News
St. Luke’s University Health Network announces the addition of three new fellowship-trained movement disorder specialists: Neurologists Aaron C. Lasker, M.D., and James Shou, M.D., and functional neurosurgeon Roy S. Hwang, M.D.
They have joined neurologist Nancy L. Diaz-Pichar, M.D., and functional neurosurgeon Steven M. Falowski, M.D., at St. Luke’s Movement Disorder Center.
About St. Luke’s Movement Disorder Center
St. Luke’s movement disorder specialists diagnose and treat the full spectrum of movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, Huntington’s disease, essential tremor, gait disorders, tic disorders like Tourette’s syndrome, and other conditions. St. Luke’s has been a regional leader in movement disorders and was first in the area to offer deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia. St. Luke’s continues to perform the most DBS procedures in the region.
The multidisciplinary team includes rehabilitation therapists, neuropsychologists, advanced practitioners, nurses, a sleep specialist and social workers who collaborate to provide personalized care, progressive treatments, education and support. Patients also benefit from a completely coordinated treatment approach and have access to additional St. Luke’s resources such as geriatricians, speech and language pathologists, dietitians, caregiver support groups, psychiatry, palliative care, exercise programs and more.
About the new physicians
Dr. Aaron Lasker has been named Medical Director of St. Luke’s Movement Disorders Center. A board-certified neurologist, Dr. Lasker specializes in movement disorders and cognitive training.
A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Lasker completed an internship at Rhode Island Hospital. He served as chief resident in neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the Harvard Neurology Program. He completed a joint fellowship in movement disorders and cognitive neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess.
Dr. Lasker’s areas of expertise include dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, restless leg syndrome and other movement and gait disorders. He collaborates with other members of the St. Luke’s neurosurgery team for deep brain stimulation evaluation and management.
He enjoys fly fishing, spending time outdoors, gardening and being with his family.
Dr. James Shou is a board-certified neurologist who specializes in movement disorders including tremors, tic disorders, gait disorders, Parkinson’s disease and others. He also performs botulinum toxin injections for chronic migraines, dystonia, spasticity and excessive drooling.
Dr. Shou received his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, followed by an internship at White Memorial Medical Center and residencies in Neurology at Westchester Medical Center and the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his fellowship in Movement Disorders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Dr. Shou enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor concerts, local festivals and the foodie scene.
Dr. Roy Hwang is a board-certified stereotactic and functional neurosurgeon who specializes in treating chronic pain, movement disorders and a variety of spinal disorders.
He graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine followed by an internship and residency at West Virginia University. He completed his fellowship at Albany Medical Center, developing advanced skills and techniques in neuromodulation for chronic pain and deep brain stimulation for movement disorders.
In his free time, Dr. Hwang, his wife and two children enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming.
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 14,000 employees providing services at 10 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient sites. With annual net revenue greater than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first and only regional medical school campus. It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 28 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 226 residents and fellows. St. Luke’s is the only health care system in central-eastern Pennsylvania to earn Medicare’s five-star rating (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. St. Luke’s has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health (formerly Truven Health Analytics) repeatedly – six times total and four years in a row including 2018. It has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program. Utilizing the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.
