Meet Robert North, M.D., Ph.D.
Robert North, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery
About Robert North
Dr. North earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2008 and earned his M.D. in 2013 from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine from 2013 to 2020. During that time, he undertook a year of research as a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson from 2016 to 2017 in the Department of Pain Medicine, working in the laboratory of Patrick Dougherty, Ph.D. For his work during that time he was awarded the Kinjaro Iwata Award for Academic Excellence from the Department of Neurosurgery. As a resident, he distinguished himself as one of the finest residents within the program, winning the Robert Cheek Award for best Resident Performance twice (2015-2016 and 2017-2018). He rotated on the neurosurgery service at MD Anderson, including chief resident, and was considered one of the best graduates of the program. He secured a fellowship in spine and peripheral nerve surgery at the University of Michigan where he previously served as a Clinical Lecturer.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2013 | Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 2008 | Texas A&M University, College State, TX, USA, PHD, Analytical Chemistry |
| 2004 | Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI, USA, BS, Chemistry |
Postgraduate Training
| 2020-2021 | Clinical Fellowship, Peripheral Nerve and Complex Spine Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2019-2020 | Clinical Residency, Chief Resident, Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX |
| 2016-2017 | Research Fellowship, Department of Pain Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2013-2020 | Clinical Residency, Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX |
Board Certifications
| 2016 | Eligible, American Board of Neurological Surgeons, written exam passed |
Experience & Service
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Resident Member, Neurosurgery ACGME Program Evaluation Committee, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2017 - 2020
Resident Member, Neurosurgery Residency Curriculum Committee, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2014 - 2015
Honors & Awards
| 2019 | Best Basic Science Presentation, Pain, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting |
| 2017 | Kinjaro Iwata Award for Academic Achievement, Baylor Dept. of Neurosurgery |
| 2017 | Ronald R. Tasker Young Investigator Award for Pain Research, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting |
| 2015 | 2x Robert Cheek Award for Best Resident Performance, Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Neurosurgery |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Larkin MB, Goethe EA, Mohammad M, Tummala S, North RY. Ulnar fascicle to brachialis branch of musculocutaneous nerve for restoration of elbow flexion associated with spinal cord tumor and radiation-induced lower motor neuron disease. Neurosurgical Focus 8(1), 2023. PMID: 36628102.
- North RY, Odem MA, Yan Li, Claudio E Tatsui, R. Cassidy, P. Dougherty, E.Walters. Electrophysiological Alterations Driving Pain-Associated Spontaneous Activity in Human Sensory Neuron Somata Parallel Alterations Described in Spontaneously Active Rodent Nociceptors. The Journal of Pain 23(8):1343-1357, 2022. PMID: 35292377.
- Strong MJ, Yee TJ, Khalsa SSS, Saadeh YS, Muhlestein WE, North RY, Szerlip NJ. Resection of a Lumbar Intradural Extramedullary Schwannoma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33825885.
- Yee TJ, Strong MJ, North RY, Oppenlander ME. Commentary: Single-Position Surgery: Prone Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(5):E370-E372, 2021. PMID: 33554251.
- Strong MJ, Yee TJ, Khalsa SSS, Saadeh YS, North R, Oppenlander ME. Lumbar Laminoplasty for Resection of Myxopapillary Ependymoma of the Conus Medullaris: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(5):E352, 2021. PMID: 33647943.
- Strong MJ, Yee TJ, North RY, Oppenlander ME. Commentary: Single- Versus Dual-Attending-Surgeon Approach for Spine Deformity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(4):E330-E331, 2021. PMID: 33448285.
- Ravindra VM, Karas PJ, Hartnett S, Patino I, North R, Tatsui CE, Gonda D, Schwabe A, Curry DJ. Magnetic Resonance-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Palliative Rhizotomy: A Novel Technical Application. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(4):413-418, 2021. PMID: 33377153.
- Li Y, Marri T, North RY, Rhodes HR, Uhelski ML, Tatsui CE, Rhines LD, Rao G, Corrales G, Abercrombie TJ, Johansson CA, Dougherty PM. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in a dish: dorsal root ganglion cells treated in vitro with paclitaxel show biochemical and physiological responses parallel to that seen in vivo. Pain 162(1):84-96, 2021. PMID: 32694383.
- Strong MJ, North RY, Yee TJ, Oppenlander ME. Commentary: Decompression of a Dorsal Arachnoid Web of the Spine: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(2):E144-E145, 2021. PMID: 33294934.
- North RY, Strong MJ, Park P. Commentary: Prone Transpsoas Technique for Simultaneous Single-Position Access to the Anterior and Posterior Lumbar Spine. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 20(1):E13-E16, 2020. PMID: 33316812.
