Anthony Schulien, MD

  • PGY-3 Resident

Anthony J. Schulien, MD, joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery residency program in July 2021 after earning an MD degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Here, he completed the five-year Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP), and was awarded The Theodore Kurze, MD, award for Excellence in Neurological Surgery and Clinical Neurosciences. Prior to medical school, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in neuroscience as well as a minor in chemistry. 

During his training, Dr. Schulien has conducted longitudinal research on ischemic neuroprotective strategies at the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND). His translational research has resulted in the development of a novel, blood brain barrier-permeable neuroprotective peptide that mitigates Kv2.1 potassium channel-mediated apoptotic neuronal death and improves neurologic functional outcomes following cerebral ischemia in a murine model. His work has resulted in publications in Science Advances, Brain, and the Journal of Neuroscience, among others. Dr. Schulien has presented this work broadly in both national and international forums. He has also performed clinical research in outcomes following skull base surgery with the department.

Before matriculation to medical school, Dr. Schulien found his passion for medicine as a volunteer EMT with the Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad. Dr. Schulien was born and raised in Potomac Falls, Va. His hobbies include backcountry backpacking, snowboarding, and spending time with his family, friends, and dog.

Specialized Areas of Interest

Cerebrovascular neurosurgery; endovascular neurosurgery; skull base neurosurgery; neurotrauma; spine surgery; general neurosurgery.

Professional Organization Membership

American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Medical Association
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Society for Neuroscience

Education & Training

  • BS, Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
  • MD, Physician Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, 2021

Honors & Awards

  • The Theodore Kurze, MD, Senior Prize for Excellence in Neurological Surgery, UPMC Neurosurgery, 2021
  • Certificate of Merit for Excellence in the Longitudinal Research Project, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2021
  • Top Research Poster Award, Brain Day, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, 2018
  • Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) Trainee Scholarship, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2016
  • Neuroscience Research Excellence Award, University of Pittsburgh Department of Neuroscience, 2015
  • Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) in Molecular Pharmacology Fellowship, Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh (CNUP), 2014
  • The Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Honors College, 2014
  • President’s Volunteer Service Award, Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad, 2013-2014

Selected Publications

Yeh CY, Schulien AJ, Molyneaux BJ, Aizenman E. Lessons from recent advances in ischemic stroke management and targeting Kv2.1 for neuroprotectionInt J Mol Sci 21(17):6107, 2020.

Schulien AJ, Yeh CY, Orange BN, Pav OJ, Hopkins MP, Moutal A, Khanna R, Sun D, Justice JA, Aizenman E. Targeted-disruption of Kv2.1-VAPA association provides neuroprotection against ischemic stroke in mice by declustering Kv2.1 channelsSci Adv 6(27):eaaz8110, 2020.

XiangWei W, Kannan V, Xu Y, Kosobucki GJ, Schulien AJ, Kusumoto H, El Achkar CM, Bhattacharya S, Lesca G, Nguyen S, Helbig KL, Cuisset JM, Fenger CD, Marjanovic D, Schuler E, Wu Y, Bao X, Zhang Y, Dirkx N, Schoonjans A, Syrbe S, Myers SJ, Poduri A, Aizenman E, Traynelis SF, Lemke JR, Yuan H,  Jiang Y. Heterogeneous clinical and functional features of GRIN2D-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathyBrain 142(10):3009-3027, 2019.

Justice JA, Manjooran DT, Yeh CY, Schulien AJ, Hartnett-Scott KA, Mammen SH, Palladino MJ, Aizenman E. Neuroprotection induced by zinc-dependent expression of hepatitis C-derived protein NS5A targeting Kv2.1 potassium channelsJ Pharmacol Exp Ther 367(2):348-355, 2018.

Justice JA, Schulien AJ, He K, Hartnett KA, Aizenman E, Shah NH. Disruption of KV2.1 somato-dendritic clusters prevents the apoptogenic increase of potassium currentsNeuroscience 354:158-167, 2017.

Ogden KK, Chen W, Swanger SA, McDaniel MJ, Fan LZ, Hu C, Tankovic A, Kusumoto H, Kosobucki GJ, Schulien AJ, Su Z, Pecha J, Bhattacharya S, Petrovski S, Cohen AE, Aizenman E, Traynelis SF, Yuan H. Molecular mechanism of disease-associated mutations in the pre-M1 helix of NMDA receptors and potential rescue pharmacologyPLoS Genet 13(1):e1006536, 2017.

Li D, Yuan H, Ortiz-Gonzalez XR, Marsh ED, Tian L, McCormick EM, Kosobucki GJ, Chen W, Schulien AJ, Chiavacci R, Tankovic A, Naase C, Brueckner F, von Stülpnagel-Steinbeis C, Hu C, Kusumoto H, Hedrich UB, Elsen G, Hörtnagel K, Aizenman E, Lemke JR, Hakonarson H, Traynelis SF, Falk MJ. GRIN2D recurrent de novo dominant mutation causes a severe epileptic encephalopathy treatable with NMDA receptor channel blockersAm J Hum Genet 6;99(4):802-816, 2016.

Schulien AJ, Justice JA, Di Maio R, Wills ZP, Shah NH, Aizenman E. Zn(2+) -induced Ca(2+) release via ryanodine receptors triggers calcineurin-dependent redistribution of cortical neuronal Kv2.1 K(+) channelsJ Physiol 594(10):2647-59, 2016.

Shah NH, Schulien AJ, Clemens K, Aizenman TD, Hageman TM, Wills ZP, Aizenman E. Cyclin e1 regulates Kv2.1 channel phosphorylation and localization in neuronal ischemiaJ Neurosci 34(12):4326-31, 2014.