Ali Rezai
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationUniversity of California-Los Angeles
University of Southern California's School of Medicine
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
University of Toronto
OccupationDirector of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute
Years active1990s-present 
Medical career
ProfessionNeurosurgeon, neuroscientist 
InstitutionsRockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University
Sub-specialtiesNeuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasound

Ali R. Rezai (born 1965)[1] is an American neurosurgeon and neuroscientist.[2][3] His work and research has focused on neuromodulation treatments for patients with neurological and mental health conditions,[4] including neuromodulation techniques such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) through brain chip implants to treat Parkinson's disease tremors, obsessive–compulsive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury,[2][3][5] spinal cord injury,[6] and addiction.[4] 

He currently serves as West Virginia University's Associate Dean of Neuroscience, as well as Executive Chair of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.[4] Earlier in his career, he served as director of New York University's Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery until 2000. He then served as director[7] of the functional neurosurgery program at the Cleveland Clinic[8] until 2009, when he became director of Ohio State University's Neurological Institute.[1] He is the former president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons,[8] the North American Neuromodulation Society, and the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and serves on the editorial board of several scientific journals including Neurosurgery.[9]

Early life and education

Ali R. Rezai was born in 1965[1] in Tehran, Iran. The oldest of three brothers,[6] he and his family moved to California around 1977.[6][2] Growing up in Los Angeles, in high school he decided to pursue being a doctor.[2] At age 16 he earned early admission into the University of California-Los Angeles, receiving an undergraduate degree[6] with a major in biology. He subsequently attended the University of Southern California's School of Medicine, graduating with honors with his medical degree[8] in 1990.

Rezai also attended New York University to study the brain,[6] receiving neurosurgical training under the direction of Joseph Ransohoff and Patrick Kelly[8] and beginning to focus on performing surgeries to implant neurostimulation devices in 1995.[1] He completed a residency program at New York University's School of Medicine in 1997. He completed his subspecialty fellowship in functional neurosurgery at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.[10] He also was briefly a clinical observer in functional neurosurgery[9] at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.[9] During his training, he studied under and worked with brain specialists such as Michael Apuzzo, Ron Tasker, and Andres Lozano.[11]

Career

Cleveland Clinic

Rezai was director of the NYU Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery until 2000. In 2000 he was recruited by the Cleveland Clinic[7][9] to direct the clinic's functional neurosurgery program[8] and serve as a professor of neurosurgery. He was named director of the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration until 2009.[1] By 2006, Rezai had performed over 900 procedures to implant neurostimulator devices, treating tremors in patients with Parkinson's, as well as pain from migraines and other chronic pain syndromes.[2]

Ohio State

In August 2009[8] he left Cleveland Clinic to began working at Ohio State University,[1] where he was named the Stanley D. and Joan H. Ross Chair in Neuromodulation[8][5]  and the associate dean for neuroscience. Working for eight years out of Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, he was director of the Ross Center for Brain Health and Performance[10][5] as  as well as the director of the Ohio State University Neurological Institute.[10] He also became director of Ohio State's Center for Neuromodulation.[9]

At Ohio State, Rezai also was involved in a clinical trial with "brain pacemakers" to help Alzheimer's patients.[12][13]

Rockefeller and WVU

In September 2017, Rezai was appointed by West Virginia University (WVU), with the backing of US Senator Jay Rockefeller of the Rockefeller family, as the incoming director of the newly formed Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI).[10][5] He was tasked with leading the patient care, research, and education at the institute. The appointment also made him executive chair and vice president of neurosciences for WVU Medicine, as well as WVU Medicine's associate dean[10] and John D. Rockefeller IV professor in neuroscience.[10][14][15]

On November 15, 2018, a team of investigators at RNI conducted the nation's first study with a tiny, pill-like micropellet implant made of a non-addictive, non-steroid medication that was placed into a patient's lower back to combat chronic pain caused from sciatica.[16][17][18] Also in 2018,[19] at WVU, Rezai was lead researcher[20] of the first US human FDA trial[19] using focused ultrasound technology to open the blood brain barrier and reduce beta amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.[19][20] In 2019, Rezai led a first-in-the-US clinical trial using deep brain stimulation for patients with treatment-resistant opioid use disorder,[21] garnering the attention of media outlets like BBC[22] and the Washington Post.[23]

He continues to serve as WVU's Associate Dean of Neuroscience,[4] as well as executive chairman and director of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.[14][15][15]

