Vice President

Philip M. Meyers, M.D., Columbia Presbyterian Neurological Institute, New York, NY

I am honored to accept the nomination for Vice-President of SNIS.  Having served on the Executive Committee for the past five years, I have come to understand the challenges and opportunities facing neurointerventionalists.  I have been integrally involved in the SNIS for the past few years, as Secretary, Rules Committee Chair, Standards Committee Chair, Co-Chair of the SNIS 7th Annual Meeting and, currently, as Treasurer.  Financially, the SNIS is sound, and the 7th Annual Meeting contributed to our organization’s stability.  I am also pleased to be serving a three-year term as the Treasurer of the new SNIS Foundation.  Through the Foundation, we hope to contribute to the growth and prosperity of our discipline through the education of the next generation of neurointerventionlists.

Academically, I serve as the Director of Neuroendovascular Services and Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurological Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian and the Neurological Institute of New York.  As SNIS Standards Chair, I have participated in several writing projects for AHA Stroke and CVRI Scientific Committees and collaborated on many standards documents with members of SIR, AANS, SVIN and AAN.

This is an exciting and challenging time in the development of our field.  It is important that we continue to encourage participation among our diverse constituent group with members from all aspects of the neurosciences.  As minimally-invasive cerebral vascular and spinal interventions continue to grow in medical significance, the SNIS membership should take a central role in characterizing the indications, technical performance, and outcome standards for these procedures.


Christopher J. Moran, M.D., Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, MO

Christopher J. Moran is a Professor of Radiology and of Neurological Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.  He is a reviewer for ten major journals and was Associate Editor of Radiology (Neuroradiology; 2002-2005) and Consultant to the Editor (2005) and is an Editor of the American Journal of Neuroradiology (2011-2013).  He has served the SNIS as Secretary (2007-2008), Chairman of the Nominating Committee (2008-2009), Chairman of the Membership Committee (2009-2011), and member-at-large (two terms) for Interventional Neuroradiology (2009-2011).

I am honored to be considered for the position of Vice-President of the SNIS.  Through the educational efforts of our annual meeting, the practicum, and the newly initiated fellows meeting, the quality of care provided by our members has the opportunity for significant improvement.  As a member of the Executive Committee of the SNIS for the past four years, I have participated in the founding of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery and the beginnings of our Foundation, which will enable us to fulfill our mission: furthering excellence in care, education, and research, and influencing health care policy.  As we explore board certification in Neurointerventional Surgery and the implementation of the examination, we will need to gather the neurologists, neuroradiologists, and neurosurgeons into a cohesive voice to contribute to one of the most important of our objectives, to assure the public of our qualifications to perform these complex procedures safely and effectively.

My considerable experience as a neurointerventionalist and educator will provide the perspective to best accomplish the goals of the SNIS.
 

Treasurer

Huy M. Do, M.D., Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

I am very happy and honored to be considered for the position of Treasurer of the SNIS.  The Treasurer is responsible for proper financial management of our professional society and thus greatly affects the public’s perception, trust, and assurance in the SNIS.  This requires a person with financial literacy, attention to detail, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and the ability to prioritize work and manage multiple projects simultaneously. If elected, I will perform all of the duties that this important position requires.  Due to the excellent leadership of past Treasurers, the SNIS is on solid financial footing and it is one of my goals to continue this trend, especially given the current challenging economy.

Along with other members of the Executive Committee, I will work hard to continue to make the SNIS successful by advancing its vision of leadership and mission to foster growth of the subspecialties of neurointervention.  I have served the Society in various capacities over the years including: member-at-large for the SNIS, committee member of the SNIS Annual Scientific Program Meeting, course director of the SNIS Practicum, invited speaker to the SNIS Annual Meetings, and manuscript reviewer for the JNIS.  I am honored to have served as Secretary of the SNIS this last year.  I am also active in allied scientific societies such as the ASNR, ASSR, and the AHA (ISC) and have served in various committees for these societies.

I am on faculty and practice interventional neuroradiology/endovascular neurosurgery at Stanford University and am program director of the neuroradiology fellowship program.
 

Donald V. Heck, M.D., Forsyth Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC

I have had the honor and privilege of serving the SNIS executive committee for three years, first as member at-large, next as secretary and finally as chair of the nominating committee.  Defining our specialty with standards for training and a board examination are two important initiatives of the SNIS, and I look forward to continuing that process as a member of the executive committee, with the goal of advancing quality care without making the process onerous for physicians.

