Giselle M Petzinger

Giselle M Petzinger, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology (Clinical Scholar) at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. As a board-certified neurologist, she specializes in Parkinson’s disease care while conducting research on brain repair mechanisms and neuroplasticity.

Her research examines neuroplasticity enhancement through behavioral and pharmacological interventions, with ongoing US Army-funded projects on neuroplasticity in basal ganglia circuitry. Key interests include exercise-induced brain repair, dopamine neurotransmission modulation, and therapeutic development for neurodegenerative conditions.

Recent publications (2021-2024) focus on exercise neurobiology, perivascular space biomarkers, genetic neuroprotection, and metabolic connectivity in Parkinson's models. Earlier work established exercise-mediated dendritic spine recovery and striatal plasticity in MPTP-lesioned models.