Joel S. Perlmutter earned an AB degree in biochemistry at Princeton and an MD at the University of Missouri in Columbia. He trained in neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, studied with C.D. Marsden in London and returned to Washington University.

Dr. Perlmutter's research interests have included development of neuroimaging methods including PET measures of radioligand binding, image analysis methods, pharmacologic activation techniques and PET imaging of awake, trained primates. Perlmutter has investigated the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease and related conditions. His group discovered in vivo supersensitivity of dopamine receptors in human parkinsonism, sensorimotor processing defects in people with dystonia, altered dopa-induced brain responses in people with PD who have developed dyskinesias, deep brain stimulation activating effects in humans and a new animal model of transient dystonia.

Dr. Perlmutter won the Eliasson Award for outstanding resident teaching in 1992 and 1998; the Outstanding Young Physician Award from the University of Missouri in 1998; the Best Doctors of St. Louis and America’s Top Doctors since 2001; Mentor of the Year Award from the Women’s Academic Network at Washington University; a Special Recognition Award for graduate teaching at Washington University in 2005; and the Distinguished Teaching Award for Medical Student Classes of 2004, 2005 and 2008.

In addition to his faculty appointments at Washington University in St. Louis, Perlmutter is Head of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology and Director of the NeuroClinical Research Unit and Director of the Brain, Behavior and Performance Unit of the Clinical Translational Science Award at Washington University.