Neurosurgery Summer Research Program Supports Student Research

“Over the course of my career, there have been countless instances during which I have found myself seeking the sage counsel, advice or assistance of mentors, who have helped guide and shape my career. Consequently, teaching medical students, residents and fellows has become a major focus of my career,” said Fawaz Al-Mufti, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, neurosurgery and of radiology, who currently directs the Summer Research Program with Jared Pisapia, M.D., assistant professor of neurosurgery. “As part of the research program, I have been fortunate to work with and mentor more than 35 medical students. It has been an immense honor to assist my mentees reach their potential and to play a role in their career development.  The goal is to educate them about the research process and evolve as a responsible and resilient physician-scientist.”

The six-week program, which was developed by Chirag Gandhi, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and professor of neurosurgery, neurology and of radiology, is open to rising second-year SOM students. The program begins with lectures to provide an overview of research study design and scientific writing. Students then pursue a clinical research project with the objective of producing a publishable manuscript in the form of an original article, review article or book chapter, with regular weekly meetings held with a research mentor to monitor progress.

With the objective of also introducing student participants to clinical neurosurgery, each week students focus on a subspecialty area within neurosurgery and related fields, including neuro-critical care, endovascular, cranial, spine, pediatrics and peripheral nerve, and have the opportunity for clinical interaction with patients and members of the neurosurgery team. 

Jonathan Ogulnick, SOM Class of 2022, was recently chosen to present his research project, “Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in COVID-19: A New York Metropolitan Cohort Study” as a platform presentation at the American Academy of Neurology. "The experience and mentorship I gained from the research program taught me invaluable research skills that I will use for the rest of my career, as we have already successfully published a number of manuscripts,” said Mr. Ogulnick. “I’ve also been lucky to be able to share with future classes of medical students through the opportunity to mentor and complete successful projects with underclassmen. Dr. Al-Mufti’s passion for research and medical education has bolstered students’ engagement in the neurosciences and in research ineffably.”

"This past summer, I worked with Dr. Al-Mufti on a research project focusing on the safety and efficacy of a robotic transcranial doppler system that monitors the blood flow in the Circle of Willis to detect vasospasm, a severe complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage,” said Kevin Clare, SOM Class of 2022, whose study won top research award at the Neurocritical Care Society. “Even with his busy schedule, Dr. Al-Mufti took the time to work through and discuss the project with me on multiple occasions, which was an invaluable learning experience on how to perform clinical research. The entire Department of Neurosurgery at Westchester Medical Center echoes this dedication to engaging and guiding students as I personally have had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Al-Mufti, Dr. Pisapia and Dr. Carrie Muh, all of whom were willing to have me observe in the OR or work with them on a research project. For this reason, I am incredibly excited to continue working with this department and I am looking forward to my neurosurgical rotation."

Alis Dicpinigaitis, SOM Class of 2022, won a first place award for presentation of his research into endovascular thrombectomy at this year’s NYMC Medical Student Research Forum. "Dr. Al-Mufti and I worked closely together developing studies evaluating outcomes for acute ischemic stroke patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy using the National Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States,” said Mr. Dicpinigaitis. “My projects and those of my colleagues resulted in the publication of numerous manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at local and national conferences. Following new departmental leadership under Dr. Gandhi and research mentorship under Drs. Al-Mufti and Pisapia, the Summer Research Program is just one example of the academic productivity of the Department of Neurosurgery, which rivals that of the most prestigious academic institutions nationally."

The Department of Neurosurgery also credits Monique Carrero-Tagle, M.S., research coordinator, and Lizbel Aquino, administrative assistant, for their integral role in the program’s success.