Epilepsy Fellowships

Overview

We not only strive to be the best place to receive care, but also the best place to learn to care for people with seizures.

The Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center has a legacy of excellence in the treatment of epilepsy and especially in training cutting-edge technological advancements in the field. Cleveland Clinic’s Neurophysiology/Epilepsy Program was one of the very first official training programs in the country, formally established in 1996, but effective for many years prior.

The Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Fellowships are premier learner-centric programs that provide advanced training in all aspects of epilepsy patient care. Cleveland Clinic is a level 4 epilepsy center with a high volume of epilepsy surgeries and years of experience treating the most complex cases. More than 300 epilepsy surgeries are performed annually in both adult and pediatric patients. In March 2009, Cleveland Clinic launched the first SEEG (stereoelectroencephalography) program in North America for patients with medically intractable focal epilepsy and has continued to be a leader in the field. Surgical experience at Cleveland Clinic includes:

• Tailored or multilobar resections
• Standard temporal lobectomy
• Hemispherectomy
• Complex invasive mapping with stereotactically-implanted depth electrodes (sEEG) and/or subdural grids
• Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
• Responsive (RNS) and deep brain neurostimulation (DBS)
• Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)

Palliative and investigational surgical treatments for epilepsy are also offered in a highly select group of medically intractable patients.

Purpose

Through world-class education and cutting-edge clinical practice, we strive to cultivate the most esteemed, knowledgeable, and innovative epileptologists— who, as leaders in the field, will carry the torch to continuously improve the lives of patients. Our epilepsy fellowship is designed to equip promising physicians with a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and experience, enabling independent, high-quality, and compassionate care to people with epilepsy and related disorders.

More Specific Aims

• Develop clinically excellent specialists through comprehensive training in epilepsy diagnosis and management through patient-centered clinical experience, intentional and graduated instructional strategies, and in-depth exposure to electroencephalography.
• Provide premier training in the surgical management of epilepsy including, encompassing cutting-edge technologies in presurgical evaluation, surgical treatment, and neuromodulation. Fellows receive unparalleled instruction in functional neuroanatomy and brain connectivity, fostering future leaders with the expertise to drive advancements in the field.
• Cultivate intellectual curiosity, innovation, and expertise through unique and rigorous specialty-specific seminars, case conferences, individualized mentorship, and extensive opportunities for high-impact scholarship under the guidance of distinguished faculty.

Our team

Our program has a strong, growing team dedicated to epilepsy care, which currently includes:

• More than seven (7) pediatric & twenty- four (24) adult epileptologists
• Three (3) epilepsy neurosurgeons
• Colleagues in neuroradiology, neuropsychiatry, psychiatry, neuropsychology, psychology, and bioethics
• Epilepsy-dedicated pharmacists (inpatient and outpatient), advanced practice providers, nurses, EEG technician readers, EEG technologists, and support staff
• Research scientists

Our team members have a strong presence at the national level with organizations such as the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology, the International League Against Epilepsy, the Child Neurology Society, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and various editorial boards and scientific program committees. Our faculty frequently contribute to peer-reviewed journals and discipline guidelines, and present at national and international meetings.

Training experience

Training is primarily at our state-of-the-art facilities on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus in Cleveland, Ohio, which houses our expanding thirty (30) bed adult epilepsy monitoring unit and twelve (12) bed pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit. We also help care for patients with concerns for seizures in the dedicated neurocritical care units, medical intensive care units, and neonatal intensive care unit, providing other services as needed for inpatient consultations within the 1400-bed main campus hospital. Our training program offers experience with the newest technologies including:

• Ictal single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• Functional and anatomic magnetic resonance imaging (including 7T) and post-processing techniques
• Wada (amytal) testing
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

This is balanced with a sound education in foundational principles of scalp EEG, functional neuroanatomy, semiology analysis, and medical management. Based on interests there are additional opportunities in research, cortical-cortical and other evoked potentials, and intraoperative monitoring.

