Alexander A. Khalessi MD, MBA, MS

Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA, is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in complex cranial surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, stroke care, and neurological oncology. He is chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, professor of neurological surgery, radiology, and neuroscience,s and the inaugural Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor's Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery. Dr. Khalessi is the current president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the leading academic society for neurosurgical professionals worldwide.

Dr. Khalessi provides both open surgical and minimally invasive, catheter-based approaches to complex neurosurgical conditions, including brain tumors, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVM), carotid disease, and ischemic stroke. He is passionate about finding innovative, personalized solutions that result in the best possible outcomes for his patients, and is consistently named a "Top Doc" in the annual San Diego Magazine "Physicians of Exceptional Excellence" survey. Dr. Khalessi has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor of San Diego for the second year in a row, which distinguishes him in the top 7% of doctors across the nation.

An active clinical leader in the field of neurosurgery and the treatment of cerebrovascular disease, Dr. Khalessi holds several national leadership positions. In addition to his role as CNS president, he serves on the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/CNS' Washington Committee and sits on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons.

Additionally, Dr. Khalessi is a founding member of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium and advises the FDA on early clinical feasibility for emerging neurovascular devices. He further served as a charter member of the NIH Interventional Advisory Panel for StrokeNet, which provides scientific oversight for federally funded research in neurovascular disease. Dr. Khalessi has been selected by his UC peers to serve as ascending vice chair of the UC Health Stroke and Cerebrovascular Consortium, which unites experts across all six UC campuses.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Khalessi has directed national and international training courses, including the intermediate resident course for the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS). He served on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Neurological Surgery, and editorial board for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Khalessi also participated in the authorship of the ACGME Neurosurgery and Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology Milestone Projects.

Dr. Khalessi earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Southern California, including an enfolded endovascular neurosurgery fellowship at the State University of New York, Buffalo. He obtained a bachelor's degree in public policy and a master's degree in health services research from Stanford University, and holds a master's degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.