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JEFFERSON EPILEPSY & NEUROMODULATION NEUROSURGERY
FELLOWSHIP IN
STEREOTACTIC, FUNCTIONAL, AND EPILEPSY NEUROSURGERY
CAST-accredited
We are proud to offer a premier CAST-accredited comprehensive clinical fellowship in Stereotactic, Functional, and Epilepsy Neurosurgery with the Division of Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University. During this fellowship, you will gain experience in the evaluation, surgical treatment, and follow-up of patients with epilepsy, movement disorders, and chronic pain under the guidance of Drs. Ashwini Sharan and Chengyuan Wu.
The training curriculum follows the “Matrix Curriculum” developed by the Society for Neurological Surgeons, which details the skills necessary for a neurosurgeon to become competent in the area of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. The fellow will also benefit from exposure to advanced technologies including a stereotactic robot, intraoperative CT, and two laser ablation systems.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Annual Surgical Volumes
Craniotomy
for temporal lobectomy
for other lobe resections
Laser ablation
Stereoelectoencephalography (sEEG)
Responsive neurostimulation (RNS)
Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)
Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Trial
Permanent implant
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation
Intrathecal pumps
20+
5+
10+
15+
8-10
5-10
50-60
40-50
60-70
5-10
20-30
Epilepsy
The Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Thomas Jefferson University remains one of the busiest surgical epilepsy programs in the country and offers a broad clinical experience to the fellow. During weekly multidisciplinary surgical epilepsy conferences, patients are evaluated for procedures including vagal nerve stimulation, stereoelectroencephalography, implantation of grid and strip electrodes, temporal lobectomy, focal resection, corpus callosotomy, laser ablation, and responsive neurostimulation. We also are partnered with Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, where we perform many of these procedures, as well as hemphispherotomies.
There is a weekly multidisciplinary surgical epilepsy conference each Monday from 8:30-10:00am.
Movement Disorders
The movement disorder program at Thomas Jefferson University offers deep brain stimulation and ablative procedures to patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, Essential Tremor, and Dystonia. We perform both awake microelectrode recording guided DBS implantation as well as asleep image-guided image-verified DBS implantation.
There is a monthly multidisciplinary surgical movement disorder conference every 1st Monday of the month from 4:00-5:00pm.
Chronic Pain & Spasticity
In collaboration with interventional pain management physicians, we select, trial, and implant a variety of spinal cord, occipital nerve, supraorbital nerve, dorsal root ganglion, and sphenopalatine ganglion stimulators. Working with both pain management and rehabilitation medicine, we also implant intrathecal pain pumps for the management of chronic pain or refractory spasticity, respectively.
OTHER FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE
Research
During the course of your fellowship year, you will be expected to participate in research relevant to Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery. We would like for this work to be presented at a national or international scientific meeting; and for it to develop into published manuscripts.
Research Meetings:
EN2 Research Meeting
Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center Meeting
Epilepsy Research Meeting
every 4th Monday of the month
every Wednesday
every 2nd & 4th Friday of the month
7:30-8:30am
1:00-3:00pm
5:00-6:00pm
Practice Building
An understanding of how Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery fits into the modern medical landscape is becoming increasingly important. As such, we believe that skills of practice development are an important part of the fellowship curriculum.
In this spirit, you will work on socioeconomic research in order to better understand the impact a certain disease, or technology, or procedure has on the healthcare system.
Community presence and education is important in running a successful practice. As such, we believe that it is important to be involved in events aimed at increasing the visibility of the practice to patients or to physicians.
There is a monthly EN2 practice meeting every 2nd Monday of the month from 7:30-8:30am.
Education
As part of the residents' academic curriculum, the fellow will be expected to provide education on the surgical treatment of epilepsy, movement disorders, and chronic pain. This includes giving a Grand Rounds lecture on a topic of your choice within the realm of Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery.
Scientific Meetings
You will work with Drs. Sharan and Wu to determine which conferences you will be attending. Acceptance of an oral presentation will help to facilitate your attendance.
Broadening your Experience
We believe that exposure to other surgical techniques is not only an important part of your education; but also a way to enhance the techniques used in Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery in the United States. Drs. Sharan and Wu will help organize a trip during which you can learn unique surgical techniques.
CURRENT AND ALUMNI FELLOWS
Islam Fayed, MD
(2022 - present)
Residency
Georgetown University
Christopher Miller, MD
(2021 - 2022)
Residency
The University of Kansas
Current Position
The University of Kansas
Michael Kogan, MD, PhD
(2020 - 2021)
Residency
University at Buffalo
Current Position
University of New Mexico
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Caio Matias, MD, PhD
(2018 - 2020)
Residency
University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto Medical School
Current Position
Thomas Jefferson University
Christian Hoelscher, MD
(2017 - 2018)
Residency
Thomas Jefferson University
Current Position
Jefferson Health New Jersey
Jonathan Riley, MD
(2016 - 2017)
Residency
Emory University
Current Position
University at Buffalo
Michael J. Lang, MD
(2015-2016)
Residency
Thomas Jefferson University
Current Position
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Chengyuan Wu, MD, MSBmE
(2014 - 2015)
Residency
Thomas Jefferson University
Current Position
Thomas Jefferson University
Farid Hamzei-Sichani, MD, PhD
(2013 - 2014)
Residency
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Current Position
UMass Memorial Health Care
CONTACT US
For more information and to apply to the fellowship, please use the form below, or email Dr. Wu.
909 Walnut Street
Third Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107