University Hospitals Neurological Institute Update Spring 2025

Innovations in Neurology & Neurosurgery | Spring 2025

Specialists within University Hospitals Neurological Institute continue to expand their influence as internationally recognized thought leaders in the advanced treatment of neurological and neurosurgical disorders. The institute is also extending care further into Northeast Ohio communities, providing patients with world-class care that is closer to home.

Surgical procedures were up 16 percent in 2024 over 2023, and that growth is projected to continue through 2025.

Additionally, the University Hospitals Neurosurgery Residency Program has received approval from the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to increase its resident numbers from 17 to 21.

“This year, we will take three neurosurgical residents,” says Nicholas C. Bambakidis, MD, Vice President and Director of the UH Neurological Institute and the Harvey Huntington Brown, Jr. Chair in Neurosurgery at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “It is a great accomplishment to get approved for an increase in size by the residency review committee for neurosurgery, so it speaks to the quality of the education we are proud to offer.”

Distinguished Partnerships

• In February, Dr. Bambakidis was the featured speaker for the prestigious Malik Lectureship in Neurosurgery at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. The annual event brings together top experts in the vascular neurosurgery field to enhance knowledge and improve outcomes in neurosurgery. Dr. Bambakidis shared his expertise in neurovascular surgery and skull base disorders with 125 attendees, the largest audience to date. He also participated in Grand Rounds, providing an in-depth review of indications and approaches for managing skull base tumors and skull base cerebrovascular pathologies. 
  Nicholas C. Bambakidis, MD (center) with attendees at the Malik Lectureship in Neurosurgery at Henry Ford Health in Detroit.

• In November 2024, a team from the UH Neurological Institute traveled to Taiwan as part of an ongoing collaboration with neurosurgeons at Taipei Medical University (TMU). The international trip marks a reinvigoration of the partnership between TMU, University Hospitals and the School of Medicine. The institutions have attained several research grants and are exploring opportunities to further advance stroke care. The visit was part of a larger trip for UH faculty invited to Taiwan to speak at the 17th Asian Australasian Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AACNS).
  

The UH neurosurgeons who spoke at AACNS were:

• Dr. Bambakidis
• Sepideh Amin-Hanjani, MD
• Alan Hoffer, MD
• Xiaofei Zhou, MD

Continued Program Growth

The UH Neurological Institute continues to attract the next generation of leaders in neurological and neurosurgical care.

The institute welcomed two neurologists:

• Dasul Jin, MD, who specializes in neurology-vascular neurology. Dr. Jin completed her neurology residency and fellowship training at University Hospitals and the School of Medicine. In addition to her clinical work, she has a passion for teaching medical students, residents and fellows.
• Anthony Zampino, MD, who specializes in neurology-neuromuscular medicine. A proud Cleveland native, Dr. Zampino completed his neurology residency at University Hospitals and the School of Medicine and served as chief resident. After his residency, he completed a fellowship in neuromuscular medicine. 

This summer, Mohit Patel, MD, will return to Cleveland and join the renowned faculty at the UH Spine Center. Dr. Patel did his residency at University Hospitals. He is currently completing a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in spine deformity surgery. “Dr. Patel is an emerging superstar spine surgeon,” Dr. Bambakidis says. “We recruited him to come back and help lead our deformity program.”

Interviews are underway for a new pediatric neurosurgeon in 2025.

Awards and Accolades

• Dr. Bambakidis is the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, presented by the Wright State Alumni Association. A 1993 graduate, Dr. Bambakidis was selected from a pool of more than 120,000 Wright State alumni recognized for numerous accomplishments in their chosen fields.
• Hesham Abboud, MD, was selected by medical students at Case Western Reserve University as Outstanding Research Mentor.
• Herbert B. Newton, MD, became a reviewer for the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies. He began reviewing manuscripts in November 2024.
• Manish Kasliwal, MD, was invited to be a key informant for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Effective Health Care Program to evaluate future systematic reviews on the performance of fusion procedures for degenerative lumbar spine disease.
• University Hospitals has been named a 2025 Becker’s Healthcare Hospitals with Great Neuro/Spine Programs.

Innovative Care Delivery

• Sophie Zhou, MD, and team members within the University Hospitals Spine Institute were the first in Northeast Ohio to perform an endoscopic discectomy utilizing Athrex®’s minimally invasive surgical system, which supports faster, less painful recovery and reduces scarring.
• The UH Brain Health & Memory Center is now treating patients with KISUNLA™ (donanemab), indicated for adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia.

For more information, contact Dr. Bambakidis at Nicholas.Bambakidis2@UHhospitals.org.

Contributing Expert:
Nicholas C. Bambakidis, MD
Vice President and Director
University Hospitals Neurological Institute
Harvey Huntington Brown, Jr. Chair in Neurosurgery
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Professor
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine