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PGY-1

Shiau-Sing Ciecierska, MD

Hometown: Hyde Park, NY
Undergraduate: SUNY Binghampton
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo
Areas of Interest: Tumor and Pediatrics
Hobbies: All sports including Alpine Skiing, Cooking, and Traveling

Research & Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstracts

Lim J, Santo BA, Baig AA, Ciecierska SK, Donnelly B, Balghonaim S, Levy BR, Jaikumar V, Levy EI, Tutino VM, Siddiqui AH. (2024, Jul). Efficacy of intra-arterial carboplatin and bevacizumab in the C6 rat glioma model of glioblastoma multiforme. J Neurointerv Surg. jnis-2024-021789. doi: 10.1136/jnis-2024-021789. Epub ahead of print.

Behzadi F, Pickles AC, Ciecierska SS, Choe S, Prabhu VC, Germanwala AV. Patients at Greatest Risk of Missing Initial 1-Year Follow-Up After Pituitary Adenoma Resection. World Neurosurg. 2024 Jul 18:S1878-8750(24)01231-2. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.07.091. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39032634.

Santo, B. A., Jenkins, T. D., Ciecierska, S. S. K., Baig, A. A., Levy, E. I., Siddiqui, A. H., & Tutino, V. M. (2024). MicroCT and Histological Analysis of Clot Composition in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Comparative Study of MT-Retrieved Clots and Clot Analogs. Clinical Neuroradiology, 1-9.

Santo, B. A., Poppenberg, K. E., Ciecierska, S. S., Lim, J., Baig, A. A., Jaikumar, V., ... & Tutino, V. M. (2024). Decoding Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke Thrombectomy by RNA Sequencing of Retrieved Clots. Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy, 1-9.

Santo, B. A., Ciecierska, S. K., Mousavi Janbeh Sarayi, S. M., Jenkins, T. D., Baig, A. A., Monteiro, A., Koenigsknecht, C., Pionessa, D., Gutierrez, L., King, R. M., Gounis, M., Siddiqui, A. H., & Tutino, V. M.. (2023, Apr). Tectonic Infarct Analysis: A Computational Tool for Automated Whole-Brain Infarct Analysis from TTC-Stained Tissue. Heliyon, 9(4), e14837.

Santo, B. A., Poppenberg, K. E., Ciecierska, S. S. K., Baig, A. A., Raygor, K. P., Patel, T. R., ... & Tutino, V. M. (2022). Hybrid Clot Histomic–Transcriptomic Models Predict Functional Outcome After Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Neurosurgery, 10-1227.

Santo B. A., Ciecierska S. K., Koenigsknecht, C., Gutierrez, L., Jenkins, T. D., Baig, A., Monteiro, A., Siddiqui, A. and Tutino,V. . (2022, Oct). Tectonic Infarct Analysis: A User-friendly Standalone Software For Whole-brain Infarct Volume Estimation From 2,3,5- Triphenyltetrazolium Chloride Stained Tissues. Circulation, 146(Suppl_1), A15485- A15485.

Monteiro, A., Ciecierska, S., Khan, S., Khawar, W., Khan, A., Donnelly, B., Waqas, M., Cappuzzo, J., Fayyaz, N., Siddiqui, A., & Levy, E. . (2022, Jul). E-169 surface modified flow diverters for intracranial aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SNIS 19th Annual Meeting Electronic Poster Abstracts, 14(Suppl 1), A167–A168.

Poster Presentation:

Ciecierska, S. K., Santo,Briana A., Ladner L., Lim, J., Becker, A., Baig, A., Tutino, Vincent M., Levy, Elad I., Siddiqui, Adnan H.. (2023, September 09). Unlocking the Radiomic Features of GBM: A Comparative Analysis of Tumor, Peritumor, and T2 FLAIR Positive Regions [Poster presented]. Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)/Washington, DC, USA.

Lim, J., Santo, B. A., Ciecierska, S. K., Baig, A. A., Connelly, B., Waqas, M., Tutino, V. M., Davies, J., Siddiqui, A. H., Levy, E. I. . (2023, September 09). Differentiating Radiomic Features in Intra-arterially (IA) Treated Rat Gliomas: Implications for Novel Assessment of Treatment Effect in a Translational Model [Poster presented]. Congress of Neurological Surgeons/Washington, DC, USA.

Santo, B. A., Poppenberg, K. E., Ciecierska, S. K., Baig A. A., Levy, E. I., Siddiqui, A. H., Tutino, V. M.. (2023, September 09). A Hybrid Histomic-Transcriptomic Model Predicts 90 Day Functional Outcome Better than Histological Composition Alone [Poster presented]. Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)/Washington, DC, USA.

Santo, B. A., Poppenberg, K. E., Ciecierska, S. K., Baig A. A., Levy, E. I., Siddiqui, A. H., Tutino, V. M. (2023, September 09). Histological and Transcriptomic Analysis of Ischemic Stroke Thrombi Identified Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Enrichment as an Indicator of First Pass Outcome [Poster presented]. Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)/Washington, DC, USA.

