John David Rolston MD PhD (He/Him)
Epilepsy Surgery, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery
Brigham & Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School
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60 Fenwood RdDept OfBoston, MA 02115
Phone+1 617-732-6600
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Summary
- Dr. John Rolston is a neurosurgeon based in Boston, MA, specializing in epilepsy surgery and stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. He completed his residency in neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, and earned his medical degree and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Rolston holds a B.S. in computer science from Columbia University. Currently, he practices at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and previously was an assistant professor at University of Utah Health. His expertise includes deep brain stimulation, temporal lobe epilepsy, electroencephalography, and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. He has been recognized with several awards, including the Rosegay Teaching Award from UCSF. His research work has been published in prominent journals including Neuroimage and JAMA Psychiatry.
Education & Training
University of California (San Francisco)Residency, Neurological Surgery, 2011 - 2017
Emory University School of MedicineClass of 2011
Emory University School of MedicinePh.D., Neuroscience, Cum Laude, 2011- Columbia UniversityB.S., Computer Science, Magna Cum Laude, 1999 - 2003
Certifications & Licensure
CA State Medical License 2012 - 2028
MA State Medical License 2022 - 2027
ME State Medical License 2025 - 2027
NH State Medical License 2025 - 2027
VT State Medical License 2025 - 2026
UT State Medical License 2017 - 2024
American Board of Neurological Surgery Neurological Surgery
Awards, Honors, & Recognition
- Rosegay Teaching Award UCSF, 2017
- Russel Mills Award for Excellence in Computer Science Columbia University, 2003
- Resident Abstract Award California Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2017
Publications & Presentations
PubMed
- Toward Personalized Surgeons' Cognitive Workload: A Linear Mixed-Effects Model Analysis of EEG Features.Damiano Fruet, Sanjana Mendu, Roger Dias, John Rolston, Stefano Cimignolo
IFMBE Proceedings. 2027-01-01 - Integrating uncertainty and practice variability for epilepsy prognostication after intracranial EEG: A meta-analysis.Madeline Evans, Hamza Khoudari, Steven Tobochnik, Jorge G Burneo, John D Rolston
Epilepsia. 2026-11-04 - Large Language Model for Postoperative Clinical Decision Support in a Neurosurgery Ward in the Gambia: A Prospective Pilot Feasibility Study.Saksham Gupta, Zsombor T Gal, Jay Touray, Gabrielle A Luiselli, Ancha Ceesay
Neurosurgery. 2026-11-01
Journal Articles
- Deep Brain Stimulation in Pediatric Dystonia: A Systematic ReviewRobert P Naftel, John D Rolston, Andrew T Hale, Dario J Englot, Neurosurgical Review
- Nationwide Shift from Percutaneous Rhizotomy to Microvascular Decompression for Treatment of Trigeminal and Other Cranial Nerve NeuralgiasJohn D Rolston, Bornali Kundu, Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain
- The Impact of Specialization in Journal Networks and ScholarshipMichael Karsy, William T Couldwell, John D Rolston, World Neurosurgery
Books/Book Chapters
Authored Content
- Rates and Predictors of Seizure Outcome After Corpus Callosotomy for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Meta-Analysis RelatedJune 2018
Press Mentions
Phase 1 Trial Examines Safety and Feasibility of Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson'sMarch 5th, 2025- Scientists Enable Blind Woman to See Simple Shapes Using Brain ImplantOctober 21st, 2021
'Best Birthday Present I've Had': Advanced Surgery Zapping Parkinson's Symptoms Comes to UtahNovember 23rd, 2018
Grant Support
- Optimizing Neuromodulation Therapies for Epilepsy: Identifying the Right Patient, Right Place, and Right Time for StimulationBRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL2024–2029
- Patient-specific modeling and network perturbation to enhance the predictability of direct cortical stimulation for epilepsyNINDS2019–2024
- Propagation patterns of microelectrode-recorded human interictal dischargesNINDS2019–2021
- Closed-Loop Distributed Microstimulation For EpilepsyNational Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke2008–2010
Professional Memberships
- Member
- Fellow
- Member
- Member
- Member
External Links
- Web sitehttp://rolstonlab.com
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