Ali Rezai

Ali Rezai, MD, is a tenured Professor in Neuroscience at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and Executive Chair/Director of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI). He has held leadership roles including Vice President of Neuroscience and Associate Dean, overseeing a multidisciplinary team of 300 physicians and scientists managing 2,200 neurological and mental health professionals.

• MD from University of Southern California (with honors)
• Neurosurgical training at NYU
• Functional neurosurgery fellowship at University of Toronto

His clinical expertise includes neuromodulation for movement disorders, chronic pain, nervous system injuries, and neurobehavioral conditions. Research emphasizes rapid-cycle innovation in neuromodulation technologies for Parkinson’s, brain/spinal cord injuries, addiction, and Alzheimer’s. With over 60 U.S. patents, he bridges academic-government-industry collaborations to deploy these technologies.

Scientific Awards:

• Cleveland Clinic Innovator of the Year
• Ohio State University Innovator of the Year
• NANS Lifetime Achievement Award
• NIH Heal Award for Excellence in Research

He has authored 200+ publications (h-index 97) and trained over 50 neurosurgical fellows, while maintaining active roles in editorial boards and textbook authorship.