James Otis, MD

Dr. James Otis, MD, associate professor of neurology, will develop a Headache Center in the Neurology Clinic. Dr. Otis has been involved in pain and headache research for over 30 years, with a particular interest in chronic daily headache and Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH).  

Dr. Otis has always been fascinated with how the brain works and is a third-generation neurologist. Dr. Otis, born in New York City, grew up in Europe. His professional experience includes working for Boston University (BU) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) for about 25 years, where he directed the multidisciplinary Pain and Headache Center and the neurology residency program. He taught undergraduate BU students and trained over 150 academic neurologists with the curriculum he developed for neuroscience students. He also spearheaded a mentoring practice for healthcare professionals. 

 Before joining UMass Chan Medical School, Dr. Otis was chief of service in the neurology department at Baystate-UMMS. 

When not seeing patients, Dr. Otis enjoys spending time with friends and family, rowing and exploring the hidden gems of New England. He is also a voracious reader and an avid traveler.