Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital

The Neuroendovascular Surgery fellows receive intensive, daily, clinical training and supervision in performing interventional/endovascular techniques. The fellowship training emphasizes proper clinical and imaging diagnostic work up, physical examination, therapeutic decision making, complication avoidance and management, preoperative and postoperative clinical management, and interdisciplinary therapeutic strategies. These objectives will be met through the following: daily work and teaching rounds, participation in various weekly teaching conferences, and research activities. Mount Sinai’s Endovascular Neurosurgery Fellow Program has excellent collaborative relationships with nationally recognized programs in Neurosurgery, Neurology, Otolaryngology, Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Surgery, and Pediatrics, resulting in excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary clinical care, research, and education.

As the largest program in New York City, our program provides intense exposure to cerebrovascular conditions requiring intervention, including over 1,300 neuroendovascular procedures and 120 acute stroke interventions per year. Our program also provides exceptional training and experience in clinical research including participation in cutting edge multi-center trials; allowing trainees to develop the skills they need to conduct their own independent research.

Specific Goals and Objectives

Fellows apply clinical, epidemiologic and cerebrovascular knowledge to the care of patients, demonstrate analytical thinking approach to clinical situations, consistently teach, and support team members. Fellows develop competence in the following procedures:

• Diagnostic catheter angiography of the brain, head and neck, spinal cord and spine (selective and superselective)
• Endovascular embolization of intracranial aneurysms using detachable coils with or without stent-assistance
• Endovascular trapping of intracranial and extracranial aneurysms
• Angioplasty and stenting of extracranial carotid arteries
• Angioplasty and stenting of other extracranial cerebral arteries (e.g. innominate and vertebral arteries)
• Transarterial embolization of cerebral and spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and dural arteriovenous fistulas using superselective injection of cyanoacrylate, Onyx or particles
• Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting intracranial cerebral arteries (e.g. vertebral, basilar, internal carotid and middle cerebral arteries)
• Temporary occlusion and provocative testing of carotid arteries and permanent occlusion of these vessels in the treatment of carotid blowout, cranial base tumors and giant aneurysm
• Selective and superselective intra-arterial provocative testing of eloquent neurologic function (WADA testing)
• Acute thromboembolic stroke management using superselective intra-arterial thrombolysis and mechanical thrombolysis
• Chemical and mechanical angioplasty in the treatment of cerebral vasospasm
• Intra-arterial and direct puncture embolization of intracranial, head & neck and spine tumors
• Transarterial and transvenous embolization of congential and acquired arteriovenous fistulas and direct puncture sclerotherapy of low flow vascular malformations
• Percutaneous vertebroplasty and/or kyphoplasty of benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures
• Combined CT and fluoroscopic guided procedures for biopsy or drainage procedures

Neurosurgical and Cerebrovascular Training

Our program covers the symptoms and signs, risk factors, differential diagnosis, and management of several cerebrovascular diseases, including but not limited to:

• Acute cerebral stroke
• Cerebral aneurysms
• Cerebral vascular malformations
• Facial and orbital vascular malformations
• Intracranial atherosclerosis
• Intracranial hemorrhage
• Carotid artery stenosis
• Cushing’s disease
• Tumor embolization
• Spinal tumors
• Spinal vascular malformations
• Pediatric vascular disorders

Our faculty and fellows are currently participating in several randomized, multicenter clinical trials—relating to acute stroke, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations. Fellows are sub-investigators on the clinical trials, trained on all protocols. Fellows have access to patient databases, allowing for both independent prospective and retrospective studies. Basic science opportunities are also available within laboratories at The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The fellows for 2023-24 are as follows:

Jacopo Schaggiante, MD
University of Rome Tor Vergata - Italy (MD)
University of Rome Tor Vergata - Italy (Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Residency)
University of Rome Tor Vergata - Italy (PhD Candidate)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Cerebrovascular Research Fellowship)
Medical University of South Carolina (Neuroradiology Fellowship)

Joseph Yoon, MD
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, Chicago Medical School (MD)
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (Neurology Residency)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Neurocritical Care Fellowship)

Guan (Phil) Zhe, MD, MSCR
University of Michigan Medical School (MD/MSCR)
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics (Diagnostic Radiology Fellowship)
NYU Langone Health (Neuroradiology Fellowship)

Jonathan Sisti, MD
Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons (MD)
New York Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center (Neurosurgery Residency and Enfolded Neuroendovascular Fellowship)

Our experienced staff provides trainees exceptional training in clinical research including participation in cutting edge multi-center trials, allowing them to develop the skills they need to conduct their own independent research.

J Mocco, MD, MS
Professor and System Senior Vice Chair
Department of Neurosurgery
Director, The Cerebrovascular Center

Johanna T. Fifi, MD
Associate Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Radiology
Associate Director, The Cerebrovascular Center
Co-Director, Pediatric Cerebrovascular Disorders Program
Director, Cerebrovascular Services, Mount Sinai West

Reade A. De Leacy, MD
Associate Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery and Radiology
Director, Neurointerventional Spine Program
Director, Cerebrovascular Services, Mount Sinai Queens

Core Faculty

Alejandro Berenstein, MD
Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery, Radiology, and Pediatrics
Co-Director, Pediatric Cerebrovascular Disorders Program

Christopher P. Kellner, MD
Assistant Professor 
Department of Neurosurgery
Director, Intracerebral Hemorrhage Program

Hazem M. Shoirah, MD
Assistant Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Radiology
Director, Thrombectomy Services in Queens

Tomoyoshi Shigematsu, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Radiology

Shahram Majidi, MD
Assistant Professor
Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Radiology
Director, Cerebrovascular Services, Mount Sinai Brooklyn

M. Travis Caton, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery

Thomas J. Oxley, MD, PhD
Clinical Instructor
Department of Neurosurgery

Joshua B. Bederson, MD
Professor and System Chair
Department of Neurosurgery

Our program is limited to those who have received an MD from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Candidates should be trained in either neurosurgery residency; neurology residency plus either stroke or critical care fellowship; or radiology residency plus neuroradiology fellowship. All candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States at the time of their appointment. Trainees will be accepted only on a full-time basis. All applicants must include their curriculum vitae or bibliography and at least three letters of recommendation in their application. All materials should be emailed to our Program Co-Director— Johanna T. Fifi, MD.

Fellows will be selected based on their commitment to an academic career in disease-oriented research, outstanding academic and research record, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.