Ladner L., Santo, B. A., Ciecierska, S. K., Lim, J., Becker, A., Baig, A., Tutino, Vincent M., Levy, E. I., Siddiqui, A. H. . (2023, September 09). Analysis of MRI Radiomic Signatures of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and Associated Tumor Necrosis [Poster presented]. Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)/Washington, DC, USA

Jenkins, T. D., Santo, B. A., Ciecierska, S. K., Patel, T. R., Mukherjee, Siddiqui, A. H., Tutino, V. M. . (2023, June 04). The Association Between Clot Presentation On CT, Biological Composition, and Material Properties: Implications for Pre-Treatment Imaging Biomarkers. [Poster presented]. SB3C Conference/Chesapeak Bay, MD, USA.

Ciecierska, S. K., Santo, B.A., Jenkins, T. D., Baig, A. A., Monteiro, A., Gounis, M., Siddiqui, A. H., Tutino, V. M. . (2023, February 02). Addressing a Bottleneck in Stroke Treatment Animal Trials: A Computational Tool for Automated Infarct Analysis [Poster presented]. Medical Student Research Forum/Buffalo, NY, USA. [3^rd place poster]

Chuchuca D., Ciecierska S-S, Dhillon R., Florek L., Herrera T., Lewandowski B., Poplawski A. and Davies D. (2017, June 01). The biofilm autoinducer cis-2-decenoic acid significantly enhances antimicrobial wound gauze dressing efficacy against three common wound pathogens in vitro. [Poster presented]. MICROBE General Meeting for the American Society for Microbiology/New Orleans, LA, USA.

Chuchuca D., Ciecierska S-S, Dhillon R., Florek L., Herrera T., Lewandowski B., Poplawski A. and Davies D. (2017, April 21). Biofilm dispersion inducer enhances antimicrobial efficacy across a range of applications [Poster presented]. Binghamton University Research Days/Binghamton, NY, USA.

Sellar Metastasis of Cervical Adenocarcinoma. Ravindran, K; Zsigray, BM; Wemhoff, MP; Spencer, JD; Borys, E; Patel, CR; Germanwala, AV. Case reports in neurological medicine

Zachary Uram, MD

Hometown: Plainfield, IL
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago
Areas of Interest: Spine, Endovascular, and Trauma
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Hiking, Reading, Cooking, Golf, and Exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants

Research & Publications

Madapoosi A, Uram Z, Tsiang J, Pecoraro N, Patel C, Germanwala AV. Rathke's cleft cyst marsupialization and repair with a free mucosal graft - Video case report and literature review. Am J Otolaryngol. 2022 Sep-ct;43(5):103519. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2022.103519. Epub 2022 Jun 4. PMID: 35690516.

Swanson J, Oetojo W, Uram Z, Jusue-Torres I, Zakaria J, Kircher ML, Germanwala AV. Treatment of tegmen dehiscence using a middle fossa approach and autologous temporalis fascia graft: Outcomes from a single center. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022 Aug;219:107331. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107331. Epub 2022 Jun 7. PMID: 35724613; PMCID: PMC10171465.

Choe S, Uram Z, Behzadi F, Germanwala A, Zsigray B, Anwar-Hashimi O, Ng I, Jani RH, Germanwala AV. Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Late-Canceled and No-Show Appointments at the Department of Neurological Surgery. Cureus. 2024 May 12;16(5):e60159. doi: 10.7759/cureus.60159. PMID: 38868276; PMCID: PMC11166543.

Behzadi F, Luy DD, Zsigray B, Uram Z, Iordanou J, Ng IB, Zywiciel JF, Germanwala AV. Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke Is Associated with More Severe Forward Head Posture in Patients with Cervicalgia. World Neurosurg. 2024 Jul 31:S1878-8750(24)01320-2. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.07.178. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39089651.

PGY-2

PGY-2 Resident

Shawn Choe, MD

Undergraduate: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University of Chicago
Areas of Interest: Cranial/Spine Oncology
Hobbies: Snowboarding, cooking, ping-pong

Research & Publications

Choe, S., & Patel, H,D., & Okabe, Y., & Koehne, E.L., & Shea, S., & Gorbonos, A., & Quek, M.L., & Flanigan, R.C., & Goldberg, A., & Gupta, G.N, MRI vs Transrectal Ultrasound to Estimate Prostate Volume and PSAD: Impact on Prostate Cancer Detection. Uro Gold Journal. Sept 2022

Li D, Choe S, Borys E, Serrone JC, Germanwala AV. Primary Intradural Extramedullary Sporadic Spinal Hemangioblastomas: Case Report and Systematic Review. World Neurosurg. 2021 Aug;152:84-94. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.05.105. Epub 2021 Jun 1. PMID: 34087464.

