Norman Prince Spine Institute

Overview

Spinal Surgery Division within the Department of Neurosurgery at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital is comprised of surgeons and clinicians 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 with innovative surgical and nonsurgical techniques specifically designed for, and individualized to, 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

Subspecialty Centers

  • Degenerative Spinal Disorders Center
  • Spinal Column and Spinal Cord Tumor Center
  • Spinal Innovation and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Center
  • Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spine Center
  • Congenital Spinal Disorders Center
  • Spine Trauma and Spinal Emergencies Center
  • Spinal Radiosurgery Center

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

Director

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

Research

Neurosurgery Department

Spinal Surgery Outcomes Laboratory

Center for Innovative Neurotechnology for Neural Repair

Brown University Neuroscience & Neuroengineering Collaborators
Brown University – David Borton, PhD, Biomedical Engineering

Technology

BrainLab AIRO Mobile CT Scanner with Navigation System

Neuromonitoring

Neuro-Navigation

Ziehm Mobile C-Arm

Neurosurgical Robot

“We have a very comprehensive and sophisticated spine program in that it is multi-disciplinary and multi-subspecialized and entirely patient-centered.”

– Adetokunbo A. Oyelese, MD, PhD

Rhode Island Hospital
593 Eddy Street, APC 6
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 793-9166
Fax: (401) 444-2788