Current Residents

Gregory D. Brusko, M.D.

PGY-7

Started in 07/2020
Graduates in 06/2027

G. Damian Brusko grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and graduated from Liberty High School. He then completed his undergraduate education in Neuroscience at the University of Miami, completing the Advanced Program for Integrated Science and Mathematics (PRISM) and graduating Cum Laude. Damian continued his medical school education at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine as part of the Medical Scholars Program where he graduated with Research Distinction and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society. His clinical and research interests include Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and many aspects of both cranial and spinal neurosurgery. Outside the hospital, Damian enjoys playing table tennis, golfing, and DJ-ing.

Victor Lu, M.D., Ph.D.

PGY-7

Started in 07/2020
Graduates in 06/2027

Victor comes from Australia and his interest is pediatric neurosurgery. He has co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications on all topics in pediatric neurosurgery (including pediatric spine injury and deformity, brain tumor, leptomeningeal disease, CSF hydrodynamics and global neurosurgery) as well as 10 book chapters to date, having presented at multiple national and international pediatric neurosurgery meetings. In terms of clinical interest, he is committed to advancing pediatric spine with a dedicated deformity fellowship upcoming. In terms of global work, he has worked extensively with pediatric neurosurgery groups in Bolivia and Paraguay to elevate the standard of training there. Finally, his basic science research including the NIH R25/UE5 funding has led to multiple results and collaborations in the translational space of cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics and delivery.

Sumedh Shah, M.D.

PGY-7

Started in 07/2020
Graduates in 06/2027

Sumedh S. Shah grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, and completed his undergraduate education in Biology at the University of Miami through the Honors Program in Medicine. He graduated from Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine with Research Distinction and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) and Gold Humanism honors societies. During medical school, he completed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research fellowship in San Francisco to study glioblastoma. His clinical interests include all aspects of cranial and spinal neurosurgery. Outside of medicine, Sumedh enjoys table tennis, basketball, spending time with family, and perfecting the colada.

Turki Elarjani, MD

PGY-6 – Chief 

Started in 07/2021
Graduates in 06/2028

Turki was born and raised in Houston, TX, where he lived for six years prior to moving to Saudi Arabia. During high school, he shadowed Neurosurgeons in their clinics and operations, which sparked his passion to pursue Neurosurgery as a career. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Alfaisal University. Turki enrolled in a local Neurosurgery residency program and spent two years, where he attained the score nationwide on the neurosurgery annual written test. Afterwards, he decided to continue his residency training in the US. Turki is interested in all aspects of neurosurgery. In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, traveling, and running.

Adham Khalafallah, M.D.

PGY-6 – Chief 

Started in 07/2021
Graduates in 06/2028

Dr. Adham M. Khalafallah graduated summa cum laude from Alexandria University School of Medicine. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in neurosurgical oncology at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurosurgery, where he served as Co Director of the Neuro Oncology Surgical Outcomes Laboratory.

His clinical interests include spinal oncology, complex spine surgery, minimally invasive and endoscopic spine techniques, nerve sheath tumors, and peripheral nerve repair. Dr. Khalafallah’s research encompasses neurosurgical outcomes, frailty and risk stratification models, machine learning applications in neurosurgery, complex spine surgery, academic career development, and disparities in access to spine and neuro oncologic care. He has authored over 100 peer reviewed publications and presented his work at numerous national and international conferences.

His academic contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Postgraduate Fellowship Award, the A. Earl Walker Outstanding International Fellow Award, two Kuntz Awards for Best Spine Abstract at the 2024 and 2025 Spine Summit meetings, the Southern Neurosurgical Society Young Surgeon Grant Award, and the ISASS 2025 Award for Early-Career Surgeon Grant.

Outside of neurosurgery, he enjoys playing tennis, skiing, traveling, and spending time at the beach with his family.

Daivik B. Vyas, M.D.

PGY-6 – Chief 

Started in 07/2021
Graduates in 06/2028

Daivik Vyas grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and completed his undergraduate education at Claremont McKenna College, graduating Cum Laude with Honors in Neuroscience. He received his medical education at the Stanford University School of Medicine, during which he completed a year-long research fellowship in nanoparticle-based drug delivery and focused ultrasound as part of the Stanford Medical Scholars Research Program. His clinical interests include all aspects of cranial and spinal surgery, as well as critical care medicine. He is interested in translational research, clinical outcomes studies, and medical education. Outside the hospital, he enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with his family.

Long Di, M.D.

PGY-5

Started in 07/2022
Graduates in 06/2029

Long Di grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He graduated summa cum laude from Emory University double majoring in Neuroscience and Chemistry and completed a NIH-funded research fellowship in neurotrauma under Dr. Ross Bullock at the University of Miami. He then received his medical education at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. While in medical school, Long completed a NREF research fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Ivan and Dr. Ricardo Komotar, was elected junior AOA and Robert A. Good Honor societies, published nearly 50 peer-reviewed papers, was President of his class, and was awarded the prestigious Silbiger Research Prize. Outside the hospital he enjoys exploring Miami, practicing his Spanish, and spending time with family.

Emade Jaman, M.D.