Choi W, Choe S, Lau GW. Inactivation of FOXA2 by respiratory bacterial pathogens and dysregulation of pulmonary mucus homeostasis. Frontiers in Immunology. March 2020 PMID: 3234274

Choi W, Choe S, Lin J, Borchers MT, Kosmider B, Vassallo R, Limper AH, Lau GW. Exendin-4 restores airway mucus homeostasis through the GLP1R-PKA-PPARγ-FOXA2-phosphatase signaling. Mucosal Immunology. February 2020 PMID: 32034274

Choe S and Kalmanek E, Bond C, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Optimization of Sonic Hedgehog Delivery to the Penis from Self-Assembling Nanofiber Hydrogels to Preserve Penile Morphology after Cavernous Nerve Injury. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. June 2019 PMID: 31173931 Dobbs R, Kalmanek E, Choe S, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Sonic hedgehog regulation of cavernous nerve regeneration and neurite formation in aged pelvic plexus. Experimental Neurology. February 2019 PMID: 30391523

Dobbs R, Choe S, Kalmanek E, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Peptide amphiphile delivery of sonic hedgehog protein promotes neurite formation in penile projecting neurons. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine October, 2018 PMID:30037776 Hehemann M, Choe S, Kalmanek E, Harrington D, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Pelvic and hypogastric nerves are injured in a rat prostatectomy model, contributing to the development of
stress urinary incontinence. Submitted Experimental Neurology November, 2018. PMID: 30401879

Hehemann M, Kalmanek E, Choe S, Dynda D, Hu WY, Quek ML, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Sonic hedgehog regulation of human rhabdosphincter muscle: Potential implication for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Neurology and Urodynamics September 2018 PMID: 30187971

Choi W, Yang A, Waltenburg M, Choe S, Steiner M, Radwan A, Lin J, Maddox C, Stern A, Fredrickson R, Lau GW. FOXA2 depletion leads to mucus hypersecretion in canine airways with respiratory diseases. Cellular Microbiology. September 2018 PMID: 30221439

Choe S, Bond CW, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA., Peptide amphiphile nanofiber hydrogel delivery of sonic hedgehog protein to the cavernous nerve to promote regeneration and prevent erectile dysfunction. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 13:95-101, January 2017 PMID: 27609775

Choe S, Veliceasa D, Bond CW, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA., Sonic hedgehog delivery from self-assembled nanofiber hydrogels reduces the fibrotic response in models of erectile dysfunction. Acta Biomaterialia, 32:89-99, March 2016 PMID: 26776147 Jeffries JL, Jia J, Choi W, Choe S, Miao J, Xu Y, Powell R, Lin J, Kuang Z, Gaskins HR, Lau GW., Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyocyanin modulates mucin glycosylation with sialyl-Lewisx to increase binding to airway epithelial cells. Mucosal Immunology, November 2015 PMID: 26555707

Hao Y., Kuang Z., Miao J., Mei L., Lee R. J., Kim S., Choe S., Krause D. C., Lau G. W., Mycoplasma pneumoniae Modulates STAT3-STAT6/EGFR-FOXA2 Signaling To Induce Overexpression of Airway Mucins. Infection and Immunity, 82, October 2014.
PMID: 25287927

Abstracts:
Peter, T., & Choe, S., & Wolf, C., & Pittman, A Outcomes of Patients with Scalp Malignancies
Undergoing Outer Table Calvarial Drilling. AAO-HNSF 2022 Annual Meeting September 2022.

Choe S, Patel H,D., Okabe1, Y , Koehne, E.L., Shea, S., Gorbonos, A., Quek, M.L., Flanigan,
R.C., Goldberg, A., Gupta, G.N., Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance
Imaging versus
Transrectal Ultrasound to Calculate Prostate Volume and Prostate-Specific
Antigen
Density: Impact on Prostate Cancer Detection. North Central Section
American Urologic Society
October 2021.

Choe S, Kalmanek E, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA.
Sonic Hedgehog
Responsive Apoptotic Signaling in Control and CN Crushed Rat Penis.
American Urologic
Association May 2019, Chicago, Illinois

Kalmanek E, Choe S, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA.
Caspase Signaling
in ED Patients and Animal Models. American Urologic Association May
2019, Chicago, Illinois

Dobbs R, Choe S, Kalmanek E, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT,
Podlasek CA. Sonic
Hedgehog Regulation of Sprouting in Penile Projecting Neurons. American
Urologic
Association May 2018, San Francisco, California

Hehemann M, Choe S, Kalmanek E, McVary KT, Podlasek CA,. Cavernous
Nerve Injury
Induces Apoptosis in All Nerves of the Pelvic Plexus. American Urologic
Association May
2018, San Francisco, California.

Hehemann M, Choe S, Dynda D, Quek M, McVary KT, Podlasek CA,. Sonic
Hedgehog
Regulation of Human Rhabdosphicter. American Urologic Association May
2018, San
Francisco, California.

Hehemann M, Choe S, Dynda D, Alanee S, Kohler T, McVary K, Podlasek C,.
Sonic Hedgehog
Regulation of Rhabdosphincter Muscle. Accepted American Urological
Association May 2017,
Boston, Massachusetts

Hehemann M, Choe S, McVary K, Podlasek C,. Cavernous Nerve Crush
Injury Induces
Apoptosis in the Pelvic Pelxus including Pelvic and Hypogastric Nerves
Accepted American
Urological Association May 2017, Boston, Massachusetts

Choe S, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Optimization of Sonic hedgehog delivery from self-assembled nano fiber hydrogels to prevent erectile dysfunction in a cavernous nerve crush model. Accepted American Urological Association May 2017, Boston, Massachusetts

Dobbs R, Choe S, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Sonic hedgehog promotes sprouting of neurons in the pelvic ganglia and cavernous nerve during regeneration. Submitted Sexual Medicine Society of North America Meeting: November 3-6, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Choe S, Veliceasa D, Bond C Harrington D, Stupp S, McVary K, Podlasek C. Neural innervation and sonic hedgehog regulation of collagen in the penis. Moderated poster: American Urological Association Meeting: May 6-10, 2016, San Diego, California.

