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BCM Neurosurgery
@bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
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The Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and patient care.
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bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
Today, #BCMNeurosurgery welcomes our first group of #Match2026 interviewees to #Houston🧠

We look forward to meeting with them, and wish all who are going through this process the best of luck!

#Neurosurgery #NeurosurgeryResidency #MedEd
Today BCM Neurosurgery welcomes our first group of #Match2026 interviewees to Houston. Best of luck to all who are going through this process!
November 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by BCM Neurosurgery
nicoleprovenza.bsky.social
We took a new Provenza Lab photo this morning! Proud PI moment ☺️ @riceneuro.bsky.social @bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
#NEWS: Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center has been recognized as a GammaTile Center of Excellence by GT Medical Technologies, a medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with #braintumors.

📰: tinyurl.com/2n6mhyap

#BCMHouston #GammaTile
October 30, 2025 at 7:53 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
It's #MedicalAssistant Recognition Week, and all week long members of the #BCMNeurosurgery, #BCMSpineCenter & #BCMPituitaryCenter teams will be giving shoutouts to our dedicated crew of MAs, who play an essential role in providing the highest level of patient care 🧠💙

#MARWeek #PatientCare #ThankYou
Medical Assistant Recognition Week: Joy Collins "A huge shout-out to Joy, our incredible Medical Assistant! Joy brings excellence to every corner of our clinic. She’s sharp, proactive, and always steps up to make things run smoothly. Patients consistently share how much they appreciate her prompt responses and kindness. Joy goes above and beyond. Not only does she master her role, but she also takes time to learn about the complex pituitary conditions our patients face. Her dedication makes my job easier and our care stronger. Thank you, Joy, for being such a vital part of our team!” - Dr. Bahar Force Medical Director Pituitary Center “I have to say, Joy is an absolute ‘joy’ to work with. She brings a lot of energy and dedication to her work every day, and that directly translates to smoother clinic operations and improved satisfaction of our patients.” - Dr. Ali Jalali Surgical Director Pituitary Center “Joy is an integral part of our pituitary center. I appreciate her willingn Medical Assistant Recognition Week: Edith Martinez “Edith! She has gone above and beyond for the interventional pain practice. She works like a seasoned veteran, and efforts have not gone unnoticed.” - Dr. Krishna Shah Anesthesiologist “Chelleese is such a joy to work with. She has proven to be such a reliable team member. She takes accountability for and pride in her work. She thinks outside the box and comes with solutions when she brings me any issue.” - Lona Winnegan, MSN, APRN, NP-C Nurse Practitioner “Chelleese is skilled and organized and keeps a calm demeanor under pressure. Her compassion and efficiency are very much appreciated. I am grateful for everything you do for us. Happy MA week!” - Sherly Sebastian, NP-C, DNP Nurse Practitioner “Johana is a great team player and cares for our patients as if they are her own family member. She is willing to jump in and help whenever. She thinks outside of the box and is willing to learn. When you ask Johana something, it's done!” - Jennifer Zachariah, MSN, APRN, FNP-C Nurse Practitioner “I would like to recognize Johana for her excellent work and strong dedication to our team.” - Vivian Alvarado Supervisor, Patient Support Services
October 21, 2025 at 7:10 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
Last month, Houstonia Magazine released its list of #TopDoctors in #Houston.

Congrats to our #BCMNeurosurgery and Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center subspecialists who made this year's list, as voted on by their peers. We are immensely proud and grateful for their commitment to patient care! 🧠👏
October 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
On this #WorldSpineDay, we proudly spotlight the talented team at the #BCMSpineCenter, which is composed of experts from #BCMNeurosurgery, #BCMOrtho, #BCMAnesthesiology and #BCMPMR!

