Research in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine encompasses the development of innovative techniques and increasing the success of proven treatments. Whether through clinical and laboratory research projects or involvement in multi-center clinical trials and databases, Department of Neurological Surgery faculty researchers dedicate their life’s work to advancing treatment solutions in this critical area of medicine.
Neurological Surgery Research
Basic scientist labs

Yadav Lab
The Brain-Spine-Machine Interfaces Lab, led by Amol P. Yadav, PhD, is working to develop neural recording and stimulation tools to treat neurological disorders and understand the brain-spine relationship from a systems neuroscience perspective.
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Spinal Cord Lab
The Laboratory of Spinal Cord Regenerative Medicine studies mechanisms underlying traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries and to develop novel repair strategies to promote neural reorganization and functional recovery in experimental models of these injuries.
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surgeon scientist labs

Gupta Lab
The laboratory of Kunal Gupta, MD, PhD, works to understand the mechanisms responsible for pathological and therapeutic remodeling in the development of epilepsy. Gupta and his team aims to discover novel therapeutic strategies that might prevent the development of epilepsy and recurrence after epilepsy surgery.
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Tailor Lab
The laboratory of Jignesh Tailor, MD, PhD, has developed a unique human neural stem cell system to study the role of cancer predisposition gene mutations in brain tumorigenesis. The lab aims to understand how brain tumors are generated in developing human brain so that molecular targets can be identified to prevent tumor formation.
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Active Clinical Research Investigations
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General Neurosurgery
- PENS: A Placebo-Controlled Effectiveness in iNPH Shunting. Condition: Hydrocephalus. Principal Investigator: Jesse Savage, MD
- Bioengineering Strategies to Investigate Treatment Failure in Hydrocephalus. Principal Investigator: Rabia Qaiser, MD
- HCRN: Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN) Core Data Project: Characterizing Patient Populations within the HCRN. Principal Investigator: Jignesh Tailor, MD
- Role of Inflammatory Mediators in Congenital Hydrocephalus. Principal Investigator: Jignesh Tailor, MD
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Neuromodulatory
Division of Pediatric Neurological Surgery
- MRgLITT: MRI-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (MRgLITT) Registry. Condition: Epilepsy. Principal Investigator: Jignesh Tailor, MD
- Predicting Seizure Responsiveness to Neuromodulation Using Connectomic Profiling [Vagus Nerve Stimulated (VNS) Study]. Condition: Epilepsy. Principal Investigator: Jignesh Tailor, MD
- Dissecting the cellular heterogeneity of epileptogenic zones. Condition: Epilepsy. Principal Investigator: Jignesh Tailor, MD
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Neuro-Oncology
- sTaRT: A Multicenter Observational Study of GammaTile™ Surgically Targeted RadiationTherapy (STaRT) in Intracranial Brain Neoplasms. Principal Investigator: Mitesh Shah, MD
- A Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial of Post-Surgical Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) versus Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) with Gamma Tile for Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Brain Tumors. Principal Investigator: Mitesh Shah, MD
- Feasibility Study of Resection and GammaTile® Followed by Concomitant External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) and Temozolomide (TMZ) and Adjuvant TMZ in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma (GBM). Principal Investigator: Mitesh Shah, MD
- An Observational Study: Surgeon experience using the Novel Pulse Control Setting on Sonopet including video demonstration of use. Principal Investigator: Mitesh Shah, MD
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Neurotrauma
- Track TBI/ISTAT: Clinical Evaluation of the i-STAT TBI Test. Condition: Traumatic Brain Injury. Principal Investigator: Shelly Timmons, MD
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Neurovascular
- EVOLVE: Endovascular Treatment Of Wide-Neck Aneurysms, an Evaluation of Safety, and Effectiveness of Stryker Surpass Evolve Flow Diverter System. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- INSIGHT: Investigation of Clot in Ischemic Stroke and Hematoma Evacuation. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- SEGA: Sedation v. General Anesthesia for Endovascular Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke---a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- SURF: A Prospective, Multicenter Study Assessing the Embolization of Neurovascular lesions using WAVE™ Extra Soft coils. Condition is brain aneurysm. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- RAGE: Ruptured Aneurysms Treated with Hydrogel Coils. Ruptured Brain aneurysm. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- SUCCESS: Success in Comaneci-assist Coils Embolization Surveillance Study. Condition: wide-necked ruptured and/or unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- CITADEL: The Citadel Embolization Device Study. Condition: Brain aneurysm. Principal Investigator: Bradley Bohnstedt, MD
- The Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium. Principal Investigator: Laurie Ackerman, MD
- The Genetics of Chiari Malformations. Principal Investigator: Laurie Ackerman, MD