Nader Pouratian MD, PhD

Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in neurosurgeries that preserve and restore patient function, including movement disorder surgeries, surgeries for psychiatric conditions, and surgeries for peripheral nerve injuries and tumors.

Dr. Pouratian earned his medical degree and doctorate in neuroscience at the UCLA School of Medicine. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Virginia, where he also received advanced training through a fellowship in functional neurosurgery. He completed an additional fellowship in neurosurgery at Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand. Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Pouratian joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021.

To perform neurosurgeries, Dr. Pouratian uses advanced neuroimaging and brain and nerve mapping techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), cortical stimulation mapping, electrocorticographic (ECoG) mapping, and intraoperative electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies.

His research focuses on further developing brain mapping techniques to improve the precision and targeting of neurosurgical procedures and to develop therapies for new indications, with a focus on treatments that improve quality of life and neurological function. He is particularly interested in studying and developing treatments for patients who have problems with movement and with psychiatric diagnoses.

Dr. Pouratian has delivered scores of lectures and presentations, published a number of academic articles, and co-authored books such as Neurosurgery Clinics of North America: Advances in Neuromodulation. He is a member of and serves on the executive committees of several professional societies, including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. He serves on the editorial boards of Neuromodulation, Neurosurgery, Operative Neurosurgery, and Surgical Neurology International.