Choe S, Harrington DA, Stupp SI, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Optimization of Sonic hedgehog delivery from self-assembled nano fiber hydrogels to prevent erectile dysfunction in a cavernous nerve crush model. Submitted Sexual Medicine Society of North America Meeting: November 3-6, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Choe S, Veliceasa D, Harrington DA, Stupp S, McVary KT, Podlasek CA. Neuronal and sonic hedgehog regulation of collagen abundance and development in the penis. Moderated poster: Sexual Medicine Society of North America Meeting: November 19-22, Las Vegas, Nevada.

PGY-3

PGY-3/Junior Residents

Diego D. Luy, MD

Hometown: Douglas, AZ
Undergraduate: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh
Areas of Interest: Neuro-oncology, Skull Base, SRS, TBI, Vascular
Hobbies: Tennis, Soccer, Food (especially French cuisine and donuts), Running, Acoustic Guitar
Honors and Awards:LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2023-2024 T.I.G.E.R. Resident Research Award

Research & Publications

Rosen, C. B., Luy, D. D., Deane, M. R., Scalea, T. M., & Stein, D. M. (2018). Routine repeat head CT may not be necessary for patients with mild TBI. Trauma surgery & acute care open, 3(1), e000129.
Luy, D. D., Agarwal, N., McDowell, M. M., Tonetti, D. A., Goldschmidt, E., & Friedlander, R. M. (2022). Acquired Chiari Type I Malformation Associated with Type IV Dural Arteriovenous Fistula: Case Report. Journal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery, 10.1055/a-1792-5000. Advance online publication.
Luy, D. D., Tonetti, D., & Gerszten, P. C. (2022). The need for a broad differential: intramedullary neurosarcoidosis case report. Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 43(4), 2875–2877.
H. Deng, D.D. Luy, H. Abou-Al-Shaar, J.K. Yue, P.O. Zinn, A.M. Puccio, D.O. Okonkwo (2022) Critical care for concomitant severe traumatic brain injury and acute spinal cord injury in the polytrauma patient: illustrative case - Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons
Mallela, A. N., Abou-Al-Shaar, H., Nayar, G. M., Luy, D. D., Barot, N., & González-Martínez, J. A. (2021). Stereotactic Electroencephalography Implantation Through Nonautologous Cranioplasty: Proof of Concept. Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.), 21(4), 258–264.
Agarwal, N., Luy, D. D., Bonaminio, J. M., Philips, C. A., Dattomo, K. A., Heary, R. F., Branch, C. L., Robertson, J. H., Groff, M. W., & Haid, R. W. (2020). Chronicling the philanthropic arm of neurological surgery: a review of the growth and development of the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation. Journal of neurosurgery, 1–8. Advance online publication.
Casillo, S. M., Luy, D. D., & Goldschmidt, E. (2020). A History of the Lobes of the Brain. World neurosurgery, 134, 353–360.
Casillo, S. M., Luy, D. D., & Goldschmidt, E. (2020). A History of the Lobes of the Brain. World neurosurgery, 134, 353–360.

Seunghyuk Daniel Yang, MD

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Undergraduate: UC Berkley
Medical School: Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University of Chicago
Areas of Interest: Spine
Hobbies: Playing and Watching Tennis, Traveling

Research & Publications

Sink J, Blatt S, Yoo D, Henry M, Yang SD, Vasaiwala R, Ghadiali L, Adams W, Bouchard CS. A novel telemedicine technique for evaluation of ocular exam findings via smartphone images. J Telemed Telecare. 2022 Apr;28(3):197-202. doi: 10.1177/1357633X20926819. Epub 2020 Jun 6. PMID: 32506998.
Seu MY, Yang SD, Qiao JB, Hansdorfer MA, Graham S, Wiegmann A, Esmaeeli S, Dorafshar AH. The Association Between H-Index and Publication of Plastic Surgery Meeting Presenters From 2014 to 2017. J Surg Res. 2022 Apr;272:125-131. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.11.017. Epub 2021 Dec 27. PMID: 34968785
Seu M, Yang SD, Qiao JB, Dorafshar AH. Response Regarding: An Alternative Metric to Address Limitations of the H-Index. J Surg Res. 2022 Oct;278:446-447. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.04.036. Epub 2022 May 17. PMID: 35589412

PGY-4

PGY-4 Senior Resident

Joseph Frazzetta, MD

Hometown: St. Louis, MI
Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Areas of Interest: Spine
Hobbies: Sports, Fishing, Landscaping/gardening, Running, and Reading

