Samer D. Tabbal, M.D., FAAN, director of the movement disorders program at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, has been appointed as the Endowed Chair in Movement Disorders at the Institute. The installation ceremony took place on November 19, 2025, at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami.
The event featured remarks from several leaders within Baptist Health, including Jack Ziffer, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer; Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation; Michael McDermott, M.D., chief medical executive and Irma & Kalman Bass Endowed Chair in Clinical Neuroscience; and Diego Torres-Russotto, M.D., chair of neurology and Distinguished Endowed Chair in Neurology. Dr. Tabbal also delivered a presentation following the formal program.
The endowed chair position was established to advance research and care for movement disorders. It is designed to support Dr. Tabbal’s work on brain imaging and neurodegenerative diseases.
“We are honored and grateful to be a part of this important occasion supporting Dr. Tabbal’s work,” said Ms. Villoch. “This endowed chair will have an enormous impact on advancing care and treatments for movement disorders that affect so many in South Florida and beyond.”
Dr. Tabbal is a board-certified neurologist with expertise in Parkinson’s disease, botulinum toxin injections, and deep brain stimulation programming for various movement disorders including tremor and dystonia.
Before joining Baptist Health, Dr. Tabbal served as professor of neurology at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He previously directed the Deep Brain Stimulation Program for Parkinson’s Disease at Washington University in St. Louis for a decade and established a movement disorder center at American University of Beirut.
He received his medical degree from American University of Beirut, completed his neurology residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and pursued a two-year fellowship in movement disorders at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City. His research explores deep brain stimulation’s effects on brain imaging, motor control, cognition, and mood.
Dr. Tabbal holds certification from the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology and is recognized as a fellow by the American Academy of Neurology.
“I am deeply honored to accept this endowed chair,” said Dr. Tabbal. “We are making tremendous advances in the treatment of movement disorders. This endowment will be instrumental in supporting research studies that will result in improved outcomes and better quality of life for patients with neurological diseases.”
Baptist Health Foundation supports innovation through philanthropy by funding patient care advancements, new treatments for serious illnesses, technological improvements across facilities, research initiatives, and continuing education for staff (https://baptisthealth.net/foundation).
Baptist Health operates 12 hospitals with more than 29,000 employees throughout South Florida counties such as Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward, and Palm Beach (https://baptisthealth.net/newsroom). The organization includes specialized institutes focused on cancer care; brain and spine care; heart and vascular care; orthopedic services; Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and The Baptist Health PineApp virtual platform. Baptist Health South Florida collaborates academically with Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
The not-for-profit system is recognized nationally by Fortune as one of America’s top employers and is noted as South Florida’s most awarded healthcare provider by U.S. News & World Report.