Epilepsy Center Highlights

Epilepsy Neuroimaging

• MR Fingerprinting Shows Potential to Reshare FCD Detection and Epileptogenicity Mapping
• Unmasking the ‘Tethered’ Temporal Lobe: New MRI Metrics Improve Detection of Encephaloceles in Refractory Epilepsy
• MR Fingerprinting Sharpens Lesion Detection in Epilepsy Surgery Candidates
• New Insights on the Dynamics of Interictal-to-Ictal Transitions in Epilepsy
• Clinical Application of MR Fingerprinting in Epilepsy Advances With NIH Grant Renewal

SEEG

• Decoding the Insula: New Semiological Insights for Localizing Seizure Onset
• Changes in Anxiety Following Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery
• SEEG Linked With More Complete Resection and Greater Seizure Freedom in MOGHE Subtype of Epilepsy
• Automated Framework Matches Expert Precision in Mapping Seizure Evolution
• SEEG in Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation: Current and Future Roles (Podcast)
• What We’ve Learned From Our First 1,000 Cases of SEEG Evaluation

Epilepsy Surgery and Outcomes

• Laser Ablation for Unilateral Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia and Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
• Epilepsy Care in Older Adults: New Insights Into Seizure Types and RNS Response
• Machine Learning Algorithm May Enhance Accuracy of Predicting Seizure Control After Epilepsy Surgery

Critical Care of Epilepsy

• Harnessing AI to Bring Real-Time EEG Interpretation to the ICU
• Management of Patients with Acute Symptomatic Seizures
• Continuous EEG in Critically Ill Patients: Study Raises Reasons to Revisit Monitoring Duration

Medical Management and Other Interventions

• Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies: Insights From a Large Pediatric Series
• New Program Tackles Dual Challenge of Epilepsy and Dementia in Older Adults
• Ganaxolone Effective for Rare Form of Childhood Epilepsy
• Lifestyle Interventions for Epilepsy and Related Comorbidities to Be Assessed in Largest Prospective Study to Date
• Counseling Women with Epilepsy about Birth Control Options
• CBD Yields Rapid Seizure Resolution in Two Cases of Refractory Epilepsy With Myoclonic-Atonic Seizures
• Subtyping of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Promises More Personalized Treatment and Surveillance
• Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and the Potential of Gene Therapy (Podcast)

Program Details

Educational philosophy

We aim for a balance of patient-centered clinical experience, varied and expansive exposure to EEG and other relevant studies, both structured and self-driven instructional strategies, and varied scholarly activities for an exceptional and comprehensive education in the diagnosis and management of adults and children with epilepsy, including medical, surgical, neuromodulatory and investigational treatments.

The strength of the education in our fellowship is the quality and quantity, breadth, and depth of exposure in parallel with the dedicated mentorship and instruction of our expert faculty. Although a clinically busy center, in fellowship we graduate responsibilities to allow our trainees to achieve a balance of efficiency and quality of their work as they grow.

Epilepsy course

One unique aspect of our curriculum is the initiation with a 12-week intensive course in July, August, and September designed to introduce core topics in EEG interpretation and epilepsy training. During the course, a fellow’s time is dedicated almost exclusively to learning. There is graduated introduction of clinical and call responsibilities. The course has structured education on basic neurophysiology, EEG, epilepsy and seizure classification, digital EEG, neuroimaging, evoked potentials, , surgical neuroanatomy, anticonvulsant pharmacology, neuropathology, research skills, and other miscellaneous topics. The last month of the course is centered around hands-on case analysis of adult, pediatric, and invasive EEG monitoring.

Disclaimer: This is a sample schedule only and may not accurately represent the course as the schedule is continuously improved.

