Alexander Papanastassiou, M.D.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2002 - MD - Medicine - University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  • 1997 - B.A.S. - Biological Sciences and Music (with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa ) - Stanford University, Stanford, CA

  Training

  • 2010 - Epilepsy Surgery - Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
  • 2009 - Neurosurgery - Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital & Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
  • 2003 - General Surgery - Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women‘s Hospital, Boston, MA

  Appointments

  • 2021 - Residency Site Director - University Hospital System, San Antonio, TX
  • 2018 - Assistant Professor - University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, Department of Neurosurgery, San Antonio, TX

• Instruction & Training

  • 2010, Epilepsy Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
  • 2003, General Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women‘s Hospital, Boston, MA
  • 2009, Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital & Children's Hospital, Boston, MA

• Research & Grants

  Epilepsy Surgery

  Functional Neurosurgery

  Neuro-oncology

  Spine surgery

  Grants

   

  Funding Agency:

  Title: I-Corps Teams Executive Summary

  Status: Pending

  Period: 06/2019 - Present

  Role: Principal Investigator

  Grant Detail: No detail provided - email 6/20/19

   

   

  Funding Agency: American Epilepsy Society

  Title: American Epilepsy Society Grant

  Status: Complete

  Period: 01/2007 - 12/2007

  Role: Co-Investigator

  Grant Detail: Electrophysiological and behavioral study of visual perception and learning in temporal lobe epilepsy patients.Private

   

  Project #: 159292

  Funding Agency: Livanova, Inc

  Title: Anticonvulsive Effect of VNS in the Epileptic Baboon

  Status: Complete

  Period: 04/2016 - 10/2017

  Role: Consultant

  Grant Detail: Anticonvulsive Effect of VNS in the Epileptic Baboon.

  This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a novel high frequency microburst stimulation paradigm for vagal nerve stimulation in the epileptic baboon. Secondary outcomes include the effect of VNS therapy on behavior and autonomic functioning and scalp EEG findings. It will also develop potential recording and stimulation parameters (site, algorithms, pulse characteristics) for optimizing therapy. The FDA approved an IDE application by Linova for this device.

   

  Funding Agency:

  Title: PTEF - Chronic Subdural Hematoma Evacuation Device

  Status: Active

  Period: 07/2019 - 01/2020

  Role: Principal Investigator

   

  Grant Detail: Date: June 3, 2019
  Tech ID: HSC-1490
  Investigator: Alexander Papanastassiou
  Project Title: Chronic Subdural Hematoma Evacuation Device
  Budget Period: July 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020
  Project Period: July 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020

  Dear Dr. Papanastassiou:

  The President’s Translational and Entrepreneurial Research Fund Advisory Group recently met to evaluate proposals that were submitted for support. I am pleased to inform you that your project, “Chronic Subdural Hematoma Evacuation Device”, HSC-1490, was recommended for support in the amount of $18,400.00. These funds will fund the budget proposed for supplies and equipment and/or contractual services on page 24 of the Pitch Deck presentation.

  To receive and utilize these funds, please refer to the attachments, which outlines the procedure for procurement, submit and return all necessary documents by the date provided below.
  • PTEF 2019 Procurement of Funds form completed by June 17, 2019: https://uthscsa.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7THfMq4w0lBWhHT
  • PTEF 2019 Assurances signed, electronic or scanned signatures are accepted, by June 17, 2019.
  The OTC team and I want to offer our congratulations on the success of your application and look forward to watching this project move forward. If you have any questions or issues that need our attention, please contact John Fritz.

  Best wishes for continued success,

  John Gebhard, Ph.D.
  Assistant Vice President
  Office of Technology Commercialization

   

   

  Funding Agency: University of Texas system

  Title: UT system NNRI

  Status: Active

  Period: 09/2015 - 08/2017

  Role: Consultant

  Grant Detail: UT System NNRI Responsive Neurostimulation in the Epileptic Baboon: A Pilot Study.

  This study aims to provide a proof of concept for responsive neurostimulation in the epileptic baboon. I collaborated with Dr. Szabo in designing the surgical approach to responsive neurostimulation in epileptic baboons, and performed the surgeries.

   

  Funding Agency:

  Title: President’s Translational and Entrepreneurial Research Fund - Project Title: Rook Procedure Scheduler

  Status: Active

  Period: / - Present

  Role: Principal Investigator

  Grant Detail: Support in the amount of $25,000. Awarded 6/5/20.

• Service

  Department

  01/2011-Present

  Inpatient

  Inpatient Neurosurgery, Audie Murphy VA Hospital

  Physician

  I perform deep brain stimulation surgery for movement disorders. I perform about one case every 1-2 months at the VA.

   

  01/2011-Present

  Outpatient

  Outpatient Neurosurgery, Audie Murphy VA Hospital Neurosurgery Clinic

  Physician

  I see patients in clinic on a case by case basis for evaluation for deep brain stimulation for movement disorders.

   

  11/2010-Present

  On-Call Neurosurgery for Audie Murphy VA Hospital

  Physician

  I serve in the VA call schedule as needed. I typically cover one weekend every month or two. It varies significantly based on their needs. The longest I've covered was 2.5 weeks straight in 8/17 while the VA had only one neurosurgeon who was on vacation.

   

   

  Institutional

  04/2017-Present

  Department

  Site Director, University Hospital, Neurosurgery Residency Program

  Director

  Coordination of clinical teaching for residents at University Hospital. Trouble shooting issues that arise with Graduate Medical Education at University Hospital.

   

  03/2017-Present

  Department

  Neurosurgical Skills Lab

  Developer

  Co-developed concept and implementation of a cadaveric surgical skills lab aimed at accelerating Pain Fellow learning of incision, suturing, and closure skills in conjunction with Pain Medicine Fellows and Faculty. This is particularly useful considering the need for fellows to rapidly learn surgical implantation skills for spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pumps, without a surgical internship or residency. Often, these cases are performed jointly by physicians of both departments.

   

  11/2016-Present

  Mentor Medical Student James Kenny

  Mentor

  James Kenny has been shadowing Dr. Papanastassiou during multiple surgeries, and working on a research project involving the effects of neurostimulation based surgery on post-traumatic stress disorder.

  Service to the Profession

  01/2016-Present

  Mentor Undergrad Student Laura Berardo

  Mentor

  Ms. Berardo has worked in my laboratory on two projects aimed at understanding mechanisms by which amygdala stimulation modulates aversive conditioning, with the goal of evaluating amygdala stimulation as a therapeutic intervention for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She subsequently successfully applied to the UTHSCSA School of Medicine, and is currently an MS1.

  02/2015-Present

  State

  Treasurer for TANS

  Treasurer

  Treasurer for Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons (TANS)

  09/2014-09/2014

  International

  Mentor British Medical Student - Discuss USMLE Application process

  Mentor

  9/14/2014 spent 1h advising a medical student, Frances Wensley. She is a British medical student at Imperial College London interested in applying for residencies in the United States, and we discussed USMLE Step 1 preparation and application to US residency programs.

  02/2014-02/2015

  State

  Vice-President of Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons

  Vice-President

  I served as the Vice-President, which included organizing the TANS annual meeting in Fort Worth, a four-day program including continuing medical education across the spectrum of neurosurgery. 

• Publications

  PUBLICATIONS: ('*' indicates Peer Reviewed)

  Abstract

  * 1. Papanastassiou AM, Garvin RE, Hafeez S, Seifi A, Henry JM, Leary LD, Morgan LC, Szabo CA. Adult-onset EPC associated with Cortical Dysplasia and Peripheral ACH Receptor Antibodies Acutely Transforming into Rasmussen‘s Encephalitis 2017 Dec. (2017 American Epilepsy Society Meeting).

    2. Papanastassiou AM, Szabo CA, Salinas F.S., Begnaud J., Ravan M., Eggleston K.S., Shade R., Lutz C., De La Garza M.. High-frequency burst vagal nerve simulation therapy in a natural primate model of genetic generalized epilepsy. Elsevier; 2017 Dec. (Epilepsy Research; vol. 138).

  * 3. Hajjar, Joud, Restrepo, Alejandro, Javeri HA, Wiederhold, Nathan P., Papanastassiou AM, Patterson, Thomas F.. Successful treatment of multiple brain abscesses caused by trichosporin inkin in a patient with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease 2017 Mar. (Clinical Immunology Society Annual  Meeting).

  * 4. Eckmann MS, Papanastassiou AM, Awad, Mark. A Unique Case for Spinal Cord Stimulation: Successful Treatment of Small Fiber Neuropathy Pain Using Multiple Spinal Cord Stimulators Las Vegas, Nevada: 2017 Jan. (North American Neuromodulation Society).

    5. Moise, AM, Leary LD, Morgan LC, Papanastassiou AM, Szabo CA. Case Report: Gelastic Seizures arising from the Parietal Lobe 2016 Apr. p. P6. 36-P6. 36. (Neurology; vol. 86, no. 16Sup).

    6. Dengler B, Sayre NL, Bartanusz V, Jimenez DF, Papanastassiou AM. Bilateral Stimulation of the Amygdala Treats the Anxiety Component of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by Upregulation of the Neuropeptide Y System 2015 Aug. p. 207-207. (Neurosurgery; vol. 62, no. CN_su).

    7. Drumm JC, Rodriguez V, Singh V, Papanastassiou AM, Eckmann MS, Quinones MP. Effectiveness of Subanesthesic Doses of the Non-Competitive NMDA antagonist Ketamine in a Case of Severe Treatment-Refractory Anorexia Nervosa (TrAN): Concurrent Use with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)   2014 May. p. 389S-389S. (Biological Psychiatry; vol. 75, no. 9).

  * 8. Moise AM, Morgan LC, Leary LD, Karkar KM, Lie OV, Jordan, J, Cavazos JE, Caron J, Papanastassiou AM, Szabo CA. Surgical outcome of parietal lobe epilepsy. 2014 Apr. (2014 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting).

    9. Issa EB, Papanastassiou AM, DiCarlo JJ. Large-scale, high-resolution neurophysiological maps underlying FMRI of macaque temporal lobe. 2013 Sep. p. 15207-15219. (J Neurosci; vol. 33, no. 38).

  * 10. Jetter GM, Birnbaum LA, Ntsoane E, Cavazos JE, Karkar K, Morgan L, Caron JL, Papanastassiou AM, Szabo CA. Fetal PCAs in Medically Refractory Partial Epilepsies 2011 Dec. (American Epilepsy Society Conference).

    11. Papanastassiou A.M., Issa F.,Op de Becck H.O., DiCarlo J.J.. A systematic exploration of the relationship of MRI signals and neuronal activity in the primate temporal lobe. 2008. (Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.,).