Research & Publications

Hofler, R., Muriuki, M., Havey, R., Blank, K., Frazzetta, J., Patwardhan, A., Jones, G, A. Neutral cervical sagittal vertical axis and cervical lordosis vary with T1 tilt Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. 2020, Feb; PMID: 32330888; Publication status: Published
Holzmeister, A., Frazzetta, J., Fein Ning Yuan, F., Summers H., Cohen, J., Lack, W. D. Evaluation for septic arthritis of the native adult knee is aided by multivariable assessment. American Journal of Emergency Medicine: 2020, June; PMID: 27286047; Publication status: Published
Frazzetta, J., Hofler, R., Adams, W., Schneck, M., Jones, G, A. The Significance of Motor Evoked Potential Changes in Spinal Surgery: a Retrospective Analysis of Consecutive Cases at a Single Institution Cureus: 2020, October; PMID: 33489485; Publication status: Published
Hofler, R., Frazzetta, J., Zakaria, J., Aziz, A., Adams, W., Jones, G, A. C5 Palsy after Cervical Laminectomy: Natural History in a 10 year Series The Spine Journal: 2020, July; PMID: 33848689; Publication status: Published
Zakaria, J., Jusue-Torres, I., Frazzetta, J., Rezaii, E., Costa, R., Ballard, M., Sethi, N., Parada, J., Prabhu, V. Effectiveness of a Standardized External Ventricular Drain Placement Protocol for Infection Control World Neurosurgery: 2020, December; PMID: 33957282; Publication status: Published
Schneider, A., Holzmeister, A., Frazzetta, J., Adams, W., Hopkinson, W., Brown, N. New Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Components Versus Other Contemporary Spacer Types for the Treatment of Chronic Periprosthetic Knee Infections with a Two-stage Protocol Orthopedics: 2022, January; PMID: 34978515; Publication status: Published
Roy, A., Khan, M., Frazzetta, J., Kabaker, A., DeJong, S., Undescended Parathyroid Adenomas: a Leading Cause of Persistent Primary Hyperparathyroidism. World Journal of Endocrine Surgery: 2020, Oct; Pub Status: Published

PGY-5

Research Residents

Ronak Jani, MD

Undergraduate: Brown University
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh
Hometown: Jackson, MI
Areas of Interest: Cerebrovascular, Skull Base Tumors, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Role of Ion Channels in Tumor Growth and other Neurological Diseasess
Hobbies: Macro (close-up) and Nature Photography, Tennis, Traveling

Honors and Awards:

LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2021-2022 John F. Shea Award for Patient Care and Service
LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2022-2023 John F. Shea Award for Patient Care and Service
First Prize Abstract, Pain Section, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting
Alpha Omega Alpha (2018)

Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery Written Exam

Research & Publications

Referenced Articles:

1. Sansosti AA, Jacobs RC, Safonova A, Jani RH, Schumann J, Friedlander RM, Lunsford LD, McDowell MM, Sekula RF. Impact of a Hands-on Pre-Clinical Neurosurgery Elective Course on Second-Year Medical Student Interest and Attitudes. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development 7(1): 1-6, 2020.
2. Safonova A, Jani RH, Zhang X, Gerszten PC, Craven J, Sekula RF. A Prospective Study of Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm. Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience 11(4): 324, 2020.
3. Panczykowski DM, Jani RH, Sekula RF. Development and Evaluation of a Trigeminal Neuralgia Scoring System to Predict Long-term Outcome Following Microvascular Decompression. Neurosurgery 87(1): 71-79, 2020.
4. Jani RH, Prabhu AV, Zhou JJ, Alan N, Agarwal N. Citation Analysis of the Most Influential Articles on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 43(1): 31-38, 2020.
5. Hughes MA, Jani RH, Fakhran S, Chang YF, Branstetter BF, Sekula RF. Significance of Degree of Neurovascular Compression in Surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia. Journal of Neurosurgery 133(2), 411-16, 2019.
6. Jani RH, Hughes MA, Gold MS, Branstetter BF, Ligus ZE, Sekula RF. Trigeminal Nerve Compression Without Trigeminal Neuralgia: Intraoperative vs. Imaging Evidence. Neurosurgery 84(1): 60-65, 2019.
7. Jani RH, Hughes MA, Ligus ZE, Nikas A, Sekula RF. MRI Findings and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Microvascular Decompression for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. Journal of Neuroimaging 28(5): 477-82, 2018.
8. Ghanbari H, Jani RH, Hussain-Amin A, Al-Assad W, Huether E, Ansari S, Jongnarangsin K, Crawford T, Latchamsetty R, Bogun F, Morady F, Oral H, Chugh A. Role of Adenosine After Antral Pulmonary Vein Isolation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Heart Rhythm 13(2): 407-15, 2016.

In Submission: Reviews, Invited Published Papers, Proceedings of Conference and Symposia, Monographs, Books, and Book Chapters Invited Published Papers:

1. Jani RH, Sekula RF. Science Times: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Human Dural Meningeal Lymphatics. Neurosurgery 83(1): E10-E12, 2018.

Book Chapters:

1. Jani RH. So You Didn’t Match. In Agarwal N and Reddy V (eds): Surviving Neurosurgery. Ch 99, pp 519-522. Springer Nature, Heidelberg, Germany, 2021.
2. Ozpinar A, Jani RH, Sekula RF. Ablative Procedures for Trigeminal Neuralgia. In Brown JA, Pilitsis JG, and Schulder M (eds): Functional Neurosurgery: The Essentials. Ch 36, pp 123-125. Thieme, New York, NY, 2019.
3. Thirumala PD, Feroze RA, Jani RH, Balzer JR. Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring During Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery. In Singh H, Greenfield JP, Anand VK, and Schwartz TH (eds): Pediatric Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery. Ch 6, pp 32-36. Thieme, New York, NY, 2020.

