Dr. Cigdem Isitan-Alkawadri Joins Inaugural NEST Program Faculty

Dr. Cigdem Isitan-Alkawadri, an HBM and AIE program faculty member, will serve as retreat faculty and a longitudinal research mentor for the inaugural Neurology Early-Career Clinician Educators Scholarly Training (NEST) Program, a national initiative supporting early-career neurologists in clinical teaching and educational scholarship.

The opening retreat will take place at Cleveland Clinic on September 11–13, 2026. Dr. Isitan-Alkawadri will contribute to clinical-teaching sessions and mentor scholars as they develop educational projects throughout the 2026–2027 program.

An Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, she serves as Neurology Clerkship Director and Clinical Director of the UPMC Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship. She also established the UPMC Multidisciplinary Autoimmune Encephalitis Clinic. Her work brings together clinical expertise, curriculum development, assessment and feedback, and sustained mentorship of the next generation of neurologists.