• Sample course schedule (PDF document)

Rotation schedule

Following the 3-month course, accredited track (first year) fellows will complete ACGME requirements of 6 months of inpatient/outpatient epilepsy, including at least 3 months of video-EEG monitoring. A pediatric fellow will complete 1 month of adult EEG monitoring. An adult fellow will complete 1 month of pediatric EEG monitoring. Fellows will rotate on the inpatient epilepsy monitoring units and consult services, with instruction on critical care EEG monitoring. There is one month of elective in a specialty area of the fellow’s choosing or for research pursuits. There is one month of study in neuropsychology, behavioral health, and neuroradiology as it pertains to epilepsy.

Those fellows who decide to continue training in a second, advanced year have flexibility to design their educational / research experience to fit their individual needs under the mentorship of faculty and the fellowship director. Typical focus for the second year is on advanced surgical management, including invasive monitoring cases and / or epilepsy research.

Curriculum

Extensive and rich educational opportunities for our fellows are summarized below.

• Interpretation of scalp EEG recording: routine outpatient, ambulatory, inpatient/critical care long term monitoring, and inpatient diagnostic/presurgical epilepsy monitoring unit evaluations
• Clinical and medical management of epilepsy patients in various inpatient and outpatient settings
• Longitudinal clinic in epilepsy under the supervision of epilepsy center staff
• Presurgical investigations including neuroimaging and post processing, PET, ictal SPECT, MEG, fMRI, intracarotid amobarbital procedure
• Surgical management and decision making with multidisciplinary patient management conference (near daily)
• Interpretation of invasive (stereo EEG) monitoring
• Intraoperative and extra operative brain stimulation
• Critical Care neurophysiology monitoring including inpatient beside video-EEG
• Specialty clinic opportunities available with a focus in vagal nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, ketogenic diet, pediatric syndromes (CDKL5, neurocutaneous), women with epilepsy, clinical psychology (especially for functional neurological disorder), and neuropsychiatry
• Neuromodulation therapies (VNS, RNS, DBS)
• Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• Transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS)
• Interpretation of evoked potentials: visual, auditory, somatosensory, cortical-cortical
• Intraoperative monitoring

Our adult and pediatric epilepsy teams work in tandem within the center allowing comprehensive exposure to both patient populations for all fellows. Pediatric trainees participate in all the educational and academic activities described; however, the majority of clinical, hospital, and video-EEG exposure focused on pediatric patients. For instance, all conferences are combined with adult and pediatric faculty attendance.

Benefits

Review Cleveland Clinic's benefit highlights.

Salary

Review Cleveland Clinic's Salary for Clinical Residents and Fellows.

Fellows are paid at a PGY5 level regardless of status.

Moonlighting

Additional moonlighting opportunities are accessible within the epilepsy center, offering a chance to enhance your clinical training and educational objectives. To be eligible for moonlighting, you must obtain approval from the program director, possess a personal DEA license, and hold a permanent medical license for the state of Ohio.

Conferences

• Neurology Grand Rounds
• Epilepsy Grand Rounds
• Pediatric Epilepsy Grand Rounds
• Epilepsy Presurgical Patient Management Conference
• Invasive Patient Management Conference
• Epilepsy Invasive sEEG Analysis Conference (Juan Bulacio, MD, Andreas Alexopoulos, MD, Patrick Chauvel, MD)
• Neuromodulation case conference (Dileep Nair MD, Andreas Alexopoulos MD, Krishna Galla MD)
• Neonatal EEG conference (Elia Pestana Knight MD, Ahsan Moosa Naduvil MD, Deepak Lachhwani MD, Maksim Parfyonov MD, Elham Abushanab MD)
• Evoked Potential / Intraoperative Monitoring case conference
• Epilepsy Journal Club
• Medical Management Antiseizure Medication Case Conference
• Status epilepticus emergent treatment simulation session
• Critical care EEG Outcome Case Review

Course/Workshops

Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center hosts annual courses to which fellows receive complimentary registration. These vary by year, but examples are linked below.

• Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Summit
• Cleveland Clinic sEEG Workshop
• Cleveland Clinic Lifestyle Intervention for Epilepsy (LIFE) Conference

Research

Opportunities for collaborative research are available at the interest of the fellow. Adult and pediatric trainees, especially those selecting academic clinician or clinician scientist career training tracks are encouraged to participate in clinical or basic research under the direction of primary investigators and encouraged to present their work at national meetings with financial support provided by the institution.

Recent projects collaborated with staff include:

• Epilepsy neuroimaging (Irene Wang PhD, Stephen Jones MD, PhD, Ma Maksim Parfyonov MD, Nicholas Swingle MD).
• Magnetoencephalography (Hiroatsu Murakami MD, PhD, Andreas Alexopoulos MD, MPH, Krishna Galla MD, Richard Burgess MD, PhD).
• Epilepsy Outcomes (Lara Jehi MD, MHCDS, Vineet Punia MD, MS).
• Stereo-electroencephalography (Juan Bulacio MD, Patrick Chauvel MD).
• Signal processing (Balu Krishnan PhD).
• Epilepsy Biorepository (Robyn Busch PhD).
• Neuropsychology (Kayela Arrota PhD, Robyn Busch PhD, Anny Reyes PhD).
• Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES) (Becky Tilahun PhD).
• Focal cortical dysplasia experimental research (Imad Najm MD, Zhong Ying, MD PhD).
• Brain connectivity (Dileep Nair MD).
• Brain Dynamics (Demitre Serletis MD, PhD).
• Tuberous sclerosis (Ajay Gupta MD).
• Epileptic encephalopathy and neonatal EEG (Elia Pestana Knight MD).
• Continuous EEG in critically-ill patients, status epilepticus, acute symptomatic seizure (Stephen Hantus MD, Vineet Punia MD, MS).
• Pediatric epilepsy surgery, hemispherectomy (Ahsan Moosa Naduvil MD).
• Lifestyle Interventions for Epilepsy (LIFE study) (Elizabeth Spurgeon MD).
• Brain Study (Vineet Punia MD, MS, Imad Najm MD, Andre Machado MD, PhD).
• Pediatric psychiatric comorbidities (Tatiana Falcone, MD, MPH).
• Neuromodulation (Richard Rammo, MD, Dileep Nair MD, Andreas Alexopoulos MD, MPH, Krishna Galla MD).
• Epilepsy surgery (William Bingaman, MD, Demitre Serletis MD, Richard Rammo, MD).
• Sleep and epilepsy (Nancy Foldvary, DO, MS).

Some of our epilepsy center staff are supported by NIH R01 grants and there are institutional infrastructures for research which include large surgical outcomes database, searchable EEG database, and biorepository. Collaboration with other specialties or departments is possible based on a fellow’s specific interests.

Below is a sampling of recent scholarship to which our fellows have contributed. Each year, several fellows present posters highlighting their research contributions at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting and other national conferences.

