Skip to main content

Joseph M. Furman, MD, PhD, FAAN

  • Director, UPMC Center for Balance Disorders
  • Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Neurology, Bioengineering, and Physical Therapy

Dr. Furman's clinical activities include the evaluation of patients with dizziness and disequilibrium and consultation neurology. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Furman is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Medical Association, the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, the Barany Society, and The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.

    Education & Training

  • University of Toronto and at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fellowships in Nonsurgical Neurotology
  • University of California, Los Angeles, Neurology Residency
  • University of Pennsylvania, PhD in Bioengineering
  • University of Pennsylvania, MD
Awards
Pittsburgh Best Doctors
Jean Louis Rheil Award for Research by a Resident in Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles
Mary Ellis Bell Prize, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Phi Beta Kappa, University of Pennsylvania
Wolf Prize in Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
2026 Hallpike-Nylen Prize Recipient, presented by the Barany Society in Shanghai, China
Representative Publications

Harter MJ, Redfern MS, Furman JM, Sparto PJ, Geyer H. A modeling approach to understanding poor stability in people with vestibular hypofunction. J Biomech. 2026 Aug;205:113418. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113418. Epub 2026 Jun 15. PMID: 42308803; PMCID: PMC13398370.

Hoppes CW, Dunlap PM, Sparto PJ, Alshebber KM, Klatt BN, Lambert KH, Furman JM, Huppert TJ, Whitney SL. The six-item visual vertigo analogue scale: A modified questionnaire for assessment of visual vertigo. J Vestib Res. 2026 Nov;36(6):425-434. doi: 10.1177/09574271261435448. Epub 2026 Mar 15. PMID: 41834406.

Alsubaie SF, Marchetti GF, Sienko KH, Whitney SL, Furman JM, Sparto PJ. Using ratings of perceived difficulty for balance exercise prescription and intensity progression. Front Rehabil Sci. 2026 Feb 10;7:1715809. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2026.1715809. PMID: 41743426; PMCID: PMC12929541.

Sparto PJ, Kontos AP, Mucha A, Whitney SL, Zynda AJ, Patterson CG, Smith CN, Perry C, Furman JM, Bobula SA, Hershaw JN, Mote C, Wilcox SM, Peterson AL, Young-McCaughan S, Engel SD, Suttles S, Collins MW. Effect of Dose of Targeted Rehabilitation Exercises for Vestibular (T-REV) Impairments following mTBI on Dizziness Handicap: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2026 Jul 1;50(3):134-146. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000547. Epub 2026 Jan 23. PMID: 41576285.

Alradady FA, Dunlap PM, Sparto PJ, Klatt BN, Furman JM, Whitney SL. Perceived sense of direction in persons with dizziness and balance disorders. J Vestib Res. 2026 Jul;36(4):232-238. doi: 10.1177/09574271251389499. Epub 2025 Oct 30. PMID: 41165189.

Full list of publications

Research Interests

Dr. Furman's research interests include vestibulo-ocular function in older persons, otolith-ocular reflexes, and migraine-related dizziness. He also improves the testing methods relating to balance system abnormalities, increasing the understanding of human inner ear (vestibular) function, and enhances the rehabilitation of people with inner ear disease.