David T. Fernandes Cabral, MD

  • PGY-7 Resident

David T. Fernandes Cabral, MD, received his medical degree from the José María Vargas School of Medicine at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela where he graduated at the top of his class. While in medical school, Dr. Fernandes was a teacher assistant in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, as well as a research assistant at the Department of Pharmacology.

After graduating from medical school, David completed two years of mandatory service in a rural community in Venezuela where he served in a leadership role at the health center and was actively involved in teaching medical students during their rural rotations.

In 2015, Dr. Fernandes joined the Fiber Tractography Lab at the University of Pittsburgh as a post-doctoral associate research fellow.

Dr. Fernandes has been invited to lecture in white matter connectivity of the human brain at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychology, and is currently in charge of teaching the practical sessions in the surgical neuroanatomy course for fourth year medical students at the university.

During his free time, David enjoys cooking, travelling, biking, watching movies and spending time with his family and friends.

Specialized Areas of Interest

Skull base surgery, cerebrovascular surgery, surgical neuro-oncology, diffusion-MRI fiber tractography, microsurgical anatomy, and teaching.

Professional Organization Membership

American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Medical Association
AO Spine
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
North America Skull Base Society
Venezuelan Medical Association

Education & Training

  • MD, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2017

Honors & Awards

  • Best Poster Presentation, Venezuelan Neurosurgery Society, 2012
  • Research Assistant of the Year, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2011
  • Teacher Assistant of the Year, Department of Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2010

Research Activities

Dr. Fernandes is currently collaborating in the development of advanced fiber tractography for the spinal cord. This will allow further study of spinal cord anatomy as well as increasing the understanding of different diseases affecting this region of the central nervous system. In addition to this, Dr. Fernandes is currently working on functional anatomy, trying to understand the functionality of the different white matter tracts in the brain. On top of the research activities, Dr. Fernandes is currently working on developing an anatomy series for junior residents.