Mass General Brigham Epilepsy Fellowship

Overview

The Department of Neurology at Mass General Brigham is proud to offer the Mass General Brigham Epilepsy Fellowship, an ACGME-accredited training program designed to prepare physicians for leadership in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy and seizure disorders.

The fellowship integrates the strengths of the epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology programs at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, providing fellows with a collaborative, multi-site training experience across the Mass General Brigham system. Fellows gain exposure to a broad spectrum of epilepsy care through clinical training in both adult and pediatric epilepsy, as well as experience in inpatient, outpatient, and surgical epilepsy programs.

The program emphasizes comprehensive clinical training, mentorship, and scholarly development. Fellows work closely with nationally recognized faculty in epilepsy, neurophysiology, and neurosurgery while gaining experience in epilepsy monitoring units (EMU), advanced EEG interpretation, surgical epilepsy evaluation, and neuromodulation therapies.

Many trainees pursue the Epilepsy Fellowship following completion of a Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship, creating a two-year training pathway that provides deeper expertise in epilepsy diagnosis, advanced EEG interpretation, and epilepsy surgery evaluation—an approach commonly used at leading epilepsy training programs.

Through this collaborative academic environment, fellows develop the clinical expertise, research experience, and leadership skills needed for careers in academic neurology, specialized epilepsy practice, or translational epilepsy research.

Program Highlights

• Integrated training across Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Comprehensive exposure to adult and pediatric epilepsy care
• Extensive experience in epilepsy monitoring units (EMU) and continuous video-EEG monitoring
• Training in surgical epilepsy evaluation, including multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery conferences
• Exposure to advanced therapies, including neuromodulation and surgical treatment approaches
• Clinical experience at affiliated sites, including the VA Boston Healthcare System
• Strong mentorship from nationally recognized faculty in epilepsy and neurophysiology
• Collaborative academic environment within Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School

Requirements

Applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency in neurology or child neurology and be board eligible in neurology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology at the time of entry into the program.

Applicants must be eligible for medical licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have successfully completed USMLE Steps 1–3. International applicants must hold ECFMG certification, if applicable.

Applications are also welcomed from Canadian trainees who have completed an RCPSC-accredited neurology or child neurology residency.

Qualified international applicants may be eligible for J-1 visa sponsorship.

Curriculum

The Epilepsy Fellowship provides advanced training in clinical epileptology through supervised clinical experience, multidisciplinary education, and exposure to advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.

Fellows gain experience in:

Epilepsy Monitoring and EEG

• Continuous video-EEG monitoring in epilepsy monitoring units
• Interpretation of routine and long-term EEG recordings
• Seizure classification and electrographic analysis
• Evaluation of complex seizure disorders

Epilepsy Clinical Care

• Inpatient and outpatient epilepsy management
• Diagnosis and treatment of seizure disorders across diverse patient populations
• Anti-seizure medication management and treatment planning

Surgical Epilepsy Evaluation

• Participation in multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery conferences
• Pre-surgical diagnostic evaluation
• Exposure to advanced neuromodulation therapies and surgical treatment approaches

Pediatric Epilepsy Exposure

• Pediatric epilepsy clinics and EEG interpretation
• Management of seizure disorders in pediatric populations

Research Experience

Although the fellowship is primarily focused on clinical training, fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in clinical, translational, or educational research during their training year.

Mass General Brigham provides extensive research infrastructure and mentorship from faculty engaged in investigations in epilepsy, neurophysiology, neuromodulation, neuroimaging, and seizure prediction technologies.

Fellows may participate in ongoing research initiatives or develop independent scholarly projects with faculty mentors. Opportunities may include:

• Clinical epilepsy and EEG research
• Surgical epilepsy outcomes research
• Neurophysiology signal analysis and seizure detection technologies
• Neuromodulation and epilepsy device therapies
• Quality improvement and clinical outcomes research

Fellows are encouraged to present their work at regional and national conferences and to submit manuscripts for publication.

How to Apply

The Mass General Brigham Epilepsy Fellowship participates in the NRMP Match.

Applications are submitted through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service).

A complete application includes:

• Curriculum vitae
• Personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• USMLE transcript
• Documentation of neurology residency training

Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual interview with program leadership and faculty.

Applicants must also register for the NRMP Match and follow NRMP timelines for ranking and match participation.

Program Leadership and Core Faculty

Ellen Bubrick, MD
Program Director, MGB Epilepsy Fellowship

Douglas Maus, MD, PhD
Associate Program Director, MGB Epilepsy Fellowship

Sydney Cash, MD, PhD
Epilepsy Division Chief, MGB

Core Faculty

Barbara Dworetzky, MD

Andrew J. Cole, MD

Mass General Brigham

Alex Bender, MD, PhD

Lara Basovic, MD

Jonathan Dashkoff, MD, PhD

Amr Ellaithy, MBBCH, PhD

Lily Grossman, MD

Peter Hadar, MD, MS

Daniel Hoch, MD, PhD

Sattar Khoshkhoo, MD

Alice Lam, MD, PhD

Jong Woo Lee, MD

Regan Lemley, MD, MS

David McCarthy, MD

Melanie McNally, MD

Lidia Moura, MD, MPH, PhD

Milena Pavlova, MD

Swapna Putta, MD

Eric Rosenthal, MD

Rani Sarkis, MD

Ronald Thibert, DO, MSPH

Elizabeth Thiele, MD, PhD

Amy Trecartin, MD

Paula Voinescu, MD, PhD

Daniel Weisholtz, MD

Leah Wibecan, MD

Jason You, MD, PhD

Sahar Zafar, MD, MBBS