• Three-Phase Seizure Segmentation in Stereotactic EEG Using Envelope-Based Multivariate Changepoint Analysis.
  Kumar, H., Seshadri, N. P. G., Martinez, D., Najm, I., Alexopoulos, A., Bulacio, J. C., Serletis, D., & Krishnan, B. (2026). Annals of biomedical engineering,
• The Role of Electroencephalography in Predicting Post-Stroke Seizures and an Updated Prognostic Model (SeLECT-EEG).
  Schubert, K. M., Dasari, V., Oliveira, A. L., Tatillo, C., Naeije, G., Strzelczyk, A., Merlino, G., Valente, M., Gaspard, N., Punia, V., Galovic, M., Bentes, C., & SeLECT Collaborators (2025). Annals of neurology, 98(4), 814–825.
• Systematic review and meta-analysis of lifestyle modification interventions and their impact on seizure reduction and quality of life.
  Spurgeon E, Ivanuik A, Sodani S, et al. Epilepsia. 2026;67(9):4572-4589.
• What cEEG Adds for Detecting Abnormalities and Predicting Post-Stroke Epilepsy.
  Schubert KM, Dasari V, Tatillo C, et al. Continuous Versus Short EEG After Ischemic Stroke: Ann Neurol. 2026;100(2):400-415. doi:10.1002/ana.78251
• Antiseizure Medication Use and Outcomes After Suspected or Confirmed Acute Symptomatic Seizures.
  Zafar SF, Sivaraju A, Rubinos C, Ayub N, Awodutire PO, McKee Z, Chandan P, Byrnes M, Bhansali SA, Rice H, Smith-Ayala A, Haider MA, Tveter E, Erlich-Malona N, Ibanhes F, DeMarco A, Lewis S, Dhakar MB, Punia V. JAMA Neurol. 2024 Sep 23;81(11):1159–69. PMID: 39312247.
• Post‐Acute Symptomatic Seizure Investigation and Outcomes Network (PASSION) investigators. Management and Outcomes in Confirmed or Suspected Acute Symptomatic Seizure: Role of Structured Outpatient Care.
  Punia V, Byrnes M, Thompson NR, Ayub N, Rubinos C, Zafar S, Sivaraju A, Ying Z, Fesler JR, Hantus Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2025 Jun;12(6):1225-1239. PMID: 40244869.
• A multidisciplinary look into transgender and gender diverse people with epilepsy: An at-risk and underreported population.
  Byrnes M, Markantone D, Probinsky M, Nwankwo A, Fesler J.
  2025 May 19;66(7):e127–35. . PMID: 40387193.
• Long-Term Video Electroencephalographic Monitoring in <30-Week Gestational Age Infants With High-Grade Intraventicular Hemorrhage.
  Rashid S, Goyal M, Lalor K, Al-Robaidi K, Shukla V, Rahman F, Ramani M.
  Peditr Neurol. 2024 Jan;150:44-47. Doi: 10. 1016. PMId: 37952260.
• Review of the Longitudinal Management of Autoimmune Encephalitis, Potential Biomarkers, and Novel Therapeutics.
  Mahadeen AZ, Carlson AK, Cohen JA, Galioto R, Abbatemarco JR, Kunchok A. Neurol Clin Pract. 2024 Aug;14(4); PMID: 38831758.
• Late-onset epilepsy clinic: From clinical diagnostics to biomarkers. Punia V, Bhansali S, Tsai C. Seizure. 2024 Jun 26:S1059-1311(24)00192-4. PMID: 38944548.
• Predictors of therapeutic response following thalamic neuromodulation for drug-resistant pediatric epilepsy: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Sharma A, Parfyonov M, Tiefenbach J, Hogue O, Nero N, Jehi L, Serletis D, Bingaman W, Gupta A, Rammo R. Epilepsia. 2024 Mar;65(3):542-555. PMID: 38265348.
• Normative Quantitative Relaxation Atlases for Characterization of Cortical Regions Using Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting.
  Choi JY, Hu S, Su TY, Murakami H, Tang Y, Blümcke I, Najm I, Sakaie K, Jones SE, Griswold M, Wang ZI, Ma D. Cerebral Cortex. 2023 Mar 21;33(7):3562-3574. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhac292. PMID: 35945683.
• Technological and computational approaches to detect somatic mosaicism in epilepsy.
  Boßelmann CM, Leu C, Lal D. Neurobiol Dis. 2023 Aug;184:106208. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106208. PMID: 37343892.
