Mark J. Burish

Mark J. Burish, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, and Director of the Will Erwin Headache Research Center. He holds board certifications in neurology and pain medicine. His clinical practice focuses on neck/back pain, neuropathic conditions, and headache disorders, with research centered on circadian mechanisms of headache disorders and neuroplasticity.

Education & Training:

• MD/PhD: Vanderbilt University (2008-2010)
• Residency: Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
• Fellowship: Interventional Pain Management, UCSF

Research Interests: Dr. Burish investigates circadian biology’s role in headache disorders (cluster headache, migraine), neuropathic pain pathways, and cortical reorganization after spinal cord injuries using primate models and clinical data. His lab studies the suprachiasmatic nucleus's involvement in pain chronobiology.

Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles (2004-2015) reveal a focus on neurophysiology, cortical plasticity, pain mechanisms, and translational neurology. Key themes include sensory processing in primates, spinal cord injury recovery, and clinical neurology case studies.

Awards:

• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
• Core Clerkship Teaching Award (UCSF)

Clinical & Research Leadership: Dr. Burish leads the Will Erwin Headache Research Center, where he develops models for circadian headache research and collaborates with biochemistry experts. He also conducts clinical trials for headache treatments.