Cholpon Shambetova, MD

Cholpon earned her MD and completed her neurology residency at the Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, followed by clinical training in movement disorders at the University of Malaya Medical Center in Malaysia. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD at the Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck in Germany.

Cholpon has initiated a movement disorders service in her home country and spearheaded various projects in training, research, and patient advocacy. As a pioneer in genetic research in Kyrgyzstan, Cholpon investigates the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease and other parkinsonism with the support of GP2. Leading a country-wide study based at the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, she has established a network of 34 clinicians and researchers from different institutions across the country. Additionally, she conducts a family study to explore GBA1 penetrance within GP2. Cholpon serves on various committees within the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, including the MDS-AOS Executive Committee. Her primary goal is to foster collaboration and education to enhance research capacity for Parkinson’s disease and improve patient outcomes, particularly in underserved areas such as Central Asia.