Norman Prince Spine Institute

Comprehensive Care Centers

Overview

The Norman Prince Spine Institute at Rhode Island Hospital and Newport Hospital, is made up of surgeons and clinicians who are dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from a wide range of disorders of the spine and spinal cord. Our team includes world-class experts utilizing a patient-centered multidisciplinary approach that uses innovative surgical and nonsurgical techniques specifically designed and individualized for each patient.

Our multidisciplinary team offers a full complement of effective treatment options and services, including:

Surgical treatment
Medical management
Spine-specific physical and occupational therapy
Interventional procedures
Complementary and alternative medical options
Behavioral health services

Highly specialized physicians provide services ranging from surgical intervention to minimally invasive spine surgery, injections, and other interventions, including:

Discectomy
Kyphoplasty
Vertebroplasty
Minimally invasive spine surgery
Spinal cord stimulators
Percutaneous or open spinal instrumentation and fusion for back and neck pain
Radical tumor resection and reconstruction
Spinal reconstruction for traumatic spine injuries
Highly complex spinal deformity correction with osteotomies
Disc replacement
Intrathecal pumps
Dynamic stabilization

Conditions we treat:

Congenital spinal disorders
Degenerative disc disease (Spondylosis)
Disc herniation
Spinal stenosis
Cervical radiculopathy
Lumbar radiculopathy (Sciatica)
Low back pain
Neck pain
Complex regional pain syndrome
Post-laminectomy syndrome
Tumors of the spine: Chordomas, Spinal Cord Tumors, Sacral Tumors
Spine trauma or injury
Osteoporosis
Osteopenia

Our Team

Department Chair

Ziya L. Gokaslan, MD

Julius Stoll, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgeon-in-Chief, Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital
Clinical Director, Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute
President, Neurosurgery Foundation

Directors

Adetokunbo A. Oyelese, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurosurgery
Vice-Chair, Strategy and Business Development
Director, Norman Prince Spine Institute
Director, Spinal Surgery Division

Keith-Austin Scarfo, DO, MS

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Chair, Pain and Opioid Stewardship Committee
Medical Director, Norman Prince Spine Institute
Director, Intrathecal Pump Program
Vice President, Rhode Island Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Inc.

Neurosurgery Department Clinical Faculty

Joaquin Q. Camara, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Director of Neurosurgery, Newport Hospital

Deus J. Cielo, MD

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Vice-Chair for Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
Director, Peripheral Nerve Surgery Division
Co-Director, Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program
Director, Miriam Hospital Neurosurgery Program

Curtis E. Doberstein, MD

Professor of Neurosurgery
Executive Vice-Chair, Clinical Operations
Director, Cerebrovascular and Skull-base Surgery Division
Director, Neurosurgery Residency Training Program

Jared S. Fridley, MD

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Spinal Outcomes Laboratory
Director, Center for Innovative Neurotechnology for Neural Repair (CINNR Lab)

Maria A. Guglielmo, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Neurosurgery at Kent Hospital
Director, Neurosurgery Pain Program

Petra M. Klinge, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Pediatric Neurosurgery Division
Director, Center for Surgical Treatment of the Developing Brain and Spine

Tianyi (Tim) Niu, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Spinal Deformity Surgery

Prakash Sampath, MD

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Robotic Neurosurgery
Director, Brain Immunotherapy Program
Director, Neurosurgery at Roger Williams Medical Center

Albert E. Telfeian, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurosurgery
Vice-Chair, Quality Improvement
Director, Center for Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spine Surgery
Vice President, Neurosurgery & Neurosurgical Innovation

Alexios G. Carayannopoulos, DO, MPH

Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology
Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Director, Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
President, American Academy of Osteopathic Examiners
President, Rhode Island Society of Pain Physicians

Justin Y. Li, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Laert Rusha, MD

Attending Physician

Patricia Leigh Zadnik Sullivan, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Director, Center for Spine Tumor & Chordoma Research
Member, Legoretta Cancer Center

Ross Barker, DO

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery Department Clinical Staff

Allison Malo

PA-Norman Prince Spine Institue

Rose Moriarty

NP - Norman Prince Spine Institute

Dylan Godyn

PA - Norman Pince Spine Institute

Neuro-Oncologists

Heinrich Elinzano, MD

Associate Professor of Neurology and Medicine, Clinician Educator
Co-Director, Brain Cancer Committee
Co-Director, Brown University Oncology Research Group
Neuro-Oncology Medical Lead, Lifespan Cancer Institute