UT Southwestern Neurosurgery residents engage in a variety of scholarly activities which are supported by the Department of Neurological Surgery, the O’Donnell Brain Institute (OBI), and competitive external funding sources such as the Neurosurgery Research and Education Fund (NREF).

Residents are provided an annual professional development fund, which can be used to support books, academic resources, and conference attendance. In addition, residents who are first-author presenters of podium presentations have travel and expenses paid for by the Department. Each year, Neurosurgery Residents present their scholarly work at Neurosurgery Research Day in the Spring, which includes a keynote address by a distinguished visiting professor and resident scientific presentations and discussions.

Research Opportunities

The Department currently benefits from six labs with external and internal competitive funding.

• Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D.
• Bradley Lega, M.D.
• Frederick Hitti, M.D., Ph.D.
• Panagiotis Mastorakos M.D., Ph.D.
• Matthew Sun, M.D.
• Zhongzheng Fu, Ph.D.

These include the Neurosurgical Brain Mapping and Restoration Lab, the Texas Computational Memory Lab, the Hitti Lab,the Mastorakos Lab, the Meningioma Translational Immunology Lab, and the Fu lab.

The Pouratian lab focuses on using intracranial physiology as well as advanced brain mapping techniques to study motor, mood, and pain circuitry to identify biomarkers to guide selection, targeting, and optimization of neurotechnologies.

The Texas Computational Memory Lab, directed by Dr. Lega, uses human intracranial recordings to characterize the neurophysiological signatures of episodic memory formation. This includes novel neuromodulation approaches for memory restoration. In partnership with Dr. Gena Konopka, the lab also investigates gene expression profiles obtained from organotypic slice culture preparations of human brain tissue.

The Hitti lab is specifically focused on investigating treatment resistant depression (TRD). We are using a mouse model of resistance to antidepressant therapy to explore the circuits and cell types mediating this resistance. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel neuromodulatory approaches for TRD.

The Mastorakos' lab explores the role of the innate immune system in damage and repair following ischemic and hemorrhagic insults to the brain. The research focuses on neurosurgical diseases, including aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and subdural hemorrhage.

In Neurosurgical Oncology, faculty members collaborate with scientists to study CNS drug delivery, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), AI/radiomics, and glioma biology. These collaborations have resulted in a robust portfolio of clinical trials, including investigator-initiated phase 1 studies. Additionally, we have a large clinical database, which allows residents the opportunity to critically evaluate outcomes for brain tumor patients. Our department enjoys a collaboration with several lab across basic and translational sciences, including the NIH-funded McBrayer lab, which aims to identify metabolic mechanisms that drive cancer as well as ways to inhibit them.

The Pediatrics Division has a broad range of clinical projects based on one of the largest and longest-standing pediatric neurosurgery practices in the country.

The Neurovascular Division enrolls patients for multi-site clinical trials, building on a tradition of excellence established by Dr. Duke Samson and Dr. Hunt Batjer. The long history of leadership in complex neurovascular disorders at UTSW has generated an unparalleled database for clinical projects.

The Spine Center includes dedicated research staff that supports data collection for clinical projects developed by residents and students, and treating in cutting-edge technology such as robotic surgery and 3D printing, and has led to more than 30 publications yearly in leading neurosurgical journals.

Collaborative Training and Research

The research community at UT Southwestern more widely offers exceptional opportunities for new collaborative efforts.

In collaboration with the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern offers the UT Southwestern Advancement of Neuroscience Scholars (UT SWANS) program led by Dr. Nader Pouratian and Dr. Elan Louis, Chair of Neurology. This research track is designed to prepare neurosurgery residents to become neurosurgeon-scientists. UT SWANS is NIH UE5 (formerly R25) supported.

Residents benefit from the cross-departmental UT SWANS training program, which provides mentorship from their intern year onward to help identify research opportunities and develop competitive mentored training grants. Those selected to submit full proposals receive full funding for their research years in chosen basic, translational, or clinical lab environments. The program offers ongoing training in grant writing, research presentation, and lab organizational skills alongside direct research experience supporting publication.

We provide dedicated guidance to identify research and career mentors during the PGY1 and PGY2 years, mentored preparation of a research proposal in the PGY2 and PGY3 years, and dedicated research time during the Discovery Year (PGY4). Furthermore, dedicated time to continue research during the PGY7 year can be allocated. In addition to working with faculty mentors, residents aiming to become neurosurgeon-scientists can participate in a monthly research forum for interactive discussions about research projects and methodologies.

Research-track residents are expected to produce and submit an initial K grant application within two years of completing residency.