UNC nephrology

I am a neurosurgeon with expertise in functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation. I perform surgeries to stimulate or ablate specific targets in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves to treat patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. As a surgeon-scientist, I focus on translational neuroimaging research to improve patient outcomes. This research aims to enhance neuromodulation’s effectiveness through personalized medicine, develop and optimize less-invasive treatments, and test emerging surgical therapies in clinical trials. I have also published over 60 research papers in prestigious journals like Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, Movement Disorders, Pain, and JAMA Neurology.

I chose to become a physical therapist because I enjoyed using movement to help people feel and function better. My approach to patient care includes a heavy emphasis on including the patient as an active participant in their care so they can understand the “how” and “why” of their treatment, while relying on current evidence and research to drive decision making. My areas of clinical interest include orthopedics and sports medicine. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, baking, music and running.

I have had extensive training in treating spinal conditions leading to back and neck pain, numbness and weakness including herniated disks, lumbar stenosis, sciatica, spine tumors, spinal deformity and scoliosis. I employ advanced techniques in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, including minimally invasive decompression and fusion, robotic spine surgery, and artificial disk replacement. I was also one of the few neurosurgeons in the country who specializes in the treatment of complex peripheral nerve disorders leading to extremity pain and weakness, including carpal tunnel, ulnar nerve compression, sciatic nerve compression, peripheral nerve tumors, thoracic outlet syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, brachial plexus injury and peripheral nerve injury, and nerve transfers for restoring limb function. I use techniques such as intraoperative ultrasound, electrical stimulation and endoscopy to treat patients.