Published Abstracts:

1. Jani RH, Feroze RA, Balzer JR, Thirumala PD. Neurophysiological Characteristics of Cranial Nerve XII EMG in Endoscopic Endonasal Approach Skull Base Surgery: Technical Report. Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base 78(S 01): S1-S156, P055, 2017.
2. Feroze RA, Jani RH, Balzer JR, Thirumala PD. Triggered EMG Responses of Cranial Nerve X during Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery. Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base 78(S 01): S1-S156, P046, 2017.

Other Publications:

1. Jani RH. What is Neurosurgery Like? AANS Neurosurgeon 26(1), 2017.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Invited Lectures: International

1. Sekula RF, Hughes MA, Jani RH, Gold MS: A Comparative Analysis of Operative and Imaging Findings of Neurovascular Compression of the Trigeminal Nerve in Patients without Trigeminal Neuralgia. World Neurosurgeon Federation of Cranial Nerve Disorders and 1st International Summit of Cranial Nerve Disorders, Shanghai, China, January 14, 2017.

Invited Lectures: National

1. McDowell MM, Jani RH, Sansosti AS, Sekula RF: Early Medical School Engagement and Neurosurgical Interest Groups. The Society of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, May 18, 2019.
2. Sekula RF, Hughes MA, Mousavi H, Jani RH: A Comparative Analysis of Operative and Radiographic Findings of Neurovascular Compression of the Trigeminal Nerve in Patients Without Trigeminal Neuralgia. Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, September 28, 2016.

Invited Lectures: Local

1. McDowell MM, Henry LC, Jani RH, Friedlander RM, Kruis NE, Wang N, Osgood CP. Mobile Device Based Screening of Prison Populations for Cognitive Impairments Using ImPACT Quick Test. Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Hershey, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2019.
2. Jani RH, Panczykowski DM, Sekula RF: Proposed Trigeminal Neuralgia Grading System to Predict Outcomes of Microvascular Decompression. University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery Weekly Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 13, 2018.
3. Sekula RF, Hughes MA, Jani RH, Fakhran S, Chang YF, Branstetter BF: MRI Predictors of Response to Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: The Case for Severe Neurovascular Compression. University of Pittsburgh Grand Rounds of the Department of Neurosurgery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 18, 2018.

Peer Reviewed Poster Presentations:

1. Jani RH, Prabhu AV, Zhou JJ, Alan N, Agarwal N. Citation Analysis of the Most Influential Articles on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, California, April 13-17, 2019.
2. Jani RH, Hughes MA, Fakhran S, Chang YF, Branstetter BF, Sekula RF: MRI Predictors of Response to Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: The Case for Severe Neurovascular Compression. Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas, October 6-10, 2018.
3. Jani RH, Panczykowski DM, Sekula RF: Proposed Grading System for Trigeminal Neuralgia to Predict Outcome Following Microvascular Decompression. Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas, October 6-10, 2018.
4. Jani RH, Sansosti AS, McDowell MM, Sekula RF: Effect of a Hands-on Pre-Clinical Neurosurgery Elective Course on Second-Year Medical Student Interest and Attitudes. Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, October 7-11, 2017.
5. Jani RH, Sansosti AS, McDowell MM, Sekula RF: Effect of a Hands-on Pre-Clinical Neurosurgery Elective Course on Second-Year Medical Student Interest and Attitudes. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Academy of Master Educators Annual Med Ed Day, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 8, 2017.
6. Jani RH, Hughes MA, Sekula RF: MRI Findings and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Microvascular Decompression for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Scientific Meeting, Los Angeles, California, April 22-26, 2017.
7. Feroze RA, Jani RH, Balzer JR, Thirumala PD: Triggered EMG Responses of Cranial Nerve X During Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery. North American Skull Base Society, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 3, 2017.
8. Jani RH, Feroze RA, Balzer JR, Thirumala PD: Neurophysiological Characteristics of Cranial Nerve XII EMG in Endoscopic Endonasal Approach Skull Base Surgery: Technical Report. North American Skull Base Society, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 3, 2017.
9. Sekula RF, Hughes MA, Mousavi H, Jani RH: A Comparative Analysis of Operative and Radiographic Findings of Neurovascular Compression of the Trigeminal Nerve in Patients Without Trigeminal Neuralgia. Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, September 24-28, 2016.

Isaac Ng, MD

Undergraduate: Duke University
Graduate: Tufts University
Medical School: Tufts University
Hometown: Brookline, MA
Areas of Interest: Oncological neurosurgery, skull base neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery, GBM
Hobbies: Sports, Movies, Music, Technology, Hotpot

Research & Publications

Choe S, Uram Z, Behzadi F, Germanwala A, Zsigray B, Anwar-Hashimi O, Ng I, Jani RH, Germanwala AV. Evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on late-canceled and no-show appointments at the department of neurological surgery. Cureus. 2024 May 12;16(5):e60159. doi: 10.7759/cureus.60159. eCollection 2024 May.