I have had the opportunity to develop programming for the educational offerings of the SNIS, another important function of our society.  I have served on the program committee for the annual meeting and subsequently as the program chair for the practicum last year and fellows’ course this year.  I am serving as a co-chair for the annual meeting next year.

Though we are a relatively small society, the SNIS must stay engaged with national health care institutions.  In a time of healthcare reform, the SNIS should continue to press for fair codes which reflect the complexity and risk associated with the procedures we perform.  We also need to stay engaged with the FDA so that we are participants and not bystanders as decisions are made about the tools available to us.

The greatest benefit of service to the SNIS has been a selfish one—getting to know the tremendous individuals that make up our profession.  I would be honored to continue to serve my colleagues in the society as treasurer.
 

Secretary

Italo Linfante, M.D., Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Miami, FL

I am truly honored and delighted to run for the position of Secretary.  For the past 4 years, I had the privilege to serve on the SNIS Executive Committee as Audit Committee Chair and Member at Large for Neurology.  During these years, the members and the Executive Committee of SNIS proved that they can enthusiastically pursue a multi-disciplinary approach to the field fulfilling the mission of the society at the highest possible level.

Among these accomplishments are the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, the publications of standard for training and performance of neurointerventional procedures and the annual meeting. The creation of a NeuroInterventional Board Certification open to Radiology, Neurosurgery and Neurology is another challenging project.  If elected, I hope to bring both SNIS and the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) even more together on this very important project.

Degrees and Training: MD University of Roma, Italy; Internal Medicine:
George Washington University; Neurology: Baylor College of Medicine;
Neuroimaging: NIH/NINDS; Cerebrovascular Diseases: Harvard Medical School; Interventional Neuroradiology: Harvard Medical School.
Currently, Director of Interventional Neuroradiology and Endovascular Neurosurgery, Baptist Cardiac and Vascular Institute, Associate Professor of Neurology, Radiology and Neurosurgery, Florida International University Medical School. Scientific and organizing committees, International Stroke Conference; Fellow of the American Heart and Stroke Council. Faculty for several SNIS annual meetings and Practicums. Editorial Board of “Stroke” since 2003. Editorial Board of Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (JNIS). PI and Co investigator in several NIH and non-NIH funded clinical trials since 2000.


Peter A. Rasmussen, M.D., Cleveland Clnic, Cleveland, OH

It is a great honor to be considered for the position of Secretary for SNIS.  I have been a member of SNIS for the past 10 years and served on the Executive Committee as the Endovascular Neurosurgery Member-at-Large for the past two years.  I’ve served on the SNIS Name Change and Publications Committees, as well as the scientific planning committees for the 2009 and 2010 annual meetings.  This year, I’m pleased to co-chair the 2nd Annual Fellows Course.

After receiving my medical degree and neurosurgery training from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, I completed two fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic: cerebrovascular microsurgery and interventional neuroradiology.  After fellowship training, I joined the Cleveland Clinic as an Associate Professor of Surgery in the newly formed Endovascular and Cerebrovascular Surgery Program.  In 2006, I was appointed Director of the Cerebrovascular Center, a functionally and financially integrated Center bringing together 20 physicians with varied neuroscience backgrounds.  This integrated Center is responsible for cerebrovascular care at not only the Cleveland Clinic, but also 12 hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic Health Care System.

Having worked directly in a leadership capacity with physicians with backgrounds from Neurology, Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery for the past 5 years, I am keenly aware of the benefits that collaboration amongst physicians from different specialties can bring.  I hope to bring this collaborative spirit with me to SNIS to enhance the interactions from varied backgrounds to strengthen SNIS for the future during these challenging times and an evolving health care market.
 

Nominating Committee Chair

Donald F. Frei, M.D., Radiology Imaging Associates, Denver, CO

For the past two years, I have served on the SNIS Executive Committee as the Audit Committee Chair.  I am the current Chair of the Practice Building Committee and recently co-chaired the SNIS Practicum/Inaugural International Endovascular Stroke Conference (IESC).

As a private practice neurointerventionalist, my interests include effective practice building techniques, clinical research and maximizing reimbursement for our procedures.   Clinical research in aneurysm therapy can show as technology and techniques improve procedural complication rates and recanalization rates decrease. 

I believe our society needs to take the lead in endovascular stroke therapy.  Bringing together our colleagues from industry, corporate health care and internationally at the IESC, we began to disseminate ideas from best practices in comprehensive stroke care.  For such a time-sensitive therapy that benefits so many patents, we need to have adequate reimbursement from CMS and private insurers and financial support from our hospital partners to offer this life saving therapy to our patients.  I recently authored the SNIS response to Aetna when we learned they were considering denying reimbursement for endovascular stroke therapy.