Innovations and research

The holder of 60 US patents as of 2023, Rezai is involved with the study and implementation of neuromodulation procedures and devices in academia, government, and business.[4] Rezai specializes in functional neurosurgery, neuromodulation, and "neurosurgical management" of patients with movement disorders, chronic pain and "neurobehavioral psychiatric disorders."[8] Much of his research, papers and patents involve neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation (DBS), neurostimulation[1] and focused ultrasound  technology to treat disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's,[15] and addiction.[2]

Deep brain stimulation

While at NYU in the late 1990s, Rezai was involved with the use of brain implants and deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help with diseases such as Parkinson's.[7][9]

On May 3, 2016, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, surgeons performed brain stimulation surgery using an electrical lead attached to a pacemaker to control tremors from Parkinson's disease.[24][25]

This was a slight refinement of an approach used for decades.[26][27]

In a 2019 National Institute on Drug Abuse funded study,[21] with Rezai as lead doctor,[22] on November 1, 2019, a team surgically implanted a DBS chip into the nucleus accumbens part of the human brain to reduce cravings for drugs, particularly opioids.[23] The patient had been a drug abuser since a young age,[21] and the first of four patients in a pilot program aimed at a small percentage of patients with treatment-resistant cravings for opioids.[22] The operation was a first-in-the-US clinical trial using deep brain stimulation for patients with treatment-resistant opioid use disorder.[21]

Brain computer interface for movement

While director of Ohio State's Center for Neuromodulation, in 2011 Rezai started an FDA clinical trial[28] in collaboration with scientists at Battelle Research Institute[29] with the intent of implanting a chip to bypass spinal injury and restore limb movement.[6][30][31] With the system involving a brain–computer interface, Rezai performed the first implantation in 2014.[28] In 2016, the medical team reported that the patient had regained some functional use of his right hand and fingers, publishing the results in Nature.[3][28]

The procedure was featured in the New York Times,[28] Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times,[10] and was purported to be a technological breakthrough in neural engineering, serving as the first ever account of "limb reanimation."[6][30][31]

Focused ultrasound

With Rezai as lead researcher,[20] in 2018, the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute was chosen as the initial site in the US for an FDA-approved[19] clinical trial using low intensity magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.[19][32][20]

Society positions

Rezai was on the executive committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons from 2002 until 2013. He served as their Annual Meeting Program chairman[8] in 2010, and as the organization's president in 2013.[8] He was on the board of directors of the International Society of Reconstructive Neurosurgery from 2005 until 2013. He served as president of the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery[5][9][8][4] from June 2010 until June 2012, and as the organization's vice-president from 2008 until 2010. From 2011[9] to 2013, Rezai was president of the North American Neuromodulation Society.[8][9] He was also on their board of directors[7] from 2004 until 2013, and chairman of the organization's Annual Meeting Scientific Program from 2009 until 2011.

Publishing and editing

As of 2023, Rezai was the author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications with an h-index of 89,[4]  including in journals such as Nature,[3] Lancet Neurology,[9] JAMA Neurology, and PNAS.[4] He has published around 40 book chapters[9] as well as the editor for a book on surgery for psychiatric disorders.[4] His work, particularly his neuromodulation research, has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, MIT Technology Review, Reader’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Globe and Mail,[9] and TIME.[7]

He served on the editorial boards of multiple scientific journals, including Neurosurgery,[9] Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Neuromodulation and Neurological Research. In 2003, he was the editor of Neurosurgery for Psychiatric Disorders, a medical journal published by Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. In 2006 he was a co-editor on "Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease", a journal supplement to Movement Disorders. He was subsequently a co-editor on a World Neurosurgery journal supplement in 2013.

Speaking and presentations

As of 2023, Rezai reported having given over 500 lectures.[4] He has appeared in live radio and television broadcasts in outlets such as 60 Minutes, CNN, NPR, PBS, BBC, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, The Discovery Channel,[9] Good Morning America, HBO, and others.[4] On multiple occasions he has presented to members of US government. In 2007 this included including presenting his research to the US president and members of the US Senate and House of Representatives.[9] He has also presented information to four state governors.[4]

Government presentations
  • "Brain Pacemakers" - Presentation to  US President George W. Bush (2007)[1]
  • "Traumatic Brain Injury: Diagnosis and Treatment" - Presentation on Capitol Hill to members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives (June 27, 2007)
  • "Deep Brain Stimulation" - Presentation to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Cleveland Clinic (February 7, 2008)
  • "Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications" - Social Security Administration Hearing, Washington, D.C. (November 18, 2008)
  • "Neurological Innovations" - Presentation to Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson (April 6, 2009)
  • "Neuromodulation Overview" - Presentation to Ohio Governor John Kasich, Ohio State University Medical Center (December 2, 2011)
  • "Neuromodulation and chronic disease" - Presentation to the Cabinet of the Governor of Ohio, Ohio Statehouse (January 20, 2012)

