Alexander Papanastassiou, MD | Faculty Directory

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.

Professional

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.,).

Alexander Papanastassiou, M.D.

Education

Training

Appointments