Vinayak Narayan, MD

‘As a Neurological Surgeon, my mission is to help the patients by listening to them compassionately and providing the most effective treatment in the least invasive way.’ 

Vinayak Narayan, MD, joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery as a clinical assistant professor in August 2023. Dr. Narayan specializes in cerebrovascular and cranial base neurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology and stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. His neurosurgical expertise after completing the dual vascular fellowship training allows him to perform minimally invasive neurointerventional and endoscopic surgeries as well as open cerebrovascular and skull base surgeries, thereby providing patients a comprehensive and personalized approach in the treatment of neurovascular and skull base diseases. Dr. Narayan’s knowledge and skill in functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation can also provide the best possible outcome in patients with movement disorders, intractable epilepsy and chronic pain. Dr. Narayan is affiliated with UPMC Neurological Institute, Harrisburg and UPMC Williamsport. 

Dr. Narayan graduated with honors from the renowned medical school, Government Medical College, Trichur in India. He then completed the neurosurgery residency program at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore which is an Institute of National Importance (INI), and the most prestigious neurosciences institute in India. After earning the double masters degree in neurosurgery, he moved to the United States and completed postdoctoral fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery as well as neuro interventional surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La. and at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and University Hospital in New Jersey. Dr. Narayan also completed three prestigious clinical fellowship programs: stereotactic and functional neurosurgery (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio), interventional neuroradiology (NYU Langone Health and Bellevue Hospital Center, New York) and cerebrovascular neurosurgery (Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital, New York), which are accredited by the Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST).  

Dr. Narayan enjoys scientific writing and has authored numerous neurosurgical publications, book chapters and abstracts. His clinical and translational research productivity can be viewed in the National Library of Medicine's publication database. He has been on the editorial board of various neurosurgical journals and medical book publishers. His research interests include neurological outcomes in the management of cerebrovascular as well as skull base diseases, neurosonography and impact of advanced neuromodulation in Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Outside of neurological surgery, Dr. Narayan is passionate about music, riding motorcycles and biking.