Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Neurological Surgery at the UC Irvine Health School of Medicine.

We are committed to providing our patients with exemplary care, to teach our medical students and residents to deliver superior treatment for complex neurosurgical conditions and to nurture innovation and research.

Our highly skilled neurosurgeons have extensive experience in performing minimally invasive spinal surgery and microsurgery to treat brain tumors and intracranial aneurysms, as well as surgical treatments for stroke, epilepsy and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Our neurosurgeons also have extensive expertise in the latest surgical treatments, including stereotactic radiosurgery, deep brain stimulation, robot-assisted spine surgery, and use of the Cyberknife™ and the Gamma Knife® .

Our neurosurgical faculty members are dedicated to imparting their skills to the neurosurgeons of tomorrow. We offer a rigorous residency training program that is certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Our residents gain a wide variety of clinical training at multiple locations, including UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange County’s only university hospital.

Our modern surgical facilities at the medical center in Orange include state-of-the-science operating suites equipped for intraoperative computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

We also have the first-of-its kind, full-body portable CT scanner, which captures high-resolution, 3D images of the brain and spine in the operating room.

Called the BodyTom®, this scanner provides real-time updates as surgery progresses, eliminating the need to move patients between the operating room and radiology suites, and allowing surgeons an in-depth view during procedures.

Residents also train at CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Kaiser Foundation Hospital Anaheim and Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach. These settings offer our residents valuable exposure to a wide variety of patients and neurosurgical conditions, with one-on-one mentoring by leaders in the field of neurological surgery.

In addition to clinical rotations, our residents also train in neuropathology and radiology. This hands-on education is combined with an extensive didactic program of core lectures, grand rounds, conferences, seminars and journal clubs in neurosurgery. Residents also spend a year conducting clinical research.

Our ongoing research programs include:

• Biomedical engineering, specifically the biomechanics of cerebral aneurysm
• Emerging technologies and innovations in the design of new surgical instrumentation
• Neuro-oncology, focusing on brain tumor diagnosis and treatment
• Stem cell discoveries for spinal cord injury, brain tumors and more

The department’s extensive research programs include collaborations with prestigious UC Irvine research organizations, including the university’s Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which brings together prominent scientists to find new treatments for spinal cord injury. Our faculty members and residents also participate in research efforts at the university's Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic. In addition, faculty members have active research labs and protocols in neuro-oncology and epilepsy.

The department’s mission is not only to provide patients with the best possible care, but also to inspire medical students and residents to discover the challenge and excitement of treating complex neurosurgical conditions.

Through this, we also seek to spur innovation and to recruit the finest neurosurgeons and students who will advance technological developments and treatment methods that will ultimately improve the health of patients in Orange County and beyond.