Our group treats the full range of #back and #neck issues — from the simple to the complex.
Learn about the multidisciplinary team at the Baylor Medicine Spine Center and meet our skilled team of experts. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: The goal of Baylor Medicine PMR is to cure patients' physical medical ailments rather than simply treat the symptoms. Our preeminent academic environment allows us to fulfill that goal through physical rehabilitation services, state-of-the-art clinical facilities and leading-edge practitioners and researchers. Meet Our Experts: Yonghoon Lee, D.O., Wyatt Kupperman, D.O., Michael Y. Lee, M.D. Interventional Pain Management: Our interventional pain management team offers personalized, effective solutions for those dealing with pain. We work closely with our patients to develop optimal treatment plans built around their individual needs. To treat pain, a conservative approach including spine injections, nerve blocks and other minimally invasive procedures may be utilized. Meet Our Providers: Bilal Dar, M.D., Krishna Shah, M.D. Orthopedic Spine: Our orthopedic spine team delivers expert care for everything from everyday back pain to the most complex spine disorders. Leveraging the latest surgical and non-surgical techniques, our team collaborates closesly with spine neurosurgeons, physical therapists and other specialists to provide treatment tailored to each patient's needs. Meet Our Expert: Lorenzo Deveza, M.D., Ph.D.
October 16, 2025 at 3:33 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
#2025CNS kicks off in #LosAngeles next weekend, and we're immensely proud of the many #BCMNeurosurgery and
@bcmhouston.bsky.social residents, postdocs and students who've been selected to present their works at this year's meeting! 👏

#MedEd #Neurosurgery #NeurosurgeryResearch 🧠🔬
Will Baltazar Medical Student Title: Risk Factors Associated With Scoliosis Progression in Children with Cerebal Palsy Receiving Intrathecal Baclofen Jeffrey Chen, M.D. PGY-3 Title: Comparison of Outcomes Between Bifrontal Vs.Decompressive Craniectomy in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single Level I Trauma Center's Experience Sai Chilakapati, M.D. PGY-3 Title: Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy at Texas Children's Hospital: Expanded Indiciations and Evolution in Practice Over 12 Years Alex Flores, M.D. PGY-6 Title: Identifying Patients and Specific Vertebrae at Risk for Metastatic Vertebral Fractures Remains a Clinical Challenge: A Subgroup Analysis of Current Practices
October 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
📆 Join us for a special #WorldSpineDay webinar on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 12pm CST 📆

@bcmhouston.bsky.social and #BCMNeurosurgery spine expert Dr. Cyrus King discusses managing back and neck pain and prepping for your visit at the #BCMSpineCenter.

Register: tinyurl.com/3z2nmy57 💻
Join us for a special World Spine Day webinar on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 12pm CST!
September 29, 2025 at 3:19 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
Today's #FridayFeeling: 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 💙

As we wrap up #APPWeek, please join us in saying a special "thank you" to our talented and committed crew of NPs, who play a critical role in providing the highest level of care to our #BCMNeurosurgery #BCMSpineCenter patients!
Happy APP Week! Happy APP Week!
September 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
Happy #ResearchAdministratorDay!

Today we give special recognition to our #BCMNeurosurgery research admin team, whose support for our PIs and their labs and commitment to our mission paves the path to improving the treatment of central and peripheral nervous system disorders 🔬🧠❤️
Happy Research Administrator Day!
September 25, 2025 at 3:24 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
🎉 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖! 🎉
Thanks to the generosity of our #BCMNeurosurgery community, we've met Chairman Dr. Ganesh Rao's #GiveBigDay match challenge, raising funds for:
🔬 groundbreaking research
🏥 high-quality patient care
🧠 resident training

#BCM #Baylor125
September 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
On Tuesday, @bcmhouston.bsky.social will hold its inaugural #GiveBigDay in honor of 125 years of #BCM!