Honors and awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Region to lose a top brain researcher when Dr. Ali Rezai departs for Ohio State University". 16 June 2009. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Peck, Peggy. "CNN.com - Doctor's specialty is re-wiring brain - Mar 22, 2006". www.CNN.com. MedPage Today Managing. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bouton, Chad E.; Shaikhouni, Ammar; Annetta, Nicholas V.; Bockbrader, Marcia A.; Friedenberg, David A.; Nielson, Dylan M.; Sharma, Gaurav; Sederberg, Per B.; Glenn, Bradley C.; Mysiw, W. Jerry; Morgan, Austin G.; Deogaonkar, Milind; Rezai, Ali R. (13 April 2016). "Restoring cortical control of functional movement in a human with quadriplegia". Nature. 533 (7602): 247–250. Bibcode:2016Natur.533..247B. doi:10.1038/nature17435. PMID 27074513. S2CID 205248450.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ali R. Rezai, MD, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, 2023, retrieved November 26, 2023
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Buchanan, Doug; Federoff, Stacey (September 29, 2017) [September 28, 2017]. "Ohio State neurosurgeon Ali Rezai leaving for West Virginia University". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ghose, Carrie (July 8, 2016). "Ohio State's Ali Rezai: At the outer reaches of neuroscience, the search to end suffering". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-09. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Neuromodulation :: Editors". Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 stormtrooper (12 March 2014). "Ali Rezai - President". www.CNS.org. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Ali Rezai, MD - Ohio State Neurological Institute Researchers". WexnerMedical.OSU.edu. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "WVU Medicine and Rockefeller family announce new neurosciences institute - WVU Medicine". WVUMedicine.org. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Ali R Rezai". 10 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  12. ↑ Scharre, Douglas W.; Weichart, Emily; Nielson, Dylan; Zhang, Jun; Agrawal, Punit; Sederberg, Per B.; Knopp, Michael V.; Rezai, Ali R.; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (2018). "Deep Brain Stimulation of Frontal Lobe Networks to Treat Alzheimer's Disease". Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 62 (2): 621–633. doi:10.3233/JAD-170082. PMID 29400666. Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  13. ↑ Knapton, Sarah (30 January 2018). "Brain 'pacemaker' for Alzheimer's helps give life back to patients". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  14. 1 2 Federoff, Stacey (September 28, 2017). "WVU forms new neuroscience institute". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "High Tech procedure giving W.Va. Patients 'pace maker' for the brain". Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  16. ↑ "WVU leading nation with potentially 'game changing' opioid addiction, Alzheimer's research". Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  17. ↑ "Neuroscience Institute at WVU launches trial on implant for chronic pain". Archived from the original on 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  18. ↑ "WVU to conduct clinical trial of non-opioid treatment for Sciatica". Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Could new WVU study lead to Alzheimer's cure?". Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2018-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Institute first in U.S. To use deep brain stimulation to fight opioid addiction". Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  22. 1 2 3 "Brain implants used to fight drug addiction in US". BBC News. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  23. 1 2 "Deep brain stimulation is being tested to treat opioid addiction". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  24. ↑ Ghose, Carrie (July 8, 2016). "PHOTOS: Inside the operating room with Ohio State's Dr. Ali Rezai during deep brain stimulation (Video)". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  25. ↑ "Brain-zapping pacemaker implant could be a new treatment for opioid addiction". Archived from the original on 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  26. ↑ Hariz, Marwan I.; Fodstad, Harald (2000-04-26). "Do Microelectrode Techniques Increase Accuracy or Decrease Risks in Pallidotomy and Deep Brain Stimulation?: A Critical Review of the Literature". Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. 72 (2–4): 157–169. doi:10.1159/000029720. ISSN 1011-6125.
  27. ↑ Benabid, A.L.; Pollak, P.; Hoffmann, D.; Gervason, C.; Hommel, M.; Perret, J.E.; de Rougemont, J.; Gao, D.M. (February 1991). "Long-term suppression of tremor by chronic stimulation of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus". The Lancet. 337 (8738): 403–406. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(91)91175-t. ISSN 0140-6736.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Carey, Benedict (13 April 2016). "Chip, Implanted in Brain, Helps Paralyzed Man Regain Control of Hand". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  29. ↑ Battelle Research Institute
  30. 1 2 "Neurobridge device allows quadriplegic to move his own hand". CNET.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  31. 1 2 Tankersley, Jim (29 April 2014). "The 'bionic age' dawns in an Ohio hospital, with a chip aimed at giving a paralyzed man the use of his hands". Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2017 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  32. ↑ WVU prepares to launch Alzheimer's trial
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