Lai PMR, Ng I, Gormley WB, Patel N, Frerichs KU, Aziz-Sultan MA, Du R. Cannabis use and increased nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the past decade. World Neurosurg. 2021 Oct;154:e580-e589. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.07.079. Epub 2021 Jul 27. PMID: 34325028
Lai PMR, Ng I, Gormley WB, Patel NJ, Frerichs KU, Aziz-Sultan MA, Du R. Familial predisposition and differences in radiographic patterns in spontaneous nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery. 2021 Jan 13;88(2):413-419. doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa396. PMID: 33017030
Heller RS, Heilman CB, Wu JK. Facial nerve outcomes following gamma knife radiosurgery for subtotally vestibular schwannomas: early versus delayed timing of therapy. Clin Neurl Neurosurg. 2020 Nov;198:106148. Doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.106148. Epub 2020 Aug 11. PMID: 32823189
Ng I, Du R. Thirty-day readmissions in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A good metric for hospital quality?. J Neurosci Res. 2019 Feb 11;. doi: 10.1002/jnr.24398. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 30742320.
Ng I, Bugaev N, Riesenburger R, Shpiner AC, Breeze JL, Arabian SS, Rabinovici R. The profile of blunt traumatic infratentorial cranial bleed types. J Clin Neurosci. 2019 Feb;60:58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2018.10.035. Epub 2018 Oct 17. PubMed PMID: 30342807; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6326853.
Shpiner AC, Bugaev N, Riesenburger R, Ng I, Breeze JL, Arabian SS, Rabinovici R. The profile of blunt traumatic supratentorial cranial bleed types. J Clin Neurosci. 2019 Jan;59:79-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2018.10.149. Epub 2018 Nov 9. PubMed PMID: 30420206; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6310651.
Zietlow K, Charalambous L, Ng I, Gagrani S, Mihovilovic M, Luo S, Rock DL, Saunders A, Roses AD, Kirby Gottschalk W. Corrigendum to "The Biological Foundation of the Genetic Association of TOMM40 with Late-onset Alzheimer's disease" [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1863/11 (2017) 2973-2986]. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2018 Apr;1864(4 Pt A):1216. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.01.017. Epub 2018 Jan 31. PubMed PMID: 29395737.
Ng I, Heller R, Heilman C, Wu J. Prior Subtotal Resection Does Not Increase Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Risk for Large Vestibular Schwannomas. 2018 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting; 2018; New Orleans, LA.
Heller R, Ng I, Heilman C. Facial Nerve Outcomes Following Adjuvant Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Subtotally Resected Vestibular Schwannomas: Immediate Versus Delayed Timing of Therapy. 28th Annual North American Skull Base Society Meeting. 2018 February; Coronado, CA.
Ng I, Du R. Contributions of Vascular Anatomic Features to Basilar Tip Aneurysm Formation and Rupture. In: Basilar Artery: A Clinical Review. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.; 2018. Chapter 27.
Shpiner AC, Bugaev N, Riesenburger R, Ng I, Breeze J, Arabian S, Rabinovici R. The Profile of Blunt Traumatic Supratentorial Cranial Bleed Types. 64th Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Surgery. 2017 December; Boston, MA, USA.
Zeitlow K, Charlambous L, Ng I, Gagrani S, Mihovilovic M, Luo S, Rock DL, Saunders A, Roses AD, Gottschalk WK. The biological foundation of the genetic association of TOMM40 with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2017 Nov;1863(11):2973-2986. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.07.031. Epub 2017 Jul 30. PubMed PMID: 28768149; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5659897.
Ng I, Greenblatt HK, Greenblatt DJ. Stereo-Psychopharmacology: The Case of Citalopram and Escitalopram. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev. 2016 Sep;5(5):331-5. doi: 10.1002/cpdd.293. PubMed PMID: 27452501.
Ng IB, Arkun K, Riesenburger RI. Posterior C1-C2 calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Mar 14;2016. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2016-214771. PubMed PMID: 26976840; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4800228.

PGY-6

Chief Residents

Nathan Pecoraro

Nathan Pecoraro, MD

Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Medical School: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Hometown: Lombard, IL
Areas of interest: Spine
Hobbies: Hockey, Golf, Travel, Family, Woodworking
Board Certifications: ABNS Primary Exam
Honors & Awards: LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2020-2021 John F. Shea Award for Patient Care & Service
Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery Written Exam

Research & Publications

Sloane DC, Nuru M, Pecoraro NC, Hand R, Strelko O, Shin WY, Russ A, Rajasekhar R, Jusue-Torres, I, Hadjipanayis C, Leonetti JP, Anderson DE. Hearing Preservation Outcomes using Direct Cranial Nerve Eight and Auditory Brainstem Response Neuromonitoring in the Resection of Vestibular Schwannomas. Published, June 2024. Journal of Neurosurgery. PMID: 38941638

Payman AA, Pecoraro NC, Tsiang JT, Souter J, Hand R, Bechara CF, Serrone JC. Stenting for Traumatic Pseudoaneurysms of the Cervical Internal Carotid Artery: Case Report and Systemic Review. Published, February 2024. World Neurosurgery. PMID 38336211.

