The Department of Neurological Surgery is involved in numerous clinical and basic science research projects throughout all subspecialties of neurological surgery. Our departmental research has been featured at major national and international neurosurgical meetings. NINJ faculty are nationally and internationally recognized as leaders in their respective fields, have authored numerous textbook chapters, articles in peer-reviewed journals, and are the principal investigators on numerous grant funded research projects.

The depth, scope and quantity of basic science and clinical research at NINJ has undergone dramatic growth over the last several years as their has been an impressive increase of grant support, major projects and laboratories dedicated towards neurosurgical research. Additionally, we have fostered many inter-institutional research programs in collaboration with other major universities throughout the nation. This impressive increase in neurosurgical research and technological development remains dedicated to the finest and most advanced care available for our patients.



Ongoing Clinical and Basic Science Research Programs

• The Brain Tumor Program and the Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery
  • First institution in North America, second in the world to install a compact intraoperative MRI scanner (PoleStar N-10).
  • Development and installation of the newest compact intraopertive MRI (PoleStar N-20) at University Hospital.
  • First institute in North America to employ the latest generation of a three-dimensional, interactive virtual reality system (Dextroscope) for preoperative planning and surgical simulation using a patients MRI or CT scans.
  • Investigation of the CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery system in the treatment of brain and spinal tumors.
  • Implantable chemotherapeutic devices in the treatment of advanced brain tumors.

• The Spine Center of New Jersey
  • Proneuron acute spinal cord injury clinical trial.
  • Newly established Tim Reynolds Family Spinal Cord Injury Center, basic science laboratories dedicated to the improvement of outcomes following spinal cord injury.
  • Spinal biomechanics laboratory, investigating novel methods of spinal stabilization and fusion.
  • The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS), the only federally designated spinal cord injury system in New Jersey, and one of only 18 such centers in the nation.

• The Center for Cerebrovascular Disease
  • We serve as a site for development of novel endovascular devices in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and lesions of the spinal vasculatiure.
  • Computational fluid dynamics, the supercomputer-aided study of complex blood flow patterns of diseased and normal neurovascular structures.
  • Advanced imaging of cerebrovascular disease, the refinement of CT-angiography, Digital subtraction angiography and digital post-processing techniques to aid in the preoperative planning of complex neurovascular lesions.
  • Mathematical models and binary logistic regression in the prediction and decision analysis of aneurysm rupture and the treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
  • Outcome studies in subarachnoid hemorrhage.

• The Neurotrauma Center
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  • Use of MR-Spectroscopy to predict the emergence from coma or the vegetative state following TBI.
  • The use of adjuct osmotic diuretics in the management of elevated intracranial pressure.
  • Investigations of decompressive hemicraniectomy in the management of severe TBI.

• Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Intraoperative MRI in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors, complex hydrocephalus, and complex intracranial malformations.
  • Investigation of decompressive hemicraniectomy in pediatric severe TBI.

• Neurocritical Care
  • Novel methods in the treatment and prevention of vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
  • Electroencephalography and other advanced neuromonitoring modalities in the detection of occult disturbances of cerebral perfusion, elevated intracranial pressure and non-convulsive status epilepticus in neurosurgical patients.
  • Early employment of neurostimulants in neurosurgical patients with depressed levels of conciousness and the enhancement of congitive and functional recovery.