Join Dr. Ganesh Rao and #BCMNeurosurgery as we raise support for:
→neurosurgical research🔬
→high-quality patient care🏥
→training for future neurosurgeons🧠

Give: tinyurl.com/4tftkmuy
Join BCM Neurosurgery for Give Big Day 2025! A Message from Dr. Ganesh Rao: Friends and Colleagues — In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Baylor College of Medicine will hold its inaugural Give Big Day this Tuesday, September 16. In honor of this day of giving, I pledge to match any donations made directly to the Department of Neurosurgery, dollar for dollar, up to $2,500. I invite all members of the BCM Neurosurgery community — faculty, staff, residents, students, alumni and more — to join me in this initiative. Funds raised will directly support research for treatments of nervous system disorders, high-quality neurosurgical patient care and the training of future neurosurgeons. Thank you for your continued support and generosity. With your help, we look forward to advancing the field of neurosurgery for the next 125 years and beyond.
September 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
September is #BrainAneursym Awareness Month, and the team at #BCMNeurosurgery and St. Luke's Health wants you to know the warning signs of a ruptured brain aneurysm.

👉 To learn more, visit bcm.edu/neurosurgery (📞 713.798.4696) to schedule an appointment with our experts today.
September 10, 2025 at 8:19 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
In a recent video paper featured in JoVE, Dr. Vladimir Didenko and his team assess DNase activity by ratiometric fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).

#BCMNeurosurgery

app.jove.com/v/67134/asse... *

*Subscription required.
Assessment of DNase Activity by Ratiometric Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
The present protocol describes a simple and sensitive ratiometric Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay for the detection and quantitative ...
app.jove.com
September 2, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by BCM Neurosurgery
riceneuro.bsky.social
Congratulations @nicoleprovenza.bsky.social from
@bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social and @riceneuro.bsky.social
who is the recipient of a $3.7m R01 award from NIH/NIMH for her project, "Neurophysiological investigation of the approach-avoidance axis in OCD: applications to neuromodulation."🎉
September 2, 2025 at 6:04 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
As part of #NeurosurgeryAwarenessMonth, we're highlighting #BCMNeurosurgery's 3 pillars of #healthcare 🏥, #education 🧠 and #research 🔬

This week we're shining a special spotlight on our 2⃣8⃣ incredible residents, who represent the future of neurosurgical care and research ⤵️
The residency program at BCM Neurosurgery has a history as one of the largest and most respected neurosurgery training programs in the country. Swipe through to meet our residents. PGY-1 Residents L-R: Nangorgo (Oumar) Coulibaly, M.D.; Collin English, M.D.; Mireya Rahman, M.D.; Kevin Wu, M.D. PGY-2 Residents: L-R: Adrish Anand, M.D.; Som Chaturvedi, M.D.; Nisha Dabhi, M.D.; Pedram Maleknia, M.D. PGY-3 Residents: Luis Carrete, M.D.; Jeffrey Chen, M.D.; Sai Susheel Chilakapati, M.D.; Samantha Varela, M.D.
August 22, 2025 at 4:02 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
We're excited to welcome Dr. Michael Steinmetz of the @clevelandclinic.bsky.social as tomorrow's 3rd Annual Spinal #Neurosurgery Lecturer!

#BCMNeurosurgery #NeurosurgeryResidency #MedEd #GrandRounds
Tomorrow we welcome Dr. Michael Steinmetz of the Cleveland Clinic as our 3rd Annual Spinal Neurosurgery lecturer!
August 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by BCM Neurosurgery
bcmfromthelabs.bsky.social
A team from #TexasChildrensHospital, Baylor College of Medicine @bcmhouston.bsky.social provided new breakthrough treatment for patient with rare #NeurologicalDisorder. #AADC @bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social #GeneTherapy www.texaschildrens.org/content/news...
Texas Children’s Provides New Breakthrough Treatment for Patient with Rare Neurological Disorder | Texas Children's
Texas Children’s is pleased to announce that a three-year-old girl has been successfully treated with the first-ever FDA-approved gene therapy treatment for AADC deficiency.
www.texaschildrens.org
August 20, 2025 at 2:55 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
"I was drawn to #BCMNeurosurgery because of its reputation to be one of the highest clinical volume sites in the country... Sub-Is get to see a variety of different cases and interact with diverse patient populations."

Learn more: tinyurl.com/3nyejkz7

#MedEd #Neurosurgery
August 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
At #BCMNeurosurgery, our specialists provide the full range of brain and spinal surgeries.

Through our affiliation with Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, we offer our patients truly expert and compassionate care for any neurosurgical problem, no matter how rare or complex.

Learn more ⤵️

1/2
Learn about neurosurgical subspecialties at Baylor Medicine and meet our skilled team of experts. Skull Base Tumor Neurosurgery Our team of experts is experienced in treating all forms of benign and malignant tumors that occur within the adult brain and at the base of the skull, including acoustic neuromas, brain metastases, gliomas, meningiomas and pituitary adenomas. Meet Our Experts: -Ali Jalali, M.D., Ph.D. -Akash Patel, M.D. (Director of Brain Tumor Surgery) -Ganesh Rao (Chair of Neurosurgery) Cerebrovascular and Stroke Neurosurgery The cerebrovascular specialists at Baylor Medicine are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of the arteries and vessels in the brain, neck and spine, such as acute ischemic stroke, brain aneurysms, brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and more. Meet Our Experts: -Naser Jaleel, M.D., Ph.D. -Omar Tanweer, M.D. (Director of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery) Epilepsy Neurosurgery For patients with epilepsy who cannot attain good seizure control with medications, epilepsy surgery is an important option. At the Baylor Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, our multidisciplinary team of experts evaluates patients for surgical candidacy. Epilepsy surgeries include anterior temporal lobectomy, extratemporal resections, brain mapping, awake craniotomy, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy and more. Meet Our Expert: -Sameer Sheth, M.D., Ph.D. (Director of Research)
August 13, 2025 at 9:14 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
#DYK? August is #NeurosurgeryAwarenessMonth 🧠

Join us all month as we spotlight the #BCMNeurosurgery surgeons, residents, researchers, staff and students who work tirelessly to treat our patients and advance the field of #neurosurgery and neurosurgical hashtag#research

→ bcm.edu/neurosurgery
August is Neurosurgery Awareness Month! Join us all month as we spotlight the BCM Neurosurgery surgeons, residents, staff, researchers and students who work tirelessly to treat our patients and advance the field of neurosurgery and neurosurgical research.
August 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖! 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖! 📰

The summer edition of our #BCMNeurosurgery newsletter is in! From new treatments for #brain #aneurysms at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center 🧠 to graduation celebrations 🎉 to #research grants 🔬 and more, things are heating up at BCM Neurosurgery 👉 tinyurl.com/4xdayzny
Just in: Check out the Summer BCM Neurosurgery Newsletter!
August 4, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by BCM Neurosurgery
nicoleprovenza.bsky.social
I’m very excited to share that I got the NOA for my first R01 to study approach-avoidance behaviors after DBS for OCD! We have an awesome team: Sameer Sheth, Wayne Goodman, Eric Storch, and Ben Hayden at BCM, and Han Yi at JHU APL. 🧠⚡️@bcmocd.bsky.social @bcmhouston.bsky.social @jhuapl.bsky.social
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social BCM Neurosurgery @bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social · Aug 1
#NEWS: Dr. @nicoleprovenza.bsky.social is the recipient of a new $3.7m R01 award from the #NIH & #NIMH for her project, "Neurophysiological investigation of the approach-avoidance axis in OCD: applications to neuromodulation" 🧠

