Faculty

Dr. Lee Birnbaum smiling for his staff photo.

Dr. Birnbaum Publishes New Paper Examining Prehospital EMS Scales

July 8, 2020

Lee Birnbaum, M.D., recently published an article in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery entitled: “Paramedic utilization of Vision, Aphasia, Neglect (VAN) stroke severity scale in the prehospital setting predicts emergent large vessel occlusion stroke.” The study’s findings reinforce published evidence demonstrating that prehospital EMS scales, such as VAN, can be successfully incorporated into complex stroke care […]



Dr. Shaherya Hafeez smiling for his staff photo.

Dr. Hafeez Appointed Director of Quality and Improvement for the Neuroscience ICU

June 15, 2020

The Department of Neurosurgery is pleased to announce the appointment of Shaheryar Hafeez, M.D., to the position of Director of Quality and Improvement for the Neuroscience ICU. Dr. Hafeez will serve as the liaison between UHS and UT Neurosurgery in an effort to optimize the education and training of staff members and elevate the quality and […]



Dr. Ali Seifi smiling for his staff photo.

Dr. Seifi Co-Authors First Peer-Reviewed Article about Coronavirus Fears and Stroke

June 11, 2020

Ali Seifi, M.D., FACP, recently co-authored an article exploring why fewer people seem to be seeking medical attention for stroke and other acute coronary conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Seifi’s work is the first peer-reviewed article that has ever been published on this topic. It is open access, so you can read the entire […]



Dr. Lee Birnbaum smiling for his staff photo.

Coronavirus Fears and Stroke Care

June 5, 2020

Lee Birnbaum, M.D., was recently interviewed for a KABB news segment to discuss how the fear of coronavirus infection is keeping some people from getting evaluated for stroke care. Dr. Birnbaum encouraged viewers to seek medical attention for stroke as quickly as possible in order to maximize the efficacy of treatment. You can watch the […]



Dr. Derrick Sun smiling for his staff photo.

Derrick Sun, M.D., Appointed to the Position of Medical Director, UT Health Physicians, Neurosurgery

June 5, 2020

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Derrick Sun, M.D., to the position of Medical Director, UT Health Physicians, Neurosurgery. Dr. Sun received his undergraduate degree with honors from the California Institute of Technology. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch and completed his neurological surgery residency training at the University of Colorado Denver. He also […]



Dr. Justin Robert Mascitelli smiling for his staff photo.

Cerebrovascular Section Election Results

April 7, 2020

The Department of Neurosurgery is proud to announce the election of Justin Mascitelli, M.D., to the position of Member-at-Large on the Executive Council of the AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section.



Dr. Naomi Sayre smiling for her staff photo.

16 Questions with Naomi Sayre, Ph.D.

April 3, 2020

Naomi Sayre, Ph.D., was interviewed for the Pipette Gazette’s Faculty Spotlight article series. Dr. Sayre is an assistant professor of research for the Department of Neurosurgery who is primarily interested in investigating the brain’s ability to recover after stroke or traumatic injury. You can read her interview and watch the accompanying video here.