- Karas PJ, North RY, Srinivasan VM, Lindquist NR, Gallagher KK, Burkhardt JK, Yoshor D, Kan P. Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal direct access and Onyx embolization of a dural arteriovenous fistula mimicking a carotid-cavernous fistula: case report. J Neurosurg:1-5. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33186915.
- Larkin MB, North RY, Viswanathan A. Percutaneous Computed Tomography-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Spinal Trigeminal Tract and Nucleus Caudalis for Refractory Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 19(5):E530-E531, 2020. PMID: 32649751.
- Verla T, North R, Simpson V, Ropper AE. Osteomyelitis-Discitis at the Thoracolumbar Junction and the Development of Postinfectious Spinal Deformity: A Surgical Case Series. Int J Spine Surg 14(4):552-558, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32986577.
- Hadley C, North R, Srinivasan V, Kan P, Burkhardt JK. Elective Sonolucent Cranioplasty for Real-Time Ultrasound Monitoring of Flow and Patency of an Extra- to Intracranial Bypass. J Craniofac Surg 31(3):622-624, 2020. PMID: 32149973.
- North RY, Verla T, Bartlett E, Reece E, Weiner HL, Ropper AE. Giant Symptomatic Meningocele as a Delayed, Adult Complication of Lipomyelomeningocele. World Neurosurg 134:532-535, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31760189.
- Montier L, Haneef Z, Gavvala J, Yoshor D, North R, Verla T, Van Ness PC, Drabek J, Goldman AM. A somatic mutation in MEN1 gene detected in periventricular nodular heterotopia tissue obtained from depth electrodes. Epilepsia 60(10):e104-e109, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31489630.
- LoPresti MA, Srinivasan VM, North RY, Ravindra VM, Johnson J, Burkhardt JK, Lam SK, Kan P. Endovascular stenting for rescue of a failed donor graft during superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass surgery: case report. J Neurosurg Pediatr:1-5. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31398698.
- Reece EM, Raghuram AC, Bartlett EL, Lazaro TT, North RY, Bohl MA, Ropper AE. Vascularized Iliac Bone Graft for Complex Closure During Spinal Deformity Surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 7(7):e2345, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31942366.
- North RY, Li Y, Ray P, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE, Rao G, Johansson CA, Zhang H, Kim YH, Zhang B, Dussor G, Kim TH, Price TJ, Dougherty PM. Electrophysiological and transcriptomic correlates of neuropathic pain in human dorsal root ganglion neurons. Brain 142(5):1215-1226, 2019. PMID: 30887021.
- Megat S, Ray PR, Moy JK, Lou TF, Barragán-Iglesias P, Li Y, Pradhan G, Wanghzou A, Ahmad A, Burton MD, North RY, Dougherty PM, Khoutorsky A, Sonenberg N, Webster KR, Dussor G, Campbell ZT, Price TJ. Nociceptor Translational Profiling Reveals the Ragulator-Rag GTPase Complex as a Critical Generator of Neuropathic Pain. J Neurosci 39(3):393-411, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30459229.
- North RY, Lazaro TT, Dougherty PM. Ectopic Spontaneous Afferent Activity and Neuropathic Pain. Neurosurgery 65(CN_suppl_1):49-54, 2018. PMID: 31076785.
- Li Y, North RY, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE, Rao G, Edwards DD, Cassidy RM, Harrison DS, Johansson CA, Zhang H, Dougherty PM. DRG Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel 1.7 Is Upregulated in Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathy in Rats and in Humans with Neuropathic Pain. J Neurosci 38(5):1124-1136, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29255002.
- North RY, Raskin JS, Curry DJ. MRI-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Epilepsy. Neurosurg Clin N Am 28(4):545-557, 2017. PMID: 28917283.
- Li Y, Tatsui CE, Rhines LD, North RY, Harrison DS, Cassidy RM, Johansson CA, Kosturakis AK, Edwards DD, Zhang H, Dougherty PM. Dorsal root ganglion neurons become hyperexcitable and increase expression of voltage-gated T-type calcium channels (Cav3.2) in paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy. Pain 158(3):417-429, 2017. PMID: 27902567.
Abstracts
- North RY, Li Y, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE, et al. Neuropathic Pain and Ectopic Spontaneous Action Potential Activity of Human Primary Sensory Neurons. Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2017.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Development of a Wireless Endovascular Nerve Stimulator for Treatment of Refractory Neuropathic Pain |
| Funding Source: | NIH-HEAL |
| Role: | Other Significant Contributor |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified May 16, 2024