Kai J. Miller

Kai J. Miller, M.D., Ph.D., is a Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Department of Neurosurgery. He specializes in pediatric and adult neurosurgery, focusing on brain tumors, epilepsy, and deep-brain stimulation. His research integrates clinical practice with advanced neurotechnology, including brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and neural circuit dynamics. Dr. Miller leads the Mayo Clinic’s Brain Tumor Program and Pediatric Neurosurgery specialty groups, with affiliations to the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and Children’s Pediatrics Surgery Specialty Groups.

Education includes dual Ph.D.s in Neurobiology & Behavior (2014, University of Washington) and Physics (2008, University of Washington), an M.D. (2011, University of Washington), and a B.S. in Physics and Biology (2000, UC San Diego). He completed neurosurgical residencies at Stanford University and fellowships in Pediatric Neurosurgery (Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, Utrecht) and Neurological Stereotaxy (Stanford/UC Davis).

Research interests span cybernetics, neurosurgical stereotaxy, large-scale brain dynamics, and motor circuit analysis. He has pioneered studies on electrical brain stimulation effects and ECoG-based BCI systems. His work bridges clinical neurosurgery with computational neuroscience, emphasizing translational applications in epilepsy, tumor resection, and neuromodulation.

Key contributions include developing novel stereotactic techniques, optimizing deep-brain stimulation (DBS) protocols, and advancing real-time neural signal decoding. Awards include the Rosegay Award (2018), Van Wagenen Fellowship (2018), and recognition from the National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies (2014).

Dr. Miller mentors neurosurgical residents and graduate students, teaching advanced neurosurgical techniques and research methodologies. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at Mayo Clinic and global institutions, driving innovations in neurotechnology and personalized patient care.