Dr. Camila Aquino

Camila Aquino

MD, MSc, MSc, PhD
Pronouns: She/Her

Affiliations

Assistant Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurosciences

Assistant Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences

Full Member

Hotchkiss Brain Institute

Contact information

Phone number

Office: (403) 220-8679
Movement Disorders Clinic: (403) 944-4364

Preferred method of communication

Admin support: Rowena Manuel (rowena.manuel@ucalgary.ca)

Research Assistant: Carolina De La Rosa Jaimes (carolina.delarosa1@ucalgary.ca)

Background

Educational Background

M.D. Medicine, Escola Superior de Ciencias da Santa Casa, 2005

M.S. Health Research Methods, Clinical Epidemiology, McMaster University, 2020

M.S. Neurosciences, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 2012

Ph.D. Neurosciences, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 2019

Research

Areas of Research

Movement Disorders

My clinical research program focuses on movement disorders, with the aim of improving outcomes for people living with Parkinson's disease, tremor, and dystonia. 

My work spans clinical trial design and methodology, patient-centred research, neuromodulation, and device-aided therapies. I lead the Deep Brain Stimulation Multidisciplinary Program at Foothills Medical Centre and conduct investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials. 

I am also actively engaged in partnerships with patients and communities, aiming to identify what matters most to people living with movement disorders and to develop interventions that reflect their priorities.

Activities

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Publications

More Information

Awards: 

In 2025, I received the Parkinson Canada New Investigator Award for my project on understanding patient preferences and personalizing device-aided therapies for Parkinson's disease. I was selected for the MDS LEAP Program in 2021 as one of 12 international young leaders in the movement disorders field. Earlier in my training, I received a Clinical Fellowship Grant from Parkinson Society Canada (2015) and a Doctorate Scholarship from the CAPES Foundation, Brazilian Ministry of Health (2014), supporting my research and clinical training abroad. I have also been awarded competitive clinical fellowships, international travel awards, and internship placements throughout my medical education in Brazil.

 

Service:

Internationally, I hold multiple roles within the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), where I served as Chair of the Web-Based Learning Committee and currently serve on the Evidence-Based Medicine Steering Committee, the Clinical Outcome Assessment Committee, the Education Committee of the Pan-American Section, and as Co-Chair of the Clinical Research Methodology Group. I completed the MDS LEAP Program in 2021, selected as one of 12 international young leaders, and contributed to two MDS Task Forces — on Postural Abnormalities in Parkinsonism and on Stiff-Person Syndrome and Related Disorders. I am also a member and investigator of the Parkinson Study Group.

At the national level, I chair the Resilience Task Force of the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN), leading patient-centere research to understand and enhance resilience in people living with Parkinson's disease. 

I have been invited to speak at scientific meetings and community events internationally throughout my career and serve as a reviewer for grants and journals at both national and international levels.