Neurosurgery residents and fellows honored

June was a busy month for the Department of Neurosurgery’s residents and fellows as they participated in the annual William F. Collins Jr., MD Neurosurgery Resident Research Symposium and the 2026 Change of Chiefs Celebration. The events highlighted the work of this group of residents and celebrated the graduating class of Joseph Antonios, MD, and Layton Lamsam, MD.

The celebrations started on June 5 with the 2026 edition of the William F. Collins Jr., MD Neurosurgery Resident Research Symposium. Following opening remarks from Murat Gunel, MD, chair, neurosurgery, attendees were treated to a series of presentations covering a spectrum of neurosurgical topics. Presentations included:

• Preoperative fMRI as a Prognostic Biomarker for Response to Bilateral Hippocampal RNS Implantation for Mesial Temporal Epilepsy, presented by Brett Gu, MD.
• Cervical Spine Clearance: The Importance of Consensus-Based Institutional Pathways in the Setting of Controversial Clinical Evidence, presented by Angelica Alvarez Reyes, MD.
• The Fate of Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury after Cervical Spine Surgery, presented by Bushra Fathima, MD.
• Radiation Exposure in Contemporary Neuroendovascular Practice: A Single-Center Experience, presented by Joseph Haynes, MD.
• Volumetric Analysis of Radiographic Changes After Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Non-Responding Brain Metastases presented by Shashank Rajkumar, MD.
• Feasibility of DBS-induced Local Evoked Potentials as a Real-time Targeting Confirmation Tool in Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation Under N2O-Ketamine General Anesthesia presented by Sarah Hodges, MD.
• FOS/FOSB Fusion-Positive Meningiomas Define a Distinct Molecular Subgroup with Unique Transcriptomic and Clinical Features presented by Miguel Millares Chavez, MD.
• Hemi-brain Growth as a Biomarker for Whole Brain Growth presented by Kelsey Templeton, MD.
• Seeing Beyond the Hardware: Carbon Fiber Instrumentation in the Pediatric Spine presented by Brianna Theriault, MD.
• Endovascular Shunt Feasibility in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension presented by Andrew Koo, MD.

Following the resident presentations, Ali Rezai, MD, associate dean and vice president at West Virginia University presented the 2026 lectureship titled Focused Ultrasound: Breaking Barriers in Neurotheraputics. Rezai is a pioneering neurosurgeon and neuroscientist whose clinical practice focuses on neuromodulation for movement disorders, chronic pain, nervous system injury, and neurobehavioral disorders.

Attendees voted for the best abstract in both the basic science/translational research and clinical research categories. Chavez received the William F. Collins, Jr., MD Neurosurgery Resident Research Symposium Basic/Translational Science Research Award and Koo received the William F. Collins, Jr., MD Neurosurgery Resident Research Symposium Clinical Science Research Award.

The festivities continued a week later with the Change of Chiefs Celebration on June 13. Gunel again provided a warm welcome ahead of the presentation of awards presided over by Residency Program Director Michael DiLuna, MD, and Associate Residency Program Director Joseph King Jr., MD. The following awards were presented:

• The Dennis D. Spencer Award in Academic Achievement, presented to Shashank Rajkumar, MD.
• The Dr. Paul Kalanithi Award for Professional Excellence in Neurosurgery, presented to Joseph Antonios, MD.
• The Resident Teaching Award, presented to Joseph Antonios, MD.
• The Faculty Teaching Award, presented to Ryan Hebert, MD.

The Department of Neurosurgery fellows were then recognized by senior members of the faculty:

• Clinical Fellow in Spine Surgery, presented by Ehud Mendel, MD, to Issa Lahirishi, MD.
• Clinical Fellow in Neurosurgical Oncology, presented by Jennifer Moliterno, MD, to Frank Mezzacappa, MD.
• Clinical Fellow in Endovascular Neurosurgery, presented by Hebert to Daniela Renedo, MD.

Chief residents Antonios and Lamsam were then presented with framed pictures before they were subjected to a good-hearted Chief Residents’ Roast delivered by Koo, Templeton and Theriault. When the laughter subsided Antonios and Lamsam delivered sincere graduate speeches that were very well received.