Peter Christian Warnke

Peter Christian Warnke, MD is a Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. An internationally renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Warnke has performed more than 7,000 stereotactic surgeries and over 3,000 brain tumor surgeries throughout his distinguished career. He directs the pediatric and adult epilepsy surgery program within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and the MRI-Guided Laser Ablation Program for epilepsy and tumors at the University of Chicago, where he has performed more than 400 laser surgeries.

• Internationally recognized expertise in pediatric neurosurgery, brain tumor surgery (neurooncology), and movement and epilepsy surgery
• Director of SLATE, NAUTILUS and RESPONSE trials in epilepsy surgery
• Associate Editor of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (impact factor 13.65)
• Performed first laser hemispherectomy for drug-resistant epilepsy in Illinois and second worldwide
• First neurosurgeon in Chicago to use directional deep brain stimulation

Dr. Warnke's research focuses on developing biological and minimally invasive treatments for epilepsy, movement disorders and brain tumors using functional imaging and fiber tracking. His work particularly emphasizes Brain-Computer Interface for the motor and sensory cortex, mechanisms of memory formation, and the effect of laser energy on tumor permeability, blood flow and extracellular space in brain tumors. His research is collaboratively funded by 4 NIH grants including the Brain Initiative.

Analysis of Dr. Warnke's recent publications reveals a strong focus on advancing intracortical microstimulation techniques for restoring sensory function, particularly tactile perception. His work bridges neurosurgery, neuroscience, and neuroengineering with significant contributions to epilepsy surgery techniques, deep brain stimulation applications, and innovative laser ablation procedures. Much of his recent work involves collaborative research on brain-computer interfaces, with emphasis on creating more natural sensory feedback for neuroprosthetic applications.

Dr. Warnke directs multiple clinical trials investigating laser ablation and closed loop brain stimulation as minimally invasive alternatives to open surgery for epilepsy treatment. He also leads research exploring new biological treatments for epilepsy using cell transplants to silence epileptic areas (Neurona Trial). His work on psychiatric neurosurgery, particularly for obsessive compulsive disorder using interstitial laser techniques, represents another significant research frontier.

Dr. Warnke has established and directs specialized programs including the SLATE, NAUTILUS and RESPONSE trials for epilepsy surgery. His MRI-Guided Laser Ablation Program has performed over 400 laser surgeries at the University of Chicago. He collaborates extensively with the ACID research group in the Department of Psychiatry for psychiatric neurosurgery applications. His research on Brain-Computer Interface involves collaboration with multiple institutions to develop more effective neural prosthetics with natural sensory feedback.