Epileptologist

About the Team

The Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC is seeking a faculty candidate for the Division of Epilepsy. This role serves as an epileptologist with a primary focus on the surgical epilepsy program, operating under the leadership of Dr. Page B. Pennell, Chair of Neurology, and Dr. Vijayalakshmi Rajasekaran, Division Chief of Epilepsy. The successful candidate will work closely in partnership with world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Jorge A. González-Martínez.

The University of Pittsburgh Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (UPCEC) is a joint program combining the resources of the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Established in 1986, it is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) as a Level 4 epilepsy center. The center provides national and regional referral and consultative services, encompassing all adult epilepsy services alongside pediatric care.

The division is supported by a dedicated, multidisciplinary team including epileptologists, neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, neuropsychiatrists, EEG technologists, Advanced Practice Providers, epilepsy nurses, and social workers. Research funding in the department has increased steadily, receiving over $25 million in research support in FY25. The department holds the NINDS UE5 grant for the "Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Neuropathology Pittsburgh Research Education Plan (N3-PREP)" and is part of the NINDS Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT).

A new 10-bed, self-contained adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) opened in early 2025, further expanding clinical capabilities. Clinical services span outpatient clinics, EEG and continuous video-EEG monitoring across the UPMC network, and subspecialty clinics in functional seizures, RNS, women's epilepsy, and a multi-disciplinary clinic for epilepsy surgery candidates.

About the Role

You will join a vibrant division of 11 adult epileptologist physicians, 4 Advanced Practice Providers, and 8 fellows each year. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to a research environment that has introduced multiple new antiseizure medications and innovative approaches to presurgical evaluations. The role involves interpreting stereo-EEG in adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and collaborating on surgical outcomes.

Dr. González-Martínez, Director of the University of Pittsburgh's Epilepsy, Movement Disorders and Psychiatry Surgical Program, is one of the country's most experienced functional epilepsy neurosurgeons, having performed over 3,000 successful surgical procedures including SEEG procedures, SEEG-guided resections, and neuromodulation surgeries.

About the Community

Pittsburgh is a vibrant, mid-sized city in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, offering the best of both urban and small-town life. Known as an urban melting pot with historical landmarks, ethnic neighborhoods, and a vibrant nightlife, the city features picturesque countryside and the famous three rivers. It is consistently ranked as one of the top places for families in the U.S., noted for being affordable, livable, and safe.

The city is renowned for its cultural institutions, including the Carnegie Museums, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the National Aviary. Major league professional sports teams include the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates. Pittsburgh is also an advancing leader in medicine, education, health care, robotics, software engineering, and high-tech industries.

UPMC Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran. The organization is committed to advancing diversity through programs that promote inclusion, such as Employee Resource Groups and other initiatives to support a diverse workforce.