• Epilepsy with eyelid myoclonia in the setting of de novo pathogenic variant in ATP1A3. Epileptic Disord.
  Parfyonov M, Ivaniuk A, Parikh S, Pestana-Knight E. 2023 Aug;25(4):545-548. doi: 10.1002/epd2.20086. PMID: 37293976.
• Pediatric anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis in siblings: Developmental, Electrophysiologic, and Genetic Implications.
  Aboseif A, Toljan K, Mahadeen A, Zeft A, Moosa AN, Pestana-Knight E, Abrams A. J Neuroimmunol. 2023 Jun 15;379:578107. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578107. PMID: 37207440.
• Are AI language models such as ChatGPT ready to improve the care of individuals with epilepsy?
  Boßelmann CM, Leu C, Lal D. Epilepsia. 2023 May;64(5):1195-1199. doi: 10.1111/epi.17570. PMID: 36869421.
• Clinical Significance of Ictal Magnetoencephalography in Patients Undergoing Epilepsy Surgery.
  Katagiri M, Wang ZI, Hirfanoglu T, Aldosari MM, Aung T, Wang S, Kobayashi K, Bulacio J, Bingaman W, Najm IM, Alexopoulos AV, Burgess RC. Clinical Neurophysiology. 2023 Jan;145:108-118. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2022.10.005. PMID: 36443170.
• The Black Line Sign in Focal Cortical Dysplasia IIB: a 7T MRI and Electro-clinico-pathological Study.
  Tang Y, Blümcke I, Su TY, Choi JY, Krishnan B, Murakami H, Alexopoulos AV, Najm IM, Jones SE, Wang ZI. Neurology. 2022 Aug 9;99(6):e616-e626. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200702. PMID: 35940890.
• Surgical candidates in children with epileptic spasms can be selected without invasive monitoring: A report of 70 cases.
  Erdemir G, Pestana-Knight E, Honomichl R, Thompson NR, Lachhwani D, Kotagal P, Wyllie E, Gupta A, Bingaman WE, Moosa ANV. Epilepsy Res. 2021 Oct;176:106731. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2021.106731. PMID: 34339941.
• Risk factors that predict delayed seizure detection on continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) in a large sample size of critically ill patients.
  Zawar I, Briskin I, Hantus S. Epilepsia Open. 2022 Mar;7(1):131-143. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12572. PMID: 34913615.
• Electrographic Features of Epilepsy with Eyelid Myoclonia With Photoparoxysmal Responses.
  Zawar I, Shreshtha B, Benech D, Burgess RC, Bulacio J, Knight EMP. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2022 Apr 8. doi: 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000942. PMID: 35394968.
• Using magnetic resonance fingerprinting to characterize periventricular nodular heterotopias in pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
  Choi JY, Krishnan B, Hu S, Martinez D, Tang Y, Wang X, Sakaie K, Jones S, Murakami H, Blümcke I, Najm I, Ma D, Wang ZI. Epilepsia. 2022 May;63(5):1225-1237. doi: 10.1111/epi.17191 PMID: 35343593.
• Characterizing the phenotype of drug-resistant childhood epilepsy associated with leukemia: A case series.
  Abushanab E, Pestana Knight E, Moosa AN. Epilepsy Behav Rep. 2021 Jan 31;15:100432. doi: 10.1016/j.ebr.2021.100432. PMID: 33898963; PMCID: PMC8053798.
• Characterization of Postanoxic Tonic Eyelid Opening: A Poorly Recognized Prognostic Sign.
  Alsallom F, Shaker H, Newey C, Hantus S, Punia V. Neurol Clin Pract. 2021 Aug;11(4):e422-e429. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000990. PMID: 34484940.
• Long-term electro-clinical profile of sudden cardiac arrest survivors
  Shaker H, Milan A, Alsallom F, Newey C, Hantus S, Punia V.. Epilepsia Open. 2021 Sep;6(3):559-568. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12516. PMID: 34181820.

