b'MS Focus ActivitiesAugusto Miravalle, M.D.By Kimani HendricksBorn and raised in Argentina, with ItalianNeurology and our immune systems have and Spanish heritages, Dr. Augusto Miravalle\'sa fascinating interplay and are highly complex; world was comprised of two potent inspirations:when you put these things that form a disease, medicine and music. In his youth, his classicallike MS, together, the challenge is always how to pianist training earned him accolades andmanage it. That process interests me because it the ability to travel the world. Between ages 12is a learning opportunity as professionals to and 16, he won rst prize in the Internationalget to know our patients and be part of their Piano Competition, trained under renownedlivesmovingforward. Therelationshipis pianist and harpsichordist Rosalyn Tureck inimpactful and meaningful because the medical New York City, and received scholarships toteam learns from those we serve just as they the National Endowment for the Arts backlearn from us. And I think that is so fullling home and Queen Sophia Academy of Musicbecause we become better," he said. in Spain. "Although, for some time, I believedFrustration leads to nonprotI\'d make a living by playing piano, I had beenFor nearly eight years, Dr. Miravalle worked exposedtomedicinejustasearlyandasas a neurologist at the University of Colorado much. My father and sister were physicians, andDenver in what he calls a growing MS department, their eld intrigued me enough to change mywhich greatly expanded in terms of patients career aspirations," said Dr. Miravalle. and clinical trials. He then briey operated as After graduating from Universidad Nacionalvice chair of education turned division chief of de La Plata in Argentina, he moved to theMS at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, UnitedStatesandbecameinvolvedinbefore returning to the Centennial State as a neuroimmunologyandneuroinfectiousclinical associate professor and neurologist. diseases research projects at Indiana University.While research in cognitive wellness has Dr. Miravalle\'s neurology practicum continuedadvanced over the years, Dr. Miravalle believed following his residency at Loyola Universitythat more could be done to improve it.in Chicago before beginning a fellowship in"After the COVID-19 pandemic began, I neuroimagingandneuroimmunologyatexpressed my frustrations and concerns with HarvardUniversity.Hiscuriosityaboutmy wife about the constant need to educate conditions concerning the nerves or nervouspatients so they could lead a better quality of system, and how to assist those living withlife, to which she agreed, and together, within them was, immediate. a few months, we founded a nonprot: Brain msfocusmagazine.org 38'