Our Faculty

Daniel Donoho, MD

PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEON | CNMC

Dr. Donoho is an assistant professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics. His clinical interests include disorders of the skull base, brain tumors, pituitary tumors and craniopharyngiomas, rathke’s cleft cysts, spinal tumors, hydrocephalus, myelomeningocele, spina bifida, Chiari malformation, spinal malformations and trauma, spinal dysraphism and craniocervical spinal disorders.

Kevin Cleary, Ph.D.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR | SZI CNMC

Kevin Cleary, Ph.D., is the Technical Director of the Bioengineering Initiative at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. His research interests include biomedical devices, medical robotics, technology in medicine, and mobile apps.

Members and Collaborators

Recai Yilmaz, MD, PhD

POSTDOC RESEARCH FELLOW | CNMC

Recai developed his interest and skillset in AI research in neurosurgery and medicine. He was involved in the development of the Intelligent Continuous Expertise Monitoring System (link) that works as a real-time AI instructor, provides feedback more efficiently than human instructors in teaching simulated tumor resection skills (link). His research interest includes using AI for surgical diagnosis, triage and referral, and outcome prediction. He enjoys traveling, and playing soccer.

Yan Meng, PhD

STAFF SCIENTIST | CNMC

Yan Meng, Ph.D’s research is centered on advancing medical applications through cutting-edge AI. Her work encompasses various domains, including the development of computer simulations for medical education, the integration of intelligent systems for medical procedure recognition, and the enhancement of robotic surgery systems. Dr. Meng's contributions are shaping the future of neurosurgery, where AI plays a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes and refining clinical practices. She joined the lab, aiming to leverage AI in medical research, education, and patient care.

Dhiraj Pangal, MD

RESIDENT | STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Dhiraj is a neurosurgery resident, scientist and builder at the intersection of AI and medicine. He has published extensively with the Donoho lab, focusing on quantitative methods for surgical video analysis using computer vision and machine learning.

Arhum Naeem

MD CANDIDATE | GWU

Arhum’s research interests comprise of surgical procedures and their impact on patient outcomes. This is seen with his first publication regarding a skull base procedure analysis on patients with craniopharyngiomas. Furthermore, he wishes to aid in the growing partnership between transformers and surgical video analysis through a surgical video annotations project he is currently conducting.

Aadit Mehta

MD CANDIDATE | GW SMHS

Aadit is a third-year medical student at GW SMHS who is interested in pursuing a career in neurosurgery as a surgeon-scientist. His research interests are focused around developing mixed reality applications that identify and improve surgeon factors (e.g., skill, judgement, and knowledge) – ultimately making brain and spine surgery safer for kids. He is also interested in applying computer vision models to unstructured data to improve surgical outcomes. Aadit has working knowledge of object-oriented programming and wants to continue integrating computer science into neurosurgery – both inside and outside of the operating room.

Myra Zaheer

MD CANDIDATE | GW SMHS

Myra Zaheer is a second-year medical student at GW SMHS, interested in pursuing a career in ENT – Head and Neck Surgery on the surgeon-scientist track. She completed her undergraduate degree as a candidate in the Seven-Year BA/MD Program at GW. She quickly discovered her passion for otolaryngology while working at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC at the Sheikh Zayed Surgical Institute, investigating diagnostic and treatment modalities for disorders of the skull base. Her research interests include skull base tumors, artificial intelligence, and global health inequities.

Allan Blau

MD CANDIDATE | GEORGETOWN

Alan’s primary research interests surround the use of machine learning and computer vision technologies in the field of neurosurgery to identify patterns in surgical techniques and create more objective feedback metrics. His other research interests lie in the use of remote therapeutic monitoring technology for monitoring spine disease and the development of 3D-printed surgical simulators.

Ari Ettleson

MD CANDIDATE | GW SMHS

Broad research interests include leveraging technology to improve surgical outcomes, increase efficiency in the operating room, and enhance surgical training. Ari also has a strong interest in the medical humanities.

Nishanth Gowda

MD CANDIDATE | GW SMHS

Nishanth’s research interests align with machine learning in pediatric neurosurgery. He actively collaborates with team members to develop deep learning models with surgical video analysis. Nishanth’s current initiatives aim to transform surgical training models via automation, refine surgical navigation systems, and assist surgeons with real-time feedback during procedures. Nishanth’s most recent work published the functional outcomes of pediatric patients with craniopharyngiomas and aimed to optimize surgical strategies and improve patient quality of life.

Past Members and Collaborators

Danielle D. Dang, MD

RESIDENT | INOVA FAIRFAX

Pediatric neurosurgical oncology, skull base oncology, neuroanatomical education, molecular biology of developmental CNS tumors.