Clinical Fellowships

Epilepsy Fellowship

• Board-eligible or board-certified in neurology and have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited Adult or Pediatric Neurology Residency Program in the United States or RCPSC-accredited Adult or Pediatric Neurology Residency Program in Canada.

• ERAS (https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-fellowships-eras/applying-fellowships-eras-system)
• NRMP (nrmp.org/fellowship/epilepsy-and-clinical-neurophysiology)

Intracranial Neurophysiology Fellowship

• Formal training in neurology, child neurology
• Foundational training in epilepsy, clinical neurophysiology, or the equivalent
• USMLE Steps 1 and 2
• Current valid ECFMG certificate (for international applicants)

• Fellowship Application
• Updated curriculum vitae (CV)
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from your training director
• USMLE/COMLEX Score Reports
• Residency Diploma
• Medical School Diploma
• Certified copy of current valid ECFMG certificate (applicable for International Medical Graduates only)

Clinical Neurophysiology

Research Fellowships

Research Fellows

Our program also accepts fellows from across the world with variable interests and goals for differing lengths of training at Cleveland Clinic. Research fellows have variable responsibilities depending on prior training, experience, and career goals.

If you are interested, please email epilepsyfellowships@ccf.org for more information.

To apply for a research fellowship position in the Epilepsy Center you need to secure funding from either your sponsoring institution, funding agency or other sources that would support the duration of a research fellowship here including the required health benefits through Cleveland Clinic’s health plan.

Most participants must start the program in either July or the latter half of September to ensure they first complete the three-month epilepsy and EEG course at the beginning of their research fellowship. A fellow needs to be able to commit to at least 1 year to be eligible.

Application Requirements

• Completed application form
• Current curriculum vitae
• A personal statement (a description of reasons to pursue this training, of your specific research interests, and career goals)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Letter of financial support from the sponsoring institution or funding agency for salary and health benefit. Self-funding is not accepted
• Documentation of English Language Requirement
• Documentation of ECFMG Certification and /or USMLE Score Report
• Documentation of successful completion of the TOEFL iBT (minimum overall score of 65 or higher required. Scores in the specific sections of Listening and Speaking must have a score of 15 or higher. Reading and Writing scores combined can make up the difference to meet the overall score of 65.)

Contact Us

Phone: 216.445.0831

Email: epilepsyfellowships@ccf.org

Meghan Braumbaugh, MBA
Program Manager, NI Graduate Medical Education
Epilepsy Fellowship Program Manager

Jessica Fesler, MD, M Ed
Program Director, Epilepsy Fellowship
Program Director, Intracranial Neurophysiology Fellowship
Program Director, Epilepsy Research Fellowship
Associate Program Director, Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship
Co-Director, Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy, Neurophysiology, and EEG 12-week Course

Chris Traner MD, MHS-MedEd
Program Director, Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship
Associate Program Director, Epilepsy Fellowship
Associate Program Director, Intracranial Neurophysiology Fellowship
Co-Director, Epilepsy Research Fellowship
Co-Director, Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy, Neurophysiology, and EEG 12-week Course

Current Fellows

Epilepsy Center Graduation 2026

Epilepsy Center Graduation 2025

Epilepsy Center Graduation 2024

Current Intracranial Neurophysiology Fellows

Jessica Cooperrider, MD
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Neurology

Charles Fry, MD
Medical School: University College London and Lister Hospital
Residency: University College London and Lister Hospital and Southmead Hospital, Bristol

Kalina Misiolek, MD
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Virginia, Neurology

Current ACGME Clinical Neurophysiology Fellows

Vijaya Dasari, MD
Medical School: University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Neurology

Yasar Esengul, MD
Medical School: Kocaleli Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Turkiye
Residency: University of Toledo, Neurology

Current ACGME Epilepsy Fellows

Sakhi Bhansali, MD
Medical School: Calcutta National Medical College, India
Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Neurology

Lubna Halawani, MD
Medical School: Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University College of Medicine
Residency: McGill University, Neurology

Shan He, DO
Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: University of Kansas Medical Center, Neurology

Ivan Sanchez Fernandez, MD
Medical School: Universidad de Ovideo Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Spain
Residency: Boston Medical Center, Child Neurology

John Pendas, MD
Medical School: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Residency: University of South Florida, Neurology

Maryam Syed, MD
Medical School: Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Pakistan
Residency: Wayne State University School of Medicine

Current Research Fellow

Vasinee Viarasilpa, MD (Thailand)

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