Pickles AC, Tsiang JT, Pecoraro AA, Pecoraro NC, Jani RH, Bond BJ, Germanwala AV, Serrone JC, Prabhu VC. Cerebral Arterial Vasospasm Complicating Supratentorial Meningioma Resection: Illustrative Cases. Published, January 2024. JNS Case Lessons. PMID: 38252932

Gonzalez SM, Iordanou J, Adams William, Tsiang J, Frazzetta J, Kim M, Rezaii E, Pecoraro NC, Zsigray B, Simon JE, Zakaria J, Jusue-Torres I, Li D, Heiferman DM, Serrone JC. Effect of stent porosity, platelet function test utilization, and dual anti-platelet therapy duration on clinical and radiographic outcomes after stenting for cerebral aneurysms: meta-analysis. Published, December 2022. World Neurosurgery. PMID: 36529432.

Andino D, Tsiang JTH, Pecoraro NC, Jani R, Iordanou JC, Zakaria JZ, Borys E, Pasquale DD, Nockels RP, Schneck MJ. Case report and review of the literature: Isolated intramedullary spinal neurocysticercosis. Published, November 2022. Frontiers in Neurology. PMID: 36438967.

Yang SD, Seu M, Qiao JB, Tsiang JTH, Pecoraro NC, Germanwala AV. Posters Presented at North American Skull Base Society 2016-2018: What Factors Influence their Publication? Published, September 2022. Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base. PMID: 37854529.

Madapoosi A, Uram Z, Tsiang J, Pecoraro N, Patel C, Germanwal AV. Rathke’s cleft cyst marsupialization and repair with a free mucosal graft – video case report and literature review. Published, September 2022. American Journal of Otolaryngology. PMID: 35690516.

Heiferman DM, Pecoraro NC, Wozniak AW, Ebersole KC, Jimenez LM, Reynolds MR, Ringer AJ, Serrone JC. Reliability of the Modified TICI Score among Endovascular Neurosurgeons. Published, August 2020. American Journal of Neuroradiology. PMID: 32719092.

Pecoraro NC, Zaazoue MA, Koivuniemi AS, Savage JJ. Geniculate Neuralgia Successfully Treated with Microvascular Decompression. Published, October 2019. Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery.

Pecoraro NC, Heiferman DM, Martin B, Li D, Johans SJ, Patel CR, Germanwala AV. Lower-dose perioperative steroid protocol during endoscopic endonasal pituitary adenoma resection. Published, January 2019. Surgical Neurology International. PMID: 31528390.

Hofler RC, Pecoraro NC, Jones GA. Outcomes of Surgical Correction of Atlanto-Axial Instability in Patients with Down Syndrome: a Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Published, January 2019. World Neurosurgery. PMID: 30790735.

Heiferman DM, Li D, Pecoraro NC, Smolenski AM, Tsimpas A, Ashley WW. Intra-arterial alteplase thrombolysis during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease, August 23, 2017. PMID: 28843804

Schneck E., Pecoraro NC., Borrelli G., Johnson J. Cultivating Potential: Developing a Medical Student – Premedical Student Mentoring Program. The Advisor, NAAHP, September 2016

Sellar Metastasis of Cervical Adenocarcinoma. Ravindran, K; Zsigray, BM; Wemhoff, MP; Spencer, JD; Borys, E; Patel, CR; Germanwala, AV. Case reports in neurological medicine

John Tsiang

John Ta-Hsiang Tsiang, MD

Undergraduate: University of California, LA
Medical School: Case Western University
College: University of California, LA
Hometown: Foster City, CA
Areas of Interest: Vascular, skull base
Hobbies: Gardening, Yelping, Traveling

Honors and Awards:

AANS Annual Meeting
NREF Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship 2017

Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery Written Exam

Research & Publications

Tsiang JT, Kinzy TG, Thompson N, Tanenbaum JE, Thakore NL, Khalaf T, Katzan IL. Sensitivity and specificity of patient-entered red flags for lower back pain. Spine J. 2019 Feb;19(2):293-300.
Lang M, Tsiang J, Moore NZ, Bain MD, Steinmetz MP. A Tribute to Dr Robert J. White. Neurosurgery. 2019 Aug 1;85(2):E366-E373.
Zakaria J, Saini P, Yanovskaya M, Tsiang JT, Ravindran K, Johans S, Patel CR, Germanwala AV. Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of Meckel's Cave Epidermoid Cysts: Case Discussion and Literature Review. Case Rep Neurol Med. 2020 Feb 7;2020:7853279.

PGY-7

PGY-7/Chief Resident

Brandon Zsigray

Brandon Zsigray, MD

Undergraduate: Texas Christian University
Medical School: University of Texas, Houston
College: Texas Christian University
Hometown: Riverside, IL
Areas of Interest: Pediatrics
Hobbies: Golf, basketball, cooking, spending time with family, TCU football
Honors & Awards:

TCU Chancellor's Scholar, UT Health Dean's Scholar
LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2019-2020 John F. Shea Award for Patient Care & Service
LUMC Department of Neurosurgery 2023-2024 O. Howard Reichman Leadership Award

Board Certifications: American Board of Neurological Surgery Written Exam

Research & Publications

Sellar Metastasis of Cervical Adenocarcinoma. Ravindran, K; Zsigray, BM; Wemhoff, MP; Spencer, JD; Borys, E; Patel, CR; Germanwala, AV. Case reports in neurological medicine