Since intra-arterial stroke therapy is under attack by insurance and not universally embraced by some of our stroke neurology colleagues, we need to continue advancing our specialty through research.  Only by participating in clinical trials, can we prove beyond any doubt that IA or IV/IA therapy is superior to IV therapy alone in large strokes and that advanced physiologic imaging with MRI or CT Perfusion for better patient selection will improve patient outcomes. 

I appreciate your support for the Nominating Committee Chair.
 

Jeffrey L. Sunshine, M.D., Ph.D., University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH

I have been practicing Neurointerventional Surgery in Cleveland since 1995, and have been a senior SNIS member since first eligible. Over the course of my membership, I have had the privilege of participating in several roles for the Society, as a speaker, committee member and committee Chair.  I have been invited to speak at both the Practicum and Annual meetings regarding acute stroke therapy, MR imaging of hyper-acute stroke, or the estimation and utility of imaging penumbra.  I have offered oral presentations or invited lectures to the Society in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, and served as moderator for 3 additional sessions. I have served SNIS on several committees and as Chair for three: Membership, Co-Chair Program for the 2009 Annual meeting in Florida, and Fellowship.  For the latter I led the development of criteria, curriculum and application requirements for SNIS-approved Fellowships with committee members and the Executive Committee.

At my home institution I have learned the national issues that face us in my role as Chief Medical Information Officer for our 8-hospital health system.  I now have been nominated and seek to serve as a member of the Executive Committee as Chair of the Nominating Committee.  In that role I plan to use my knowledge of our practice and our Society to strengthen strategy and operations, to continue to define the optimum role for our specialty in leadership and innovation which will define our contribution to patients in the rapidly changing landscape of American health care.
  

Member-at-Large (Interventional Neuroradiologist)

David Fiorella, M.D., Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY

It is a great honor to be considered for the position of SNIS Member-at-Large. I have been a senior member of the SNIS for the past eight years and have been fortunate to work with other SNIS members from every sub-specialty as an associate editor of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

I am a Professor of Radiology and Neurological Surgery at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, New York where I serve as the Director of the Neuroendovascular Fellowship Program. I completed general Radiology training at Duke University School of Medicine and completed Diagnostic Neuroradiology and Endovascular Neurosurgery fellowships at the Barrow Neurological Institute. I have been fortunate to practice as neurointerventional staff in multi-specialty cerebrovascular groups at the Cleveland Clinic, the Barrow Neurological Institute and now at Stony Brook.

As a prospective SNIS Member-at-Large, I look forward to working to further the success of our society. I am particularly interested in efforts to facilitate collaborative multicenter, multidisciplinary research efforts amongst our society members that will allow us to continue to develop the clinical evidence required to guide, strengthen and ultimately grow our field. In addition, I think it is important for our society to work to establish pragmatic assessments of the current and future manpower demands for physicians providing neurointerventional services. These assessments will enable us to better determine the number of new trainees which will be required to meet, yet not exceed, this demand in the coming years.

Thank you for your consideration. 


Mahesh Jayaraman, M.D., Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI

Dr. Jayaraman trained in Radiology at Brown University and completed fellowships in both Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at Stanford University.  After completing training in 2006, he returned to Brown where he is currently Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging and Neurosurgery and Director of Interventional Neuroradiology.

“I am honored to be nominated for the position of Member-at-Large (Interventional Neuroradiologist).  I have been actively involved in SNIS since 2006, lecturing at the 2009 SNIS practicum, being a member of the organizing committee for the 2010 SNIS Annual meeting and am currently involved with the SNIS Standards and Guidelines committee. I have also supported JNIS by both submitting and reviewing manuscripts for publication.

We need to ensure that the subspecialty of Neurointerventional Surgery is identified as the group of specialists who have the clinical and technical acumen to safely diagnose and appropriately treat patients with cerebrovascular disease of all types.  With increasing scrutiny on the cost of healthcare, it is imperative upon us to generate a greater volume of literature demonstrating improved patient outcomes with the therapies we perform.  My goals for SNIS would be to work with members to cultivate a larger, more mature and robust database of outcome data demonstrating how our therapies improve the lives of our patients.”
 

