Stephanie Casillo, MD, joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery as a PGY-1 resident July 1, 2023 after earning her MD degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. As a medical student, she was president of the AANS Medical Student Chapter, led the preclinical medical student neurosurgery elective course, and was awarded the Theodore Kurze, MD Senior Prize for Excellence in Neurological Surgery and Clinical Neurosciences. Prior to medical school, she graduated magna cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in biomedical engineering.
Dr. Casillo’s clinical and academic interests include neuro-oncology, pediatric neurosurgery, surgeon-scientist education, and women in neurosurgery. As a research fellow in the Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP), Dr. Casillo conducted longitudinal translational research on metabolic dependences in pediatric diffuse midline glioma (DMG). Specifically, she identified a novel mechanism by which the hallmark histone mutation H3K27M impacts tumor cell glycolysis through an ERK5-PFKFB3 axis involving both a critical kinase and a metabolic effector. Small molecule inhibitors targeting this axis prolong survival in mouse models. She was awarded the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship (MSSRF) for this work, which has resulted in publications in Molecular Oncology and Nature Cancer.
Dr. Casillo is an advocate for the advancement of women in neurosurgery and was the lead investigator on a project narrating the life and accomplishments of Dorothy Klenke Nash, MD, the first female neurosurgeon in the United States. Her work has resulted in publications in Neurosurgery and Journal of Neurosurgery and the establishment of the Dorothy Klenke Nash, MD, Lectureship to be awarded annually by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Casillo has also sought clinical research opportunities in traumatic brain injury, vascular neurosurgery, spine surgery, and neurosurgical education.
Dr. Casillo was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, live music, and spending time with her family, friends, and partner Patrick.
Specialized Areas of Interest
Professional Organization Membership
Education & Training
- MD, Physician-Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2023
- BS, Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2018
Honors & Awards
- Theodore Kurze Senior Prize for Excellence in Neurological Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 2023
- Sell Family Physician Scientist Award, Physician-Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2023
- Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship (MSSRF), Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation, 2021
- Physician-Scientist Training Program Scholarship, Physician-Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2018
- Honors Program Research Grant, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2013
- Presidential Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2013
Selected Publications
Jane EP, Reslink MC, Gatesman TA, Halbert ME, Miller TA, Golbourn BJ, Casillo SM, Mullett SJ, Wendell SG, Obodo U, Mohanakrishnan D, Dange R, Michealraj A, Brenner C, Agnihotri S, Premkumar DR, Pollack IF. Targeting mitochondrial energetics reverses panobinostat- and marizomib-induced resistance in pediatric and adult high-grade gliomas. Mol Oncol [Online ahead of print], 2023.
Golbourn BJ, Halbert ME, Halligan K, Varadharajan S, Krug B, Mbah NE, Kabir N, Stanton AJ, Locke AL, Casillo SM, Zhao Y, Sanders LM, Cheney A, Mullett SJ, Chen A, Wassell M, Andren A, Perez J, Jane EP, Premkumar DRD, Koncar RF, Mirhadi S, McCarl LH, Chang YF, Wu YL, Gatesman TA, Cruz AF, Zapotocky M, Hu B, Kohanbash G, Wang X, Vartanian A, Moran MF, Lieberman F, Amankulor NM, Wendell SG, Vaske OM, Panigrahy A, Felker J, Bertrand KC, Kleinman CL, Rich JN, Friedlander RM, Broniscer A, Lyssiotis C, Jabado N, Pollack IF, Mack SC, Agnihotri S. Loss of MAT2A compromises methionine metabolism and represents a vulnerability in H3K27M mutant glioma by modulating the epigenome. Nat Cancer 3(5):629-648, 2022.
Casillo SM, Venkatesh A, Muthiah N, McDowell MM, Agarwal N. First Female Neurosurgeon in the United States: Dorothy Klenke Nash, MD. Neurosurgery 89(4):E223-E228, 2021.
Casillo SM, Venkatesh A, Muthiah N, Agarwal N, Scott T, Romani R, Fernández LL, Aristizabal S, Ginalis EE, Ozair A, Bhat V, Faruqi A, Bajaj A, Sonkar AA, Ikeda DS, Chiocca EA, Lonser RR, Sutton TE, McGregor JM, Rea GL, Schunemann VA, Ngwenya LB, Marlin ES, Porensky PN, Shaikhouni A, Huntoon K, Dornbos D, Shaw AB, Powers CJ, Gluski JM, Culver LG, Goodwin AM, Ham S, Marupudi NI, Bhat DI, Berry KM, Wu EM, Wang MY. Biographies of international women leaders in neurosurgery. Neurosurg Focus 50(3):E19, 2021.