Letter from the Program Director
The mission of our CAST accredited fellowship is to provide comprehensive training in the discipline of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. This area of specialization in neurosurgery encompasses the clinical care of patients whose primary disorders include epilepsy, movement disorders, pain and psychiatric illness. Our specialty also represents some of the most sophisticated technology in healthcare, and as such, technical mastery of surgical navigation and implantable devices is a must for the modern functional neurosurgeon.
It is also a source of intellectual reward for us professionally and gives us purpose to create meaningful change for our patients when we advance the academic mission through clinical research and education. The Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute embodies these principles in many ways. Our fellows are mentored in an active academic environment. The trainee is mentored individually and challenged daily to achieve a high level of competence and education in surgical skills, judgement, patient selection, and management of complex diseases. Trainees will be also challenged with an academic purpose and to develop critical scientific thinking. The RNI has recruited several internationally recognized senior leaders in functional neurosurgery who provide broad educational perspective in not only traditional open surgical techniques but also the latest procedures using forward-looking technology. Traditionally, the fellow has the opportunity to learn procedures such as selective resection or larger lobectomies for epilepsy or microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia or stereotactic placement of depth electrodes for seizure monitoring. Use of new technologies are emphasized and pioneered by the faculty at the RNI using technologies such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, focused ultrasound treatment, laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT), implantable devices for epilepsy and spasticity, blood-brain-barrier disruption for Alzheimer's disease and brain-machine interface for disabilities related to trauma or stroke.
The fellowship includes approximately 60–75% clinical care time and the rest devoted to building an academic practice. Fellows are expected to run and manage the service behind 5 functional neurosurgical attendings spanning both adult and pediatric functional neurosurgery. The functional neurosurgery service performs at least 800 procedures per year, which allows opportunity to see the breadth of clinical case management.
Upon finishing one year with us, our fellows are well suited for positions in academic centers where they are able to lead the clinical practice, teaching, research, or innovation surrounding the field of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery.
It is our aim to educate and train the next generation of stereotactic and functional neurosurgical leaders. Please review our faculty and research opportunities listed elsewhere in this website to see how you might join us. We are accepting applications typically 2 years in advance of the position opening, so please contact as soon as you decide you may be interested in the opportunity to train with us. I look forward to your interest!
Sincerely,
Peter Konrad, MD, PhD
JW Ruby Chair for the Study of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery