bodies, a factor that helps drive suffering in depression, Parkinsons, and somatoform disorders. 

Read more:
Research Investigator Profile
Research Lab

Updated 1/25/2012

Publications

View my most recent publications at PubMed

1. Brain illness and creativity: mechanisms and treatment risks. Flaherty AW. Can J Psychiatry. 2011 Mar;56(3):132-43. PMID: 21443820


2. VIM Thalamic Stimulation for Monoclonal Gammopathy-Associated Tremor. Shields DC, Flaherty AW, Eskandar EN, Williams ZM. Neurosurgery. 2011 Feb 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21311371

Find more publications, articles, and media coverage on Dr. Flaherty's Research Lab and Researcher Profile pages.