MGB Neurovascular Surgery - Combined Open and Endovascular Fellowship

Overview

The objective of training is to provide fellows with an organized, comprehensive, supervised, and full-time educational experience in both neuroendovascular and open neurovascular surgery, while developing thoughtful cerebrovascular surgeons who understand not only how to use these techniques, but when to use them. The fellowship is designed to build a durable foundation in judgment, decision-making, and technical skill that fellows will continue to refine and expand throughout their careers. This fellowship is intended for trainees who have completed one year of prior endovascular experience and seek advanced training across both modalities.

During the 1st yr, fellows complete the full range of diagnostic and interventional neuroendovascular procedures and gain advanced experience in the management of aneurysms, stroke, vascular malformations, and related cerebrovascular disease.

During the 2nd yr, fellows focus on open cerebrovascular surgery, including sylvian fissure dissection, aneurysm repair, AVM resection, cerebral bypass, carotid surgery, and the management of other complex vascular lesions, while maintaining integrated exposure to endovascular decision-making and care.

The goal of this fellowship is to train surgeons who can thoughtfully manage complex neurovascular disease using open, endovascular, and hybrid approaches, selecting the optimal treatment strategy based on pathology and anatomy rather than a single technical skillset.

Requirements

The 2-year fellowship is open to the following candidates:

• Graduates of a 7-year ACGME-approved neurosurgery residency.
• Have performed at least 200 catheter-based diagnostic and/or interventional cerebral angiographic procedures as primary operator either during residency or a separate experience after completion of residency.

Curriculum

The MGB Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship will offer 2 tracks. Track B (Open and Endovascular described here).

Year one

During the 1st year (endovascular interventions), the fellow will perform no fewer than 150 interventional procedures across the following case categories: unruptured and ruptured aneurysms; embolization of AVM, AVF, and tumor; intracranial and extracranial stent placements or angioplasty; acute ischemic stroke treatments; head and neck embolizations; spinal angiograms and/or embolizations; and MMA embolizations. Upon graduation from the Neuroendovasular Surgery Fellowship, this fellow will continue into their second year.

Year two

During the senior year, the fellow will concentrate on open cerebrovascular surgery and assume primary responsibility for developing advanced microsurgical techniques, including selection of surgical approach, Sylvian fissure dissection, aneurysm dissection and clipping, cerebral bypass, cavernous malformation resection, carotid endarterectomy, hematoma evacuation, and AVM surgery.

Research Experience

Fellows are expected to contribute meaningfully to academic scholarship in the form of peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations, and involvement in national and international neurosurgical societies.

How to Apply

Send a CV, personal statement and 3 LORs to Brigit McDermott: bemcdermott@bwh.harvard.edu.

Fellowship and Faculty Contacts

M. Ali Aziz-Sultan, MD
Neurosurgeon
ASULTAN@BWH.HARVARD.EDU

Dr. M. Ali Aziz-Sultan is Chief of Vascular Neurosurgery at Mass General Brigham, Co-Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. He leads a multidisciplinary cerebrovascular center at the Brigham, merging open and endovascular techniques in two state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms. His research spans clinical trials in stroke, aneurysm devices, and intracerebral hemorrhage, with additional work on biomarkers, stem cells, and CNS tumor drug delivery.

Rose Du, MD, PhD
Neurosurgeon
rdu@bwh.harvard.edu

Dr. Rose Du is Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. Her clinical practice covers the full spectrum of cerebrovascular disease, including brain aneurysms, AVMs, moyamoya disease, carotid stenosis, cavernous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulas, brain tumors, skull base tumors, and trigeminal neuralgia. Her research focuses on the genetics of and outcomes in cerebrovascular diseases.

Aman B. Patel, MD
Neurosurgeon
ABPATEL@mgh.harvard.edu

Dr. Aman Patel is Director of Clinical Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Neuroendovascular Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, specializing in cerebral aneurysms, vascular malformations, and stroke. He offers both open microsurgical and endovascular approaches, leading a multidisciplinary group focused on cerebrovascular treatments. His research focuses on endovascular stroke treatment, aneurysm morphology and flow dynamics, and hemorrhagic stroke, with involvement in multiple NIH and industry-sponsored multicenter trials.

Nirav J. Patel, MD
Neurosurgeon & Cerebrovascular Fellowship Director
npatel40@bwh.harvard.edu

Dr. Nirav J. Patel is an Attending Neurosurgeon at Mass General Brigham and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. He completed advanced fellowship training in open cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at Macquarie University and in endovascular neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

He specializes in the management of complex cerebrovascular disease, with particular expertise in brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), moyamoya disease, aneurysms, cerebral bypass, and carotid disease. His clinical approach emphasizes the integration of open and endovascular techniques to deliver pathology-driven, patient-specific care.

His research focuses on AVM biology, surgical innovation, and the development of techniques that improve the safety, precision, and outcomes of complex cerebrovascular surgery.

James D. Rabinov, MD
Interventional Neuroradiologist
jrabinov@mgh.harvard.edu

Dr. James Rabinov is a senior neuroendovascular specialist with joint appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Neurosurgery. He is an Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. His clinical expertise includes intracranial aneurysms, AVMs, atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease, and ENT-related vascular conditions.

Christopher J. Stapleton, MD
Neurosurgeon & Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship Director
cstapleton@mgh.harvard.edu

Dr. Christopher Stapleton is a board-certified neurosurgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School, Associate Program Director (MGH Site Director) of the MGB Neurosurgery Residency, and Program Director of the MGB Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, he completed his residency and neuroendovascular surgery fellowship at MGH and an advanced cerebrovascular surgery fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His clinical practice covers brain aneurysms, cerebral and spinal AVMs, cerebral and spinal DAVF, carotid cavernous fistulae, carotid artery disease, cavernous malformations, intraparenchymal hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, subdural hematoma, and traumatic brain injury, with research focused on AVM genomics, aneurysm rupture modeling, and novel endovascular device development.