#DBS #OCD #DeepBrainStimulation #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Research
Project Title: Neurophysiological investigation of the approach-avoidance axis in OCD: applications to neuromodulation Project Narrative: Despite FDA approval for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the form of a Humanitarian Device Exemption, this therapy remains underutilized and poorly understood. Based on the pathologically avoidant phenotype underlying OCD and the pro-approach behavior required to overcome fear-based avoidance, we conceptualize our study of the neurophysiological underpinnings of OCD by tracking behavior and ventral striatum neural activity along the approach-avoidance axis. Doing so would create a foundational understanding of the neurobehavioral effects of DBS that will generalize to other disorders characterized by dysregulation of behavior along the approach-avoidance axis. DBS and OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a lifetime prevalence of 2-3% and is a major cause of global disability. OCD is characterized by obsessions (i.e., unwanted intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (i.e., repetitive ritualistic behaviors), and exemplifies a pathologically avoidant phenotype where greater degrees of avoidance are associated with greater symptom severity and treatment resistance. In the 20-40% of OCD patients that are treatment refractory, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral capsule and ventral striatum (VC/VS) is an effective therapy that achieves significant benefit in 66% of patients. While VC/VS DBS does not acutely relieve OCD symptoms, DBS often produces a “pro-approach” response including an increase in talkativeness, a desire to engage in activities, extroversion, and affiliative behavior. Our central therapeutic hypothesis is that VC/VS DBS achieves eventual benefit in OCD by providing the “boost” in pro-approach behavior that allows individuals to overcome their pathological fear-based avoidance. Thus, we focus on the approach-avoidance axis as one of the critical neurobehavioral axes underlying the pathophysiology of OCD. Our overall goal is to develop a mechanistic understanding of DBS for OCD by rigorously investigating the relationship between clinical symptoms, behaviors (i.e., approachful vs. avoidant), and neurophysiology.
August 1, 2025 at 10:10 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
#NEWS: Dr. @nicoleprovenza.bsky.social is the recipient of a new $3.7m R01 award from the #NIH & #NIMH for her project, "Neurophysiological investigation of the approach-avoidance axis in OCD: applications to neuromodulation" 🧠

#DBS #OCD #DeepBrainStimulation #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Research
Project Title: Neurophysiological investigation of the approach-avoidance axis in OCD: applications to neuromodulation Project Narrative: Despite FDA approval for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the form of a Humanitarian Device Exemption, this therapy remains underutilized and poorly understood. Based on the pathologically avoidant phenotype underlying OCD and the pro-approach behavior required to overcome fear-based avoidance, we conceptualize our study of the neurophysiological underpinnings of OCD by tracking behavior and ventral striatum neural activity along the approach-avoidance axis. Doing so would create a foundational understanding of the neurobehavioral effects of DBS that will generalize to other disorders characterized by dysregulation of behavior along the approach-avoidance axis. DBS and OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a lifetime prevalence of 2-3% and is a major cause of global disability. OCD is characterized by obsessions (i.e., unwanted intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (i.e., repetitive ritualistic behaviors), and exemplifies a pathologically avoidant phenotype where greater degrees of avoidance are associated with greater symptom severity and treatment resistance. In the 20-40% of OCD patients that are treatment refractory, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral capsule and ventral striatum (VC/VS) is an effective therapy that achieves significant benefit in 66% of patients. While VC/VS DBS does not acutely relieve OCD symptoms, DBS often produces a “pro-approach” response including an increase in talkativeness, a desire to engage in activities, extroversion, and affiliative behavior. Our central therapeutic hypothesis is that VC/VS DBS achieves eventual benefit in OCD by providing the “boost” in pro-approach behavior that allows individuals to overcome their pathological fear-based avoidance. Thus, we focus on the approach-avoidance axis as one of the critical neurobehavioral axes underlying the pathophysiology of OCD. Our overall goal is to develop a mechanistic understanding of DBS for OCD by rigorously investigating the relationship between clinical symptoms, behaviors (i.e., approachful vs. avoidant), and neurophysiology.
August 1, 2025 at 2:41 PM
bcmneurosurgery.bsky.social
Over the weekend, @bcmhouston.bsky.social proudly served as a regional site for this year’s Society of Neurological Surgeons Intern Bootcamp 🧠

The course was an opportunity for PGY-1 #neurosurgery residents to harness basic clinical skills and more.
July 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM