Izabela Tarasiewicz, MD

I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and attended school in Canada, France, and the United States. In 1993, I earned my Baccalaureat Francais with highest honors (Mention Tres Bien) from Lycée Privé Saint-Paul in Lille, France. Less than 3% of students taking the French national examinations receive this distinction. In 1999, I obtained my medical degree from Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada and completed my neurosurgery training at Université Laval in Quebec City. From 2006 until 2007, I pursued a postgraduate fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s Hospital), which is affiliated with Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

I have been an assistant professor since 2007, when I began teaching at the University of Vermont and, subsequently, at the University of Connecticut. In February 2015, I became an associate professor for the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In 2023, I became a tenured professor. I hold cross appointments in the Department of OMFS and Pediatrics. I am board-certified in general/adult neurosurgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC) and the American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery (ABPNS). Fewer than 250 doctors in North America can claim such an accomplishment. In our department, I hold a leadership position in pediatric neurosurgery and am one of two physicians who hold both of these certifications.

As an educator, I relish any opportunity I have to teach, whether it be at the residency program level, as one of the associate program directors, or at the medical student level (UVM 2008-2012) as the director of undergraduate education. I also serve as the faculty mentor for the AANS Medical Student Chapter at UT Health, which enables me to provide guidance to medical students by organizing and supervising their monthly meetings. On a daily basis, I instruct medical students, mid-level providers, and residents.

As the senior pediatric neurosurgeon at UT Health, I have dedicated my time to the task of building a strong neurosurgical program. With that goal in mind, I’ve emphasized the development of treatment, protocols, and research related to traumatic brain injuries, craniofacial conditions, tethered cords and congenital conditions. Through collaborative effort, we have built cohesive multidisciplinary clinics that provide treatment to patients with complex conditions that require outstanding neurosurgical care. I have collaborated on several projects designed to improve patient care and outcomes at UT Health. Examples of that work are evident in the protocols I designed that have been implemented throughout the UT Health and Baptist system to optimize care and safety for pediatric patients.

I am a service-oriented physician with a great passion for international medical relief. I am also the director of medical missions in the Department of Neurosurgery at UT Health. Throughout my career, I have been an active contributor to scholarly activities. I also contribute on an administrative level by serving as the chair of the Credentials Committee at University Hospital. I am fluent in English, French and Polish and hold American, Canadian, and Polish citizenships. I am also a member of the following organizations: the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, the American Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons.