Ahmed Awad, MD

Ahmed Awad, MD, will join the UPMC Department of Neurological Surgery in September 2025 from Stanford University. As clinical assistant professor and director of functional neurosurgery at UPMC Hamot, Dr. Awad brings exceptional expertise in treating movement disorders, medically refractory epilepsy, and chronic pain syndromes using advanced minimally invasive techniques, including frame-based, frameless, awake, and asleep stereotactic approaches.

Born in Kansas and raised in Germany and Palestine, Dr. Awad’s global perspective was shaped early in life. He earned his medical degree from An-Najah National University in Palestine, where he cultivated a passion for neurosurgery and neuroscience research. During medical school, he participated in numerous humanitarian neurosurgery missions, delivering critical care in underserved regions and reinforcing his commitment to patient-centered excellence. 

Dr. Awad completed his neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, training under Peter Pahapill, MD, PhD, and Dan Heffez, MD, pioneers in functional, stereotactic neurosurgery, and pain. During residency, he honed his skills in functional neurosurgery and research. Dr. Awad further refined his expertise through the world-renowned functional neurosurgery fellowship at Stanford University under the mentorship of Jaimie Henderson, MD, and Vivek Buch, MD, mastering cutting-edge neuromodulation techniques.

At UPMC Hamot, Dr. Awad leads the functional neurosurgery program, specializing in deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia; surgical treatment for medically refractory epilepsy; and neuromodulation for chronic pain syndromes, including trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, Chiari malformation, and other central pain conditions. He has specialized training in spinal cord stimulation, baclofen and pain pumps, responsive neurostimulation (RNS), and stereo-EEG-guided epilepsy surgery. He also performs minimally invasive focused ultrasound ablation for tremors and other movement disorders. His multidisciplinary approach involves collaboration with neurologists, pain specialists, neuropsychologists, and rehabilitation experts to deliver personalized, state-of-the-art care.

In addition to his expertise in functional neurosurgery, Dr. Awad’s practice extends to cranial surgeries for both benign and malignant brain tumors, radiosurgery for brain tumors and vascular malformations, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt procedures for hydrocephalus. His expertise also includes the surgical management of spinal disorders, such as degenerative spine disease, spinal trauma, spinal tumors, and metastatic spinal cancers.

Dr. Awad’s current research interests include clinical outcomes following neuromodulation and focused ultrasound therapy, as well as expanding the role of neuromodulation techniques in neuropsychiatric, pain and neurodegenerative disorders. Throughout his training, Dr. Awad received several nationally competitive research grants, including from the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF), and has published extensively in the areas of DBS, epilepsy surgery, and neuromodulation. He has been invited to present his research and give lectures at prestigious national and international neurosurgery and neuromodulation conferences, contributing to UPMC’s leadership in clinical trials and innovative treatments. 

Dr. Awad is actively involved in academic neurosurgery and servers on the board of American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and Congress of Neurological Surgeons committees. With his global perspective, humanitarian experience, and dedication to advancing neurosurgery, Dr. Awad is a vital asset to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery, enhancing the lives of patients in western Pennsylvania and beyond through compassionate, cutting-edge treatment.