Skull Base and Microneurosurgery Fellowship

Overview

The Skull Base Fellowship was initiated by Dr. Ossama Al-Mefty at the Brigham in 2010. Building on this legacy, the fellowship encompasses training in complex skull base pathologies and microneurosurgery across a broad spectrum of neurological diseases.

Graduates of this program will be equipped with technical excellence as well as impactful academic skillsets to advance the field.

Requirements

Candidates must have either completed or be in their senior year of an ACGME-accredited program or the equivalent in their home country and secured a high recommendation and demonstrated scholarly achievement.

Curriculum

During the course of this program, fellows will:

• Develop technical mastery in complex cranial and skull base procedures through dedicated operative experience and continuous anatomical refinement in the laboratory.
• Develop deep expertise in skull base and microsurgical anatomy, the full spectrum of cranial base and neuro-oncological pathologies, and fluency with open and endoscopic operative approaches.
• Gain confidence in surgical decision-making, operative planning, perioperative care, and fostering independent clinical judgment under expert faculty mentorship.

Upon successful completion of program expectations, the fellow receives a certificate documenting their experience and successful completion of the fellowship.

Research Experience

In parallel, fellows are expected to contribute meaningfully to academic scholarship. Each fellow is supported to generate peer-reviewed publications, lead scientific presentations, and engage with national and international skull base societies.

The fellow is expected to contribute at least one scholarly work and submit at least one abstract to a national meeting.

How to Apply

To apply, send a current CV, a letter of interest, and a letter of recommendation to fellowship director Dr. Linda Bi at wbi@mgb.org.

Fellowship and Faculty Contacts

W. Linda Bi, MD, PhD
Neurosurgeon & Fellowship Director
wbi@mgb.org

Dr. Wenya Linda Bi is the Myers Family Endowed Chair in Skull Base Tumors and Cancer at Mass General Brigham. She serves as the Chief of the Tumor Division for MGB Neurosurgery and Neurosurgical Oncology Program Director, with clinical expertise in skull base and deep-seated brain tumor surgery. Her research team focuses on the translational biology of skull base tumors and refining intraoperative neuromonitoring techniques.

Omar Arnaout, MD
Neurosurgeon & Fellowship Co-Director
oarnaout@bwh.harvard.edu

Dr. Omar Arnaout is the J.K. Irving Endowed Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology at Mass General Brigham and Director of Clinical Neurosurgery. He is a pivotal leader in the field whose work advances clinical excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration in the care of patients with tumors of the nervous system, with a particular focus on tumors along the base of the skull. His research team focuses on neurosurgical applications of artificial intelligence.