Members of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at NYU Langone Health are leaders in the surgical treatment of children and adolescents with brain tumors, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, spine and spinal cord tumors, epilepsy, craniofacial disorders, and other conditions that affect the brain. Led by Jeffrey H. Wisoff, MD, and David H. Harter, MD, our division handles about 2,250 outpatient visits and nearly 600 operations each year. Children and their families travel from around the country to be cared for by our experts at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Our division is highly collaborative and works closely with NYU Langone’s Pediatric Epilepsy Program, Adult Hydrocephalus Program, and myFace Center for Craniofacial Care at the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery.

Pediatric Neurosurgery Education

The Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery is dedicated to training the next generation of pediatric neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery residents at NYU Grossman School of Medicine spend six months on rotation with our division during their fourth year of residency.

Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship

Our division also offers a Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pediatric Neurosurgical Fellowships. This program accepts one fellow per year. Completion of a fellowship fulfills candidacy requirements for The American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery and marks the beginning of a fulfilling career in pediatric neurosurgery. For more information, please contact Dr. Wisoff at jeffrey.wisoff@nyulangone.org.

Summer Observership for Undergraduates

We offer a summer observership program for undergraduate college students who are interested in pursuing a career in pediatric neurosurgery. Each year, we accept 16 students entering their sophomore through senior year of college. Many of our program participants attend New York City–area schools and may be the first person in their family to go to college. Participants observe and interact with patients in an outpatient setting and gain an understanding of what a career in pediatric neurosurgery entails. For more information, please contact Eveline Teresa Hidalgo, MD, program director, at teresa.hidalgo@nyulangone.org.

Training for Visiting International Medical Students

Each year we host about 12 international medical students, who gain experience in pediatric neurosurgery by closely working with members of our division. Students typically spend two to six weeks with us. Visiting students can apply for funding through the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation. For more information, please contact Madeline Ventura, division administrator, at madeline.ventura@nyulangone.org.

Continuing Medical Education

Our division members participate in regular department continuing medical education events; each member also gives two talks at our department’s Annual Neurosurgery Symposium. We offer a parent symposium every other year for parents of children with hydrocephalus.

Pediatric Neurosurgery Research

Our division is actively involved in research through clinical trials and collaborations with researchers across NYU Langone and from outside neurosurgical institutions. Our research focuses on a number of conditions, including brain tumors, hydrocephalus, and epilepsy. We encourage residents, fellows, and medical students to conduct research projects with members of our division.

We are part of the Adult Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network, a consortium of hospitals that conduct clinical research on hydrocephalus to improve treatment for the adult forms of the condition—including people who were diagnosed as children, those who acquire hydrocephalus as adults, and people with normal pressure hydrocephalus. Our program is the largest of its kind in the metropolitan area that focuses on research of tumors and hydrocephalus.

We are a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, a National Cancer Institute–supported clinical trials group, through which we collaborate on trials that focus on childhood central nervous system tumors.

We also collaborate with Matija Snuderl, MD, in the Department of Pathology on research on brain tumors and other brain diseases in children, including identifying novel biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy and examining the molecular differences between tumors at the cellular level.

Contact Us

To learn more about the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery or any of our programs, please contact Dr. Harter, division director, at david.harter@nyulangone.org.