At Maimonides Neurosciences Institute, board-certified neurologists offer advanced diagnostic care and treatment for the full range of brain and nervous system conditions. Benjamin Morrison, MD, and Divya Palanisamy, MD, recently joined the Department of Neurology at Maimonides, bringing backgrounds with subspecialty fellowship training across areas of care including cognitive neurology, neurophysiology, neuropsychiatry, and movement disorders.  

Dr. Benjamin Morrison brings clinical expertise in behavioral neurology to Brooklyn Patients

Dr. Morrison is a board-certified neurologist who received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.  

After completing his fellowship in clinical neurology from SUNY Downstate with a concentration in electroencephalography and clinical focus in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, he also completed fellowship training in cognitive and behavioral neurology at Boston University, focusing on novel anti-amyloid immunologic therapies for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  

At Maimonides, Dr. Morrison is the first behavioral neurologist in the Department of Neurology, in which he will build and strengthen clinical services for behavioral neurology and Alzheimer’s disease care.  

“I’m excited to join Maimonides and to have this opportunity to build a much-needed resource for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other behavioral neurologic conditions,” said Dr. Morrison. “As the population ages here in Brooklyn and across the city, it’s a crucial time to address these needs, especially considering new potential for treatment with the rapidly emerging advancements in medical therapies and diagnostics for these conditions.” 

Additionally, Dr. Morrison is also fellowship-trained in interventional neuropsychiatry and neuromodulation, including the treatment of medically complex patients using interventional modalities like electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, esketamine, deep brain stimulation, and psychiatric neurosurgery.  

“I have a special passion for treating patients with catatonia, noninvasive neuromodulation, and disorders of somatization,” says Dr. Morrison. “My other clinical interests include disorders of language and the neuropsychiatry of epilepsy.” 

He has served as a neurohospitalist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County since 2024, working directly with patients to treat medically complex and multidisciplinary conditions, in addition to teaching residents and medical students.  

Dr. Divya Palanisamy builds upon Maimonides’ clinical expertise in movement disorder care

Dr. Palanisamy joins Maimonides after completing her neurology residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, serving as chief resident, and her fellowship in movement disorders at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.  

Before attending medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Dr. Palanisamy worked as an elementary educator in Manchester, New Hampshire through AmeriCorps, honing her interest in teaching by introducing an afterschool neuroscience curriculum to students. 

“Neuroscience is a field that is developing rapidly, and so teaching and learning is such a critical part of navigating the uncertainty that we work through with our patients. I’ve always been interested in the brain, but it was the emphasis on education within the field that pushed me towards neurology,” she says.  

She brought that interest in teaching to her fellowship, organizing an eight-week brain health literacy course for elementary to middle school students in partnership with St. Luke’s AME Church in Harlem. 

This year, Dr. Palanisamy will also bring the lens of brain health education to her participation in the American Academy of Neurology’s Health Care Equity Program. Alongside a network of subspecialty neurologist participants across the United States, she will create and refine a customized roadmap aimed at mitigating healthcare disparities in the community. 

At Maimonides, she joins neurologist Christian Amlang, MD, in expanding access to diagnostic and therapeutic care for movement disorders and functional neurologic disorders like Parkinson’s disease, tremors, and catatonia to patients in Brooklyn and beyond. 

“Because tests don’t provide definitive diagnoses for movement disorders, my approach to care centers around listening to patients in depth to get to know them and how their lives are being affected by what they are experiencing,” she said. “I view my role as a clinician as one in partnership with each patient, contextualizing their reports to guide them to the best treatment plan.” 

Expanding availability and access for Brooklyn patients

Dr. Morrison and Dr. Palanisamy have begun welcoming adult patients with confirmed or suspected neurological conditions or symptoms, working collaboratively with other specialties including primary care, psychiatry, neurosurgeons, physical and occupational therapists, and others to diagnose and treat patients. With the most advanced technologies and comprehensive neurologic assessments available at Maimonides, patients benefit from individualized treatment plans designed to address symptoms, limit disease progression, and improve quality of life.  

Learn more about neurology care at Maimonides. To refer a patient or schedule an appointment, call 718-283-7470.