Teaching & Research
As part of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Department of Neurological Surgery is committed to academic and research excellence, in addition to clinical excellence.
Teaching
As leaders in the field of minimally invasive brain surgery, UPMC's surgical team shares their knowledge and expertise with surgeons from around the world in a four-day, hands-on course, presented several times a year. Each year, the course draws more than 100 neurosurgeons, otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons, and minimally invasive skull base surgeons who want to learn about the most recent developments in Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) surgery of the skull base and pituitary fossa.
Since the course's inception, more than 500 surgeons have joined the UPMC team in Pittsburgh to gain a better understanding of EEA surgery, including the image-guidance system, the anatomy of the skull base from the endoscopic endonasal approach, and the benefits and applications of the techniques that have been developed and refined by UPMC's team.
In addition, as a teaching institution, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine provides fellowship training for the next generation of minimally invasive skull base surgeons. Three types of fellowships are offered. Neurosurgeons with US medical licenses may be candidates for a formal clinical fellowship that is offered once a year for a total fellowship of three years. A volunteer research fellowship is offered especially for international neurosurgeons and ENTs to participate in anatomical laboratorial research with a minimum requirement of six months. Observer fellowships allow visiting scholars to learn by watching the Pittsburgh team perform state-of-the-art minimally invasive procedures.
Research
The Department of Neurological Surgery has an active research program, and is ranked among the highest in the country in NIH (National Institutes of Health) funding, a benchmark of the success and quality of our department's research. More than 40 faculty members and investigators study the causes and cures of neurological disease and translate their research into life-enhancing practices.
Training Programs
The University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery faculty offers advanced level training for professionals
in several areas. The course titled Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery of the Cranial Base and Pituitary Fossa is designed for
neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, and minimally invasive skull base surgeons. The course presents
the most recent developments in minimally invasive techniques for endoscopic endonasal surgery of the pituitary fossa and
cranial base. This four-day course is held in the Neurosurgical Center for Education at UPMC Presbyterian, on the 4th
Floor of the B Wing within Suite 400. Please visit the Department of Neurological Surgery Training Programs website for
future course dates and other details.
