Advanced Training in Neurosurgery
The UCI Department of Neurological Surgery is home to fellowship training programs in a range of subspecialty areas.

Program Leadership
Shuichi Suzuki, MD, PhD, program director, CAST-certified and ABNS RFP-certified in CNS and endovascular surgery
Kiarash Golshani, MD, co-director
About the Program
The Neurointerventional Surgery Fellowship program accepts one fellow every two years. The fellowship is a structurally supervised, 24-month, full-time position from July 1 through June 30. The training program combines a multidisciplinary approach to patient care with state-of-the-art technologies. The fellowship also has some clinical research involvement. The fellow will hold an academic appointment as health sciences clinical instructor/fellow. For open fellowship positions, please visit the UCI Recruit website.
Main Practice Site
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
Program Leadership
Frank P.K. Hsu, MD, PhD, program director
About the Program
The Cerebrovascular Skull Base Neurological Surgery Fellowship program accepts one fellow every year. The fellowship is a structurally supervised, comprehensive, 12-month, full-time position from July 1 through June 30. The training program uses state-of-the-art technologies, combining a full spectrum of skull base and complex cranial surgeries with interdisciplinary management of patients. The fellow participates in preoperative and postoperative care through outpatient clinics at two sites with some clinical research involvement. The fellow participates in teaching conferences, Journal Club and hands-on skills labs. The fellow will hold an academic appointment as health sciences clinical instructor/fellow. For open fellowship positions, please visit the UCI Recruit website.
Main Practice Site
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
Program Leadership
Frank P.K. Hsu, MD, PhD, program director
About the Program
The Stereotactic and Functional Neurological Surgery Fellowship program accepts one fellow every year. The fellowship is a structurally supervised, comprehensive, 12-month, full-time position. The training program employs state-of-the-art technologies in a multidisciplinary environment. The fellow will be a part of a team that is dedicated to providing patients with movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease, tremors, dystonia, epilepsy, chronic pain, neurological injuries and psychiatric disorders) the best surgical treatment options, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy. The fellowship also has some clinical research involvement. The fellow will hold an academic appointment as health sciences clinical instructor/fellow. For open fellowship positions, please visit the UCI Recruit website.
Main Practice Site
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
Program Leadership
Sumeet Vadera, MD, program director
About the Program
The Epilepsy Neurological Surgery Fellowship program accepts one fellow every year. The fellowship is a structurally supervised, 12-month, full-time position from July 1 through June 30. The training program combines state-of-the-art technologies with a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The fellowship also has some clinical research involvement. The fellow will hold an academic appointment as health sciences clinical instructor/fellow. For open fellowship positions, please visit the UCI Recruit website.
Main Practice Site
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
Program Leadership
Jefferson W. Chen, MD, PhD, program director, CAST-certified, ABNS RFP-certified in neurological critical care and United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties Neurocritical Care-Certified
About the Program
The CAST Neurosurgical Critical Care Fellowship is an accredited fellowship program recognized by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, accepting one fellow every year. The fellowship is a structurally supervised, 12-month, full-time position from July 1 through June 30. The training program combines state-of-the-art technologies with a multidisciplinary approach to patient care that includes rotations with neurology, trauma, critical care medicine and anesthesiology. The fellowship also has some clinical research involvement. The fellow will hold an academic appointment as health sciences clinical instructor/fellow. For open fellowship positions, please visit the UCI Recruit website.
Learn more about the fellowship
Main Practice Site
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868

Tigran Khachatryan, MD
2023-25 Neurointerventional Surgery Fellow
Medical School: University of California, Irvine

Nolan Winslow, MD
2023-25 Epilepsy Neurological Surgery Fellow
Medical School: University of Illinois, Peoria
Joseph Lockwood, MD
Academic Practice: Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at Tulane, University School of Medicine
2023-24 Skull Base Neurological Surgery Fellow
Medical School: Tulane University/Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Justin Granstein, MD, MPH
Academic Practice: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard SOM, Boston, Mass.
2021-23 Neurointerventional Surgery Fellow
Neurocritical Care Fellow, Mount Sinai Hospital
Maheen Khan, MD
Academic Practice: University of St. Louis
Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: St Louis University
Michael G. Kim, MD
Private Practice: Long Beach, Calif.; VOL Assistant Clinical Professor, UCI Department of Neurological Surgery
2021-22 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: New York Medical College
Brendan Fong, MD
Practice: Neurosurgery of St. Louis
2020-21 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: Washington University School of Medicine
Kamran Urgun, MD
2019-20 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery Fellow
Andrew Schnure, DO
Practice: USC Arcadia Hospital-Keck Medicine of USC, Arcadia, Calif.
2018-20 Neurointerventional Surgery Fellow
Dustin Hatefi, MD
2018-19
Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: University of California, San Diego
Ali O. Jamshidi, MD
2017-18
Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: The Ohio State University
Ravi Patel, MD
2016-18 Neurointerventional Surgery Fellow
Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
Mark Calayag, MD
2016-17 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Gilbert Cadena, MD
2015-16 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: University of California, Davis
Thomas P. Lo, MD
2014-15 Endovascular Surgical Radiology Fellow
Medical School: Loma Linda University
Robert E. Ayer, MD
2013-14 Skull Base Neurosurgery Fellow
Medical School: Loma Linda University
For more information about our fellowship programs, please contact:
Meri Dailey
Academic HR Analyst/Fellowship Coordinator
medailey@hs.uci.edu
714-456-7495