Adys Mendizabal, MD
(she/her)
- Movement Disorders Neurology
About
Adys Mendizabal, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of Miami and completed medical school at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. While in medical school, she also earned a Master of Arts in Urban Bioethics, with a focus on the social determinants of health in urban communities. She completed her neurology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and movement disorders fellowship at UCLA. She also completed a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA.
Dr. Mendizabal's research focuses on health services in neurology. Health services is a field that studies how patients access care, assesses healthcare outcomes, and uses this information to shape healthcare policy. One focus of health services research is evaluating the role of non-biological factors (social determinants of health) in a person’s ability to access healthcare and differences in health outcomes. Dr. Mendizabal’s current research focuses on access to neurologic care for Huntington's Disease (HD), a rare, progressive neurogenetic condition. Her lab analyzes data available in electronic health records, as well as conducts interviews with patients and providers, to better understand the factors that influence early access to HD care and participation in clinical research. In the long term, her goal is to develop interventions that improve early access to specialty services for HD and other rare and common neurological disorders.
Languages
Education
Medical Board Certification
Fellowship
Residency
Internship
Degrees
Recognitions
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
- Gold Humanism Honor Society
- Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) Berman-Topper Career Development Fellow
- See More
Locations
Hospital Affiliations
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Medical Services
Areas of Focus
Videos
Research
Interests
- Health Services in Neurologic Disease
- Huntington's Disease Clinical Epidemiologic Research
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Neurologic Disease
Publications
-
Madera A, Schrodt C, Mendizabal A. Disparities in Huntington's disease care and research. Curr Opin Neurol. 2025 Aug 1;38(4):337-342. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000001376. Epub 2025 May 21. PMID: 40395201; PMCID: PMC12237127.
-
Ogilvie AC, Carnahan RM, Mendizabal A, Gilbertson-White S, Seaman AT, Chrischilles EA, Schultz JL. Predictors of Health Care Utilization for Individuals With Manifest Huntington Disease. Neurol Clin Pract. 2025 Jun;15(3):e200471. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200471. Epub 2025 Apr 9. PMID: 40290707; PMCID: PMC12021023.
-
Perez MA, Reyes-Esteves S, Mendizabal A. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Neurological Care in the United States. Semin Neurol. 2024 Apr;44(2):178-192. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1778639. Epub 2024 Mar 14. PMID: 38485124.
-
Mendizabal A, Ogilvie A, Perlman S., Bordelon Y. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Huntington’s Disease Diagnosis: Analysis of ENROLL-HD. Neurol Clin Pract. 2024 Oct;14(5):e200344. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200344. Epub 2024 Jun 21. PMID: 39872293; PMCID: PMC11771962.
-
Mendizabal A, Singh AP, Perlman S, Brown A, Bordelon Y. Disparities in Huntington Disease Severity: Analysis Using the ENROLL-HD Dataset. Neurol Clin Pract. 2023 Dec;13(6):e200200. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200200. Epub 2023 Oct 2. PMID: 37795504; PMCID: PMC10547468.
-
Mendizabal A, Jones NL. (2023). Ethical Considerations in Clinical Trials for Rare Genetic Diseases: The Case of Huntington’s Disease. The American Journal of Bioethics: AJOB, 23(7), 94–96.
-
Mendizabal, A., Nathan, C. L., Khankhanian, P., Anto, M., Clyburn, C., Acaba-Berrocal, A., Breen, L., & Dahodwala, N. (2022). Adverse Childhood Experiences in Patients With Neurologic Disease. Neurology. Clinical Practice, 12(1), 60–67. PMCID: PMC9491504
-
Mendizabal A, Thibault DP, Crispo JA, Paley A, Willis AW. Comorbid disease drives short-term hospitalization outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurol Clin Pract. 2020 Jun;10(3):255-264. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000838. PMID: 32642327; PMCID: PMC7292556
-
Mendizabal A, Ngo Vu AT, Thibault D, Gonzalez-Alegre P, Willis A. Hospitalizations of Children with Huntington's Disease in the United States. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2017 Sep-Oct;4(5):682-688. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6174499.
-
Mendizabal A, Thibault DP, Willis AW. Patient safety events in hospital care of individuals with epilepsy. Epilepsi 2016 Aug;57(8):1301-9. PubMed PMID: 27350435.
In the News
Working Towards Health Equity in HD Care
Is there a link between childhood trauma and adult neurologic conditions? - UCLA Health Newsroom, 2021
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change.
Please contact your benefits coordinator or health insurance company directly to verify coverage.
Visit our health insurance information page for more details.
Recognitions
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
- Gold Humanism Honor Society
- Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) Berman-Topper Career Development Fellow
- American Academy of Neurology, Health Equity Research Award