Posts written by garzad11

Welcome, Jordan Mohammed!

February 16, 2023

The Department of Neurosurgery is excited to welcome Jordan Mohammed to our team. Jordan is an advanced practice provider who recently joined our night shift faculty for Neurocritical Care. We hope that you will greet Jordan when you get the chance to meet him and help him feel welcomed to our department!



Dr. Papanastassiou to Present at Texas Pediatric Neuroscience Network Conference.

February 15, 2023

Next month, Alexander Papanastassiou, MD, will present at the Texas Pediatric Neuroscience Network Conference. He is scheduled to speak Sunday, March 5th (Session Three), regarding open loop deep brain stimulation for movement disorders and epilepsy. You can learn more about the event and register for it online using this link.




Department of Neurosurgery Makes Preparations for 2023 Sub-Internship

February 15, 2023

The Department of Neurosurgery encourages interested medical students to come spend a month with us through our sub-internship. Learn the fundamentals that will form the foundation of your surgical skills. Registration is expected to open April 15th. Visit the link below to register. Our course is NRSR 4010. http://www.aamc.org/vsas  



Dr. Smerin poses for his photo.

Dr. Smerin Wins Natus Resident/ Fellow Award for Neurotrauma

January 30, 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Smerin on his recent reception of the Natus Resident/ Fellow Award for Neurotrauma! In April, Dr. Smerin will present his winning abstract at the 2023 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles. You can read his abstract by visiting this link.  



Department Faculty Members Make 2023 “Best in S.A. Doctors” List

January 27, 2023

Congratulations to Drs. John Floyd and Cristian Gragnaniello, who were both featured in Scene in S.A. Magazine’s “2023 Best in S.A. Doctors” list! The list marks the 18th annual survey of the best doctors in San Antonio as referred by their peers. You can read the full list by visiting this link.  



Justin Mascitelli, MD, Named Associate Editor for Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery

January 11, 2023

Congratulations are in order! Justin Mascitelli, MD, FAANS, has been named as an associate editor for the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery (JNIS). This is a great honor! Click the link below to read the full story. Justin R. Mascitelli named associate editor for Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery



Takesha Barclay's graduation day photo.

Takesha Barclay Graduates with Doctoral Degree

December 16, 2022

The Department of Neurosurgery is proud to announce that one of our advanced practice providers, Takesha Barclay, recently received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the UT Health School of Nursing. Ali Seifi, MD, attended her ceremony on the department’s behalf to show our support for this exciting achievement. Congratulations from all of us, Dr. […]



Sarah Martinez smiles for a photo.

Sarah Martinez Nominated as a 2022 Compliance Champion

December 14, 2022

Sarah Martinez, MPH, was nominated as a Compliance Champion during this year’s Compliance and Ethics Week Celebration. We congratulate Sarah on receiving this recognition and thank her for the work she does daily to fulfill the mission of UT Health San Antonio!



Team members from Neurosurgery pose for a victory photo after completing a 5k together.

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Running Series 2022 – Department Team Members Complete 5K Together

December 6, 2022

This past weekend, several team members from the Department of Neurosurgery participated in the 14th annual Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Running Series. The event, which includes a marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K, typically attracts about 20,000 runners each year. Darren Poidevin, Monica Garcia, Maria Paz, and Marissa Velez supported each other throughout the […]



Dr. Seifi and HiccAway Featured in Future Magazine

November 18, 2022

Dr. Ali Seifi was featured in the latest issue of Future, the official magazine of the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The published story describes the development of Dr. Seifi’s HiccAway device and relays his guidance to other inventors who […]