Member-at-Large (Endovascular Neurosurgeon)

Felipe C. Albuquerque, M.D., Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ

I serve as assistant director of endovascular neurosurgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute, where, along with Cameron G. McDougall, we have developed a comprehensive clinical practice and fellowship program.  I remain active in academic neurosurgery and have served the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery in a variety of roles.  These include: associate editor of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery, planning committee member for both the 2010 and 2011 Annual Meetings, and Annual Meeting abstract reviewer.  In 2013, I will act as program committee co-chairman for the SNIS Annual Meeting.

I am an active member of the Joint Section of Cerebrovascular Surgery of the AANS/CNS and represent the section as a member of the steering committee for the International Stroke Conference (2010 – 2012).  This involves the development of the meeting agenda and subject material.  I am also a member of the section’s Endovascular Task Force, which will drive the effort to develop a comprehensive program for the training of neurointerventional surgeons.

I continue to pursue an academic endovascular career, which has involved the publication of more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 38 book chapters, and the delivery of more than 100 national and international lectures.  Finally, I serve on the editorial boards of World Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery, in which capacity I review an average 15 manuscripts per month and assist in directing the editorial content of these journals.

I am qualified to understand the broad needs of the SNIS as it moves toward the unification of the field among neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and neurologists.
 

Brian L. Hoh, M.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Brian Hoh, MD, is an associate professor of neurosurgery, radiology, and neuroscience at the University of Florida; and is director of U.F.’s ACGME-accredited fellowship in endovascular surgical neuroradiology.  He was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.  He trained in neurosurgery and received his formal endovascular training under Dr. Johnny Pryor, Dr. Joshua Hirsch, and Dr. James Rabinov at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

He has served the SNIS on the scientific program committee for the SNIS Annual Meeting 2008, 2009, 2010, and is co-chairman for this year’s 2011 Annual Meeting.  He was co-chair of the SNIS Inaugural Fellows Course in 2010.  He has previously served on an SNIS committee to investigate board certification for our specialty.

He has actively been involved in the Joint Cerebrovascular Section of the AANS/CNS, and the American Heart Association.

His vision for the future of SNIS is to pro-actively tackle issues of coding and reimbursement, represent our specialty in Washington DC, investigate certification for our specialty, and explore further collaboration with our sister organizations in radiology, neurology, and neurosurgery.

If elected to member-at-large, he will be honored to serve fully and with complete effort to represent all members of the SNIS.
 

Member-at-Large (Interventional Neurologist)

Joey D. English, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

I am honored to be nominated for the Interventional Neurologist Member-at-Large position on the SNIS Executive Committee.  My background includes fellowship training in both stroke neurology/neurocritical care and interventional neuroradiology at the University of California San Francisco.  I am currently an Assistant Professor at UCSF in Neurology and Radiology and serve as Co-Director of Neurointerventional Services at the San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center.  I am an active member of SNIS and currently serve on the Standards and Guidelines Committee.  I am also a Councilor on the American Academy of Neurology Endovascular-Interventional Executive Committee and a member of the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) Board of Directors.

I believe strongly in the Vision and Mission statements of our society, particularly that SNIS is and should remain the most important and influential professional society for neurointerventional physicians.  The strength of SNIS is that it embodies the long-term promise of our field, namely the integration of neurointerventional physicians from multidisciplinary backgrounds (namely neuroradiology, neurosurgery and neurology) with the goal of providing the highest quality of patient care.  One of my goals would thus be to further promote this integration of the various disciplines within SNIS, and also advocate closer cooperation between SNIS and related groups such as SVIN.  I appreciate very much being considered for this position.
 

Raul G. Nogueira, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Dr. Raul Nogueira is currently an Attending physician in Neurology at Grady Memorial Hospital where he severs as the Director of the Neuroendovascular Service and of the Neurocritical Care Service. He is also an Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Radiology at the Emory University School of Medicine.
 
Dr. Nogueira completed his Neurology Residency and then fellowships in NeuroCritical Care, Stroke, and Interventional Neuroradiology at Mass General Hospital, where he subsequently became an attending in the Interventional Neuroradiology and Vascular & Critical Care Neurology Services. He left MGH to go to Emory last September.

Dr. Nogueira is highly committed to science, academia, and education. He is one of the founder board members of the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN). He has served in multiple committees for the American Stroke Association (ASA/AHA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and SVIN. Dr. Nogueira is also a senior member of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) and has been an invited speaker and/or a member of the organizing committee for many of the SNIS Annual Meetings. He has also been closely involved with the Board of Neurointerventional Surgery.