Jyothi Paladugu, MD

I've always found the brain fascinating. And while everything in the human body is essential, the control our brains have over our daily lives is endlessly mesmerizing to me. \n Early in my education, I knew I wanted to learn as much as possible about it - not just because of my own curiosity, but, more importantly, to help others understand the often nebulous topic of neurology. I love answering questions and educating patients and their families. \n Epilepsy has increasingly become a focus of mine since it is often a complicated diagnosis that can be confounding for patients and their families. I always wanted to be an educational bridge to help people understand their diagnosis and the rapidly growing treatment options available. \n I approach my patients' health holistically. Often, many factors contribute to a patient's condition, and they all require identification and treatment. \n My philosophy on patient care is: Treat patients the way I'd want my family or me to be treated. Everybody deserves to be heard, respected and treated with dignity. \n During my Emory residency, I earned a quality improvement and patient safety certificate. \n I fully enjoy life outside medicine. My wife and I moved to the Charlotte area in 2023 and plan to be here for the long-term. When not working, we are active hikers - a hobby we've traveled around the world to pursue. We've visited South Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan and many U.S. national parks. Traveling opens your mind - and open-mindedness is a quality that serves me well in my medical practice. \n We enjoy cooking and love to try all types of global cuisines. I also love watching sports of all kinds - primarily Formula 1 racing. We've been to a few races and hope to eventually attend a race at every major track in the world.

I chose endocrinology because it involves clinical nutrition, which was, and continues to be, a big interest of mine. \n Many of my relationships with patients span more than 20 years, and I recognize that we are taking care of the whole person, not just an endocrine disorder. \n I have served as the head of the obesity subcommittee for the nutrition committee at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and I am a co-author of its national guidelines for the medical management of obese surgery patients. I earned the association's certification in neck ultrasound, which enhances my expertise in diagnosing and treating thyroid nodes and cancer. \n In 2007, I was named board member of the year by the Charlotte chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where I served on the board for six years. I have participated in 13 of the foundation's Ride to Cure events. \n I moved to Charlotte in 1995 with my wife and two children. We now also have two dogs. I love spending time with family (dogs included) and bicycle riding. And if you like medical thrillers, try the book I wrote, E.M.R.! It's about a medical record system becoming self-aware, inspired by some late nights at work.