SCOLI Team
Directors, fellows, clinicians, and trainees contributing to the institute's work across spine outcomes, neurotrauma, socioeconomic research, and patient education.
Directors
-
Nitin Agarwal, MD, MBA, FACS
Associate Professor, Neurological Surgery
Nitin Agarwal, MD, MBA, FACS, serves as an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. He also serves as Acting Chief and Education Director of Neurological Surgery at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
View profile -
D. Kojo Hamilton, MD, MBA
Professor, Neurological Surgery
D. Kojo Hamilton, MD, MBA, is a professor of neurological surgery and a recognized leader in the treatment of scoliosis, adult spinal deformity, and spine trauma. He is board certified in neurological surgery, a fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and a member of the…
View profile
Research Fellows
-
Ayesha Waheed, MBBS
Principal Research Fellow
Ayesha is a principal research fellow at SCOLI, studying cervical myelopathy and pursuing ML practices in her research. Outside of work, she's an active tennis player and fantastic singer. She serves as Intern Program Director and is a leader in neurosurgery who continues to impress.
View profile -
Serhat Aydin, MD
Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Aydin represents an emerging model of physician-scientist, merging advanced statistical expertise with artificial intelligence to transform neurosurgical care. His work at UPMC SCOLI focuses on applying AI, radiomics, and machine learning to address critical challenges in spine surgery and…
View profile -
Farzana Tariq, MD
Spine Fellow
Dr. Farzana Tariq is our current Spine Fellow with two years of dedicated clinical research experience and comprehensive neurosurgical training at the University of Missouri. She has authored 24 peer-reviewed journal articles, 10 book chapters, and 9 operative videos, and is the author of the…
View profile -
Manreet K. Cheema
Junior Research Fellow
Manreet K. Cheema is an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing dual degrees in Neuroscience and Economics. An aspiring MD-PhD, she is passionate about engineering and works at the intersection of research and translation, aiming to turn scientific insight into real-world patient…
View profile
Medical Students
-
Ben Carnovale, BS
Medical Student at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Ben exemplifies academic excellence with recognition as a University Scholar in the top 2% of his graduating class. As a Junior Research Fellow at SCOLI, he bridges engineering expertise with medical applications, contributing to cutting-edge research in neurosurgery while pursuing his medical…
View profile -
Janam Patel, BS
Medical Student at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Janam was a research fellow in SCOLI focusing on spinal cord injury treatments and procedures. He is currently a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
View profile -
Taim Aizooky, BS
Medical Student at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine intending to pursue a career in internal medicine. His research focuses on osteoporosis, including how certain medications, such as Evenity (romosozumab), affect bone health and patient outcomes.
View profile -
Sirisha Nouduri, BS
Medical Student at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Sirisha is a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology (concentration in Neuroscience) and a B.S. in Mathematics (concentration in Statistics).
View profile -
William Rabon, BS
Medical Student at UNC School of Medicine
Neuroscience graduate from Carnegie Mellon University who previously worked as a research coordinator focusing on sports medicine, deformity, and TBI research.
View profile
Students
-
Aditi Choudhary, BA
Master in Public Health (MPH) Student
Studying public health and observing how systemic factors influence patient outcomes inspired a deeper interest in neurosurgery—where population-level insights can directly inform precision care for complex neurological disorders.
View profile -
Zayaan Tirmizi
Student
Undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Neuroscience with a Minor in History. He has research interests in AI applications within surgery, socioeconomic health disparities, and nutritional factors affecting patient outcomes.
View profile -
Shaunak Patil
Student
Undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Molecular Biology. Passionate about research in spine deformities, AI applications in neurosurgery, and traumatic brain injuries. Enjoys backpacking and traveling.
View profile
Alumni
-
Samuel Wakelin, BS
View profile -
Joseph Hudson, MD
View profile -
Andrew Legarreta, MD
View profile -
Hansen Deng, MD
View profile -
David McCarthy, MD
View profile -
Jeffery Head, MD
View profile -
Anthony Schulien, MD
View profile -
James Mooney, MD
View profile -
Ricardo Fernandez-de Thomas, MD
View profile -
Gautam Nayar, MD
View profile -
Raj Swaroop Lavadi, MD
View profile -
Rida Mitha, MD
View profile -
Rohit Prem Kumar, MD
View profile -
Avi Gajjar, MBA, BS
View profile -
Galal A. Elsayed, MD
View profile -
Manan J. Shah, MD
View profile -
Qazi Zeeshan, MD, MS
View profile -
Hanish Polavarapu, MD, MS
View profile -
Ashtah A. Das, BS
View profile -
Souvik Roy, MD
View profile -
Megan Rode, BS
View profile -
Ray Funahashi, MD
View profile -
Tavis Taylor, BS
View profile -
Sangami Pugazenthi, BS
View profile -
Stephanie M. Casillo, MD
View profile -
Nallammai Muthiah, MD, MS
View profile -
Ahmed Kashkoush, MD
View profile -
Michael D. White, MD
View profile -
Rachel C. Jacobs, MD
View profile -
James Zhou, MD
View profile -
Vijay Letchuman, MD
View profile -
Ahmed Jorge, MD, PhD
View profile -
Nicolas K. Khattar, MD
View profile -
Alexander A. Aabedi, MD
View profile