Dr Nicholas Yang

Dr Nicholas Yang is a Neurologist (FRACP) who has cultivated his interest in balance disorders and pursued further training across multiple centres. He has completed three subspecialty neurology fellowships (in neuro-otology, neurophysiology and stroke) throughout his training, demonstrating his commitment to professional development and his strong interest in both the clinical and scientific aspects of neurology.

Nick is an active researcher in the neuro-otology space and has a keen interest in the integration of Artificial Intelligence and its applications in balance and vestibular disorders, having published peer-reviewed papers in this area. His current research focuses on positional vertigo disorders, examining both the physiological aspects and the methods through which AI can make specialist-level knowledge more accessible to the front-line clinicians and the general public.

He has a keen interest in the use of mechanical rotation chairs (Rotundum repositioning chair). He was one of the first doctors trained in the use of the Rotundum chair and spent more than 3 years gaining experience with mechanical rotation devices at A/Prof Miriam Welgampola’s lab in Sydney. This provided the impetus for him to set up Melbourne Balance Clinic and continue his work with the second Rotundum device in the country to enable patients in Melbourne to access the same level of medically supervised treatment in a mechanical rotation device.

Nick’s subspecialty training in neurophysiology and neuro-otology uniquely positions him to understand and interpret studies such as VEMPs, which sit at the intersection of these two areas. He is accredited by ANZAN as a Level 2 EMG/NCS supervisor and has pursued further training through courses via the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

He has presented at both national and international conferences. He is a regular presenter at the Neuro-otology Society of Australia (NOTSA) meeting and has presented his research at international conferences including the Bárány Society Meeting (2024) and the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting (2026), which are the two largest neuro-otology and general neurology conferences in the world, respectively.

• Positional vertigo and episodic positional vestibular disorders
• Neurophysiology of the vestibular system
• Artificial intelligence and its applications in clinical neuro-otology
• Ethical AI and implementation in healthcare
• The use of mechanical repositioning chairs in the management and diagnosis of positional vertigo
• Nystagmus analysis

• Neuro-Otology Fellow & PhD candidate – University of Sydney, 2023-Present
• Neurophysiology Fellow – Royal Hobart Hospital, 2022-2023
• Neurology Advanced Trainee – Alfred Health & Northern Health, 2021-2022
• Clinical Stroke Fellowship – St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, 2019-2020

Dr Yang has co-authored a clinical guideline used at The Alfred Hospital, which guides the use of video-nystagmography in the Emergency Department. This was the first of its kind in Victoria and allowed patients presenting with vertigo to have their eye movements recorded for analysis by experts, which is a key diagnostic feature. This represented a significant advancement in the clinical assessment of patients presenting with vertigo to these emergency departments.

• More than 3 years of experience treating patients in the Rotundum Chair

• Research Scholarship – Passe & Williams Foundation, 2023-2026 – Awarded a research scholarship to undertake a PhD project under the supervision of A/Prof Miriam Welgampola and Dr Sally Rosengren looking at the application of machine learning to positional vertigo. Thesis titled ‘Recurrent Positional Vertigo: Separation of central and peripheral origins by nystagmus profile’. View here.
• Bond University – Dean’s List for Academic Excellence, 2014