Jon T. Willie

Jon T. Willie serves as Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Biomedical Engineering, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. A Castle Connolly Top Doctor, he maintains an active clinical practice specializing in epilepsy surgery, movement disorders, and minimally invasive MRI-guided neurosurgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

His educational pathway includes:

• BA in Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin (1991–1995)
• PhD in Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Southwestern (1998–2003)
• MD, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (1996–2005)
• Neurosurgery Residency, Washington University School of Medicine (2005–2011)
• Fellowship in Stereotactic, Functional, and Epilepsy Neurosurgery, Emory University (2011–2012)

Dr. Willie leads the Willie Laboratory for Behavioral Neuromodulation, investigating brain circuits governing memory and arousal in health and disease. His NIH/NIMH-funded research pioneers deep brain stimulation for cognitive enhancement and develops novel interventions for narcolepsy, PTSD, anxiety, and brain injury, with landmark publications on laser interstitial thermal therapy for epilepsy.

His honors include:

• Castle Connolly Top Doctor designation
• Emory School of Medicine's Mentor of the Year Award
• Emory's Millipub Club induction for >1,000-citation publication

As NIMH Learning and Memory Study Section reviewer and AANS/CNS Guidelines Committee member, he shapes national neurosurgical standards. Board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (2018), he holds dual hospital appointments while advancing translational neuromodulation therapies.