PGY-5

Started in 07/2022
Graduates in 06/2029

Grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and graduated from Temple University with a degree in Biology and a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience. He then attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. During medical school, Dr. Jaman was awarded multiple research fellowship awards, including the Dean's Year Research Fellowship, during which he spent a year studying the epigenetic landscape of IDH mutant gliomas, and also mentoring medical students interested in Neurosurgery. His current interests span all areas of both spine and cranial neurosurgery. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, photography, and exploring new restaurants with friends.

Tyler M. Cardinal, M.D.

PGY-5

Started in 07/2022
Graduates in 06/2029

Tyler Cardinal, M.D. grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and graduated from University of California Los Angeles with Honors in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. He attended Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California where he graduated as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.¬ During medical school Tyler spent a year as a Dean’s Research Scholar investigating predictors of outcomes for patients with pituitary adenomas and the distribution of brain metastases. In his free time Tyler enjoys going out to dinner with friends, going to concerts, and traveling.

Vaidya Govindarajan, M.D.

PGY-4

Started in 07/2023
Graduates in 06/2030

Vaidya Govindarajan was born and raised in Miami, FL. He graduated summa cum laude in Neuroscience from the University of Miami as part of the Honors Program in Medicine. He graduated from the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine with Research Distinction. His clinical interests include all aspects of cranial and spinal surgery. Outside of medicine, Vaidya enjoys football, marksmanship, and spending time with family.

Mary Margaret O’Hehir, M.D.

PGY-4

Started in 07/2024
Graduates in 06/2030

Dr. O’Hehir was born outside of Toronto, Canada and grew up in Fairport, NY.  She attended the University of Rochester where she continued her training as a classical pianist at the Eastman School of Music and enjoyed a semester abroad in Paris studying at the Sorbonne. Upon earning her B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in Music and French, she dedicated a year of her life as an AmeriCorps volunteer, teaching algebra in the Bronx. She then worked in clinical research for Weill Cornell Medicine’s Neurosurgery Department prior to pursuing her medical education at the University at Buffalo. She was the inaugural recipient of the Shakir Summer Fellowship in Neurosurgery Scholarship, and was a Co-Principal Investigator for an AO Discovery and Innovation Grant for spine cadaveric biomechanical testing. Her partnership with industry throughout her research pursuits led her to complete an MBA in Healthcare Administration between her 3rdand 4th years of medical school. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with research honors. Outside of the hospital, Dr. O'Hehir spends her time riding motorcycles, building hours toward her private pilot license, running, and baking.

Seth S.Tigchelaar, M.D., Ph.D.

PGY-4

Started in 07/2023
Graduates in 06/2030

Seth Tigchelaar was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but grew up in Vancouver, Canada. He graduated from UBC, where he received his PhD in Neuroscience with Dr. Brian Kwon, and has spent the past 15 years studying spinal cord injury. As a medical student at Stanford, he worked with Dr. Steinberg on stem cells for recovery after stroke. While at Stanford, he joined the medical team at SpaceX where he helped develop the world’s first biobank to define the biological response to spaceflight, and designed systems that will help humans get to Mars. After SpaceX, he joined Neuralink to help develop brain-machine interfaces to restore function after spinal cord injury. Seth has been awarded fellowships from AOA, NREF, AHA, SpaceX, was elected into the GHHS, and has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys fishing, seeing his daughter, and cortadito’s.

Adam Levy, M.D.

PGY-3

Started in 07/2024
graduates in 06/2031

Adam grew up in Chicago, IL. He graduated from the University of Miami with departmental honors in Chemistry and with minors in Biochemistry and Finance. He then received his medical education at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. During medical school, Adam earned his MBA at the Miami Herbert Business School, completed a research commercialization fellowship with the Wallace H. Coulter Center, and published nearly 30 peer-reviewed papers. His clinical interests encompass all aspects of neurosurgery, with special interest in tumors of the brain and spine. Outside of the hospital, Adam enjoys surfing, SCUBA diving, fishing, and spending time with his friends and family.

Josiah J.Z. Sherman, M.D.

PGY-3

Started in 07/2024
graduates in 06/2031

Josiah Sherman grew up in Houston, TX. He graduated with honors from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2019 with a B.S. in Biology. He received his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine in 2024. During medical school, Josiah’s research interests included the development of micro- and nanoparticles to improve drug delivery for brain tumors, clinical outcomes of patients undergoing a variety of neurosurgical procedures, and the use of machine learning for outcome prediction in neurosurgery. Outside of the hospital, Josiah enjoys weightlifting, music, and exploring the local food scene.

Sima Vazquez, M.D.

PGY-3

Started in 07/2024
graduates in 06/2031

Sima Vazquez was born and raised in Miami and graduated with degrees in English and Creative Writing from the University of Chicago. She received a Master’s in Human Nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from New York Medical College. During medical school, she served as the AANS chapter president and was involved in research. Sima enjoys running, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Jay Chandar, M.D.

PGY-2

Started in 07/2025
graduates in 06/2032

Daksh Chauhan, M.D.

PGY-2

Started in 07/2025
graduates in 06/2032

Daksh grew up in New Delhi, India, before moving to Santa Rosa, California. He attended the University of Chicago for his undergraduate studies in biological sciences, graduating with summa cum laude and phi beta kappa honors. Daksh continued his medical education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated the utility of smartphones for tracking spine patient outcomes with Dr Jang Won Yoon. His work was awarded multiple fellowships, including the NREF, and resulted in over 30 publications. Outside the hospital, Daksh enjoys weightlifting, reading, building Legos, and exploring niche restaurants with friends and family.

Megan Sharpe, M.D.

PGY-2

Started in 07/2025
graduates in 06/2032

Megan Sharpe grew up in Louisiana and earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Truman State University, where she was a two-sport collegiate athlete. She went on to play professional volleyball overseas before working in microbiology and biopharmaceuticals at Thermo Fisher Scientific. She later completed a Master’s in Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and earned her M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, graduating with Honors with Distinction in Research. During medical school, her research focused on behavioral recovery following peripheral nerve injury, as well as quality improvement initiatives that led to increased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and enhanced patient care. Dr. Sharpe enjoys sports, travel, reading, and perfume collecting in her spare time.

Andrew Liou-Wang, M.D., M.A.S.

PGY-2

Started in 07/2025
graduates in 06/2032

Andrew grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with Bachelors' in Biology, Neuroscience, and Behavioral Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Nelson Oyesiku. Concurrently, he completed restorative neurobiophysics fellowships at the NIH/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, UCSF Basbaum Lab, and Boston Children’s Woolf Lab, while also earning a Graduate Professional Certificate in Nanotechnology from Harvard University. Building on this research foundation, he transitioned to UCSF to complete his Master's in Clinical Research, specializing in Implementation Science and Advanced Biostatistics. He then moved to UCLA for his medical education, where he was a Drew Bloomberg Scholar and investigated neurosurgical outcomes under the guidance of Drs. Langston Holly, Aria Fallah, and Jasmine Thum. To date, Andrew has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, earning recognition through the AANS MISSION Fellowship and induction into the Young Neurosurgeons Committee.

David Gomez, M.D.

PGY-1

Started in 7/2026
Graduates 6/2033

Dr. David Gomez grew up in East Los Angeles, California. He transferred from East Los Angeles Community College to the University of Southern California, earning a B.S. in Neuroscience, and remained at USC for medical school at the Keck School of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society and selected as a Dean’s Research Year Scholar. Under the mentorship of Dr. Gabriel Zada, he investigated national data on the molecular characterization of glioma incidence and survival, as well as outcomes following endoscopic pituitary adenoma surgery, authoring numerous peer-reviewed publications and national presentations. During his research year, he solidified his coding and biostatistics skillset to drive his lab’s computational work and to mentor junior medical students through their own projects. A native Spanish speaker, he is especially committed to serving bilingual and underserved patient populations. His clinical interests include neuro-oncology, functional neurosurgery, and applications of emerging technology and artificial intelligence in neurosurgery. Outside the hospital, he enjoys fashion and thrifting, repairing clothing and electronics, multi-form art and media, and attending music shows and festivals.

Sarah Rivas, M.D.

PGY-1

Started in 7/2026
Graduates 6/2033

Sarah Rivas grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She completed her undergraduate education in Neurobiology and Physiology at the University of Maryland, completing the Design Cultures and Creativity Honor Program. After graduating she completed a research fellowship with the Surgical Neurology Branch at the National Institutes of Health investigating novel therapies for glioblastoma. She went on to complete her medical school training at SKMC at Thomas Jefferson University. Outside the hospital, Sarah enjoys reading, paddleboarding, dancing, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends.

Max Saint-Germain, M.D.

PGY-1

Started in 7/2026
Graduates 6/2033

Max A. Saint-Germain grew up in Miramar, Florida, after spending his early childhood in Haiti. He completed his undergraduate education as a Ronald A. Hammond Scholar at the University of Miami, where he majored in Biochemistry, graduating Summa Cum Laude and earning election to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He went on to attend the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he developed a strong interest in neurosurgery and pursued extensive research in neuro-oncology and medical imaging within the Brain Cancer Program. His work has focused on leveraging advanced MRI techniques, radiomics, and artificial intelligence to predict tumor behavior and improve patient outcomes. His clinical and research interests include neuro-oncology, precision medicine, and the application of biomedical informatics and emerging technologies to enhance neurosurgical care. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Saint-Germain enjoys weightlifting, boxing, playing bass guitar, and DJ-ing.

Michael Tawil, M.D.

PGY-1

Started in 7/2026
Graduates 6/2033

Michael Tawil grew up in Orange County, California, and completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, San Diego. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and also pursued an MPH at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with a focus on quantitative methods. During medical school, he conducted neurosurgical research at UCSF under the mentorship of Dr. Praveen Mummaneni, focusing on spine surgery outcomes in large multicenter datasets, including the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD). He has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications and has presented at national and international meetings. His clinical and research interests include all aspects of neurosurgery, with a focus on outcomes and health systems research using large clinical datasets. Outside the hospital, he enjoys restoring cars, playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family.