Jorge A. González-martínez MD, PhD

Jorge González-Martínez, MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon subspecialized in epilepsy and functional neurosurgery. He is the director of the epilepsy/movement disorders surgery division and the current Stuart Niles Rowe Chair in Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Epilepsy, Movement Disorders and Psychiatry Surgical Program, under the direction of Dr. González-Martínez encompasses the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy, movement disorders and psychiatry disorders. These pathological neurological conditions are similar in that successful neurosurgical treatment requires an expert understanding of the involved brain networks and their potential for modulation by functional neurosurgical procedures, as well as multidisciplinary teams that deliver surgical care to these special groups of patients. Dr. González-Martínez has expertise in both adult and pediatric patients. Pediatric patients are treated at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, as noted in U.S. News and World Report.

Dr. González-Martínez has the country’s largest experience in SEEG procedures, SEEG guided resections and neuromodulation surgeries, with more than 3,000 successful surgical procedures performed. To promote an optimal safety profile and seizure outcome, many procedures are performed under robotic guidance. In addition to developing and implementing the SEEG method in North America, Dr. González-Martínez is also a pioneer in robotic surgery, having performed more than 1,000 procedures using this technique. The University of Pittsburgh has the largest experience in robotic neurosurgery in the country and was one of the first institutions in adopting the novel technology.

In addition to clinical activities, The Epilepsy, Movement Disorders and Psychiatry Surgical Program is considered one the premier programs in the country regarding translational and basic science research, working in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neuroscience, Carnegie Mellon University Department of Biomedical Engineering, John Hopkins University and Aix Marseille University in France. The program’s research activities are led by Dr. González-Martínez and his research team and conducted through the University of Pittsburgh Cortical Systems Laboratory. Combined, the clinical and basic science efforts have been guiding his academic and clinical pathway for safer and more efficient methods for treating patients with severe seizures and abnormal movement disorders, promoting the improvement of symptoms, in combination with better functional and quality of life outcomes.

Dr. González-Martínez has published more than 230 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to epilepsy surgery and methods of brain mapping for patients with medically intractable epilepsy and movement disorders. He has been serving on the executive committee of both the American Society of Stereotactic and the Functional Neurosurgery and the American Epilepsy Society for the last six years, developing high relevant projects and topics related to the field of functional neurosurgery and epilepsy.