Neurosurgery Residency - Faculty

Nicholas
Theodore, MD

Chair

Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
Residency: Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Fellowship: Spine, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 
Research Clinical Interests: Robotics, spinal cord injury, neurotrauma, artificial intelligence 
Hobbies and Personal Interests: History, travel

Robert Bina, MD

Program Director, Vice Chair

Medical School: University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Phoenix, AZ
Residency: Neurosurgery, University of Arizona, College of Medicine – Tucson, AZ
Fellowship: Functional Restoration and Epilepsy Surgery, Swedish Neuroscience Institute; Functional Restoration and Epilepsy Surgery, University of Louisville
Research/Clinical Interests: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Epilepsy Outcomes

Daniel Cavalcanti, MD

Associate Professor, Director of Neuroendovascular Surgery 

Medical School: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Residency: Neurological Surgery, Hospital Geral de Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fellowship: Complex Skull Base, Mackenzie Evangelical University Hospital, Brazil; Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology Fellowship, Barrow Neurological Institute: Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship, New York University
Research/Clinical Interests: Cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery, with particular interests in intracranial aneurysms, cerebral revascularization and bypass surgery, acute ischemic stroke and mechanical thrombectomy, intracranial and extracranial cerebrovascular disease, arteriovenous malformations and dural arteriovenous fistulas, minimally invasive and endovascular techniques, and the development and evaluation of novel technologies and clinical trials in neurovascular surgery
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Soccer, beach volleyball, waterskiing and snowboarding. Love to watch concerts, old movies, Formula 1 races and World Cup.  

Nikolay
Martirosyan, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Chief of Spine

Medical School: First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
Residency: Neurological Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, AZ
Fellowship: Complex Spine, Barrow Neurological Institute; Minimally Invasive Spine, Barrow Neurological Institute
Research/Clinical Interests: Minimally invasive and robotic spine surgery, scoliosis, spinal oncology, revision spine surgery, spinal cord injury, spine trauma
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Photography, martial arts, artificial intelligence

John D. Nerva, MD

Assistant Professor

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
Residency: Neurosurgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Fellowships: Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, Macquarie Neurosurgery, Sydney; Australia; Endovascular Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Research Clinical Interests: My professional interests include improving outcomes   for patients with cerebrovascular disease and advancing surgical and endovascular techniques for the treatment of aneurysms, vascular malformations, and stroke.
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, fitness and nutrition, traveling, reading, and exploring the great outdoors.

Michael Prim, MD

Assistant Professor

Medical School: McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX
Residency: Neurosurgery, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
Fellowship: Complex Spine Surgery, Banner University Medical Center - Phoenix
Research Clinical Interests: Degenerative spine disease, minimally invasive spine surgery, spine deformity
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Home renovations, my bulldog Angus, watching movies with my wife Madison

Sananthan
Sivakanthan, MD

Assistant Professor

Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine- Phoenix, AZ
Residency: Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Fellowship: Spine & Orthopedic Surgery, Banner University Medical Center - Phoenix                                 
Research/Clinical Interests: Healthcare economics
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Ice hockey

Mazen Zaher, DO

Assistant Professor

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, MI
Residency: Neurological Surgery, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
Fellowship: Skull Base and Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, Banner University Medical Center Phoenix
Research/Clinical Interests: Neurosurgical oncology, skull base, cerebrovascular
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Soccer

Todd A. Abruzzo, MD

Medical School: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University School of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
Residency: (Diagnostic Radiology) Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Fellowship: (Diagnostic Neuroradiology, Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology) Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Ruth E. Bristol, MD                                 

Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Residency: (Neurological Surgery) Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Fellowship: (Pediatric Neurosurgery) Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, CA
Research/Clinical Interests: Craniosynostosis, Hydrocephalus 
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Running, hiking, RV-ing, and travel

Peter A. Chiarelli, MD, DPhil

Medical School: Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts Institute of Technology HST
Residency: (Neurological Surgery) University of Washington
Fellowship: (Pediatric Neurosurgery) Seattle Children’s Hospital

Jason S. Hauptman, MD, PhD

Medical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Residency: (Neurological Surgery) University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Fellowship: (Specialty Training, Advanced Research) University of California - Los Angeles, CA
(Pediatric Neurosurgery) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA

Jamal McClendon, MD

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
Residency: (Neurological Surgery) Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: (Complex and Reconstructive Spine Surgery) Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center and Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL; (Spinal Surgery) Washington University, St. Louis, MO; (Pediatric Neurosurgery) Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ

Jennifer S. Ronecker, MD

Medical School: New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Residency: (Neurosurgery) New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
Fellowship: (Pediatric Neurosurgery) Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Research/Clinical Interests: Spine, spasticity 
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Visiting national parks, hiking, reading, taking my kids to do their hobbies

David H. Shafron, MD

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Residency: (Neurosurgery) University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital, Gainesville, FL
Fellowship:(Pediatric Neurosurgery) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA; (Pediatric Neurosurgery) Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Research/Clinical Interests: Spasticity
Hobbies and Personal Interests: Swimming, hiking, and doing the NY Times crossword puzzle and Wordle