Wael Farouk Asaad MD PhD

Epilepsy Surgery, Neurotrauma, Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery

Professor, Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, Sidney A. Fox and Dorothea Doctors Fox Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Vice Chair for Research, Director of Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery, and Associate Director, Neurosurgery Residency Training Program, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Brown University Alpert Medical School

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593 Eddy StFl 6Providence, RI 02903
Phone+1 401-793-9166
Fax+1 401-444-2788

Summary

Dr. Wael Asaad is a neurosurgeon based at Brown University Health in Providence, RI, specializing in epilepsy surgery and functional / psychiatric neurosurgery. He earned his B.A. at Amherst College in 1993. He then completed a PhD at M.I.T. in 2001 and an M.D. at the Yale School of Medicine in 2003. He completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Since 2011, he has been an Attending Physician at Rhode Island Hospital and is Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at Brown University. His expertise includes deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasound, and other aspects of neurophysiology & neuromodulation.

Education & Training

Mass General Brigham/Massachusetts General HospitalResidency, Neurological Surgery, 2003 - 2010
Massachusetts General HospitalInternship, Transitional Year, 2003 - 2004
Yale School of MedicineClass of 2003
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPh.D., Systems Neuroscience, 1996 - 2001
Amherst CollegeB.A., Neuroscience & English, 1989 - 1993

Certifications & Licensure

RI State Medical License 2011 - 2026
MA State Medical License 2008 - 2013
American Board of Neurological Surgery Neurological Surgery

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

"Brite Lites" Award Hasbro Children's Hospital, 2021
Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award Brown University Alpert Medical School, 2017, 2020
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory EHR Suite, Epic Systems Corporation, 2017

Clinical Trials

ADvance II Study: DBS-f in Patients With Mild Alzheimer's Disease Start of enrollment: 2019 Aug 01
COMPLETED
NA
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of BIIB093 in Participants With Brain Contusion Start of enrollment: 2019 Oct 06
TERMINATED
PHASE2
Pilot/Pivotal Study of DBS+Rehab After Stroke Start of enrollment: 2023 Feb 03
RECRUITING
NA

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Computed Tomography Angiography in Surgical Planning for Deep Brain Stimulation Is Associated With Reduced Rates of Symptomatic Tract Hemorrhage: A Single Institution ...
Hael Abdulrazeq, Tori Riccelli, Derrick Chatad, Anna R Kimata, Marcus Alexander
Operative Neurosurgery. 2026-02-18
Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: a network meta-analysis of stimulation targets.
Anant Naik, Tiffany Chu, Rishabh Gupta, Bara Saadah, Suma Gangidi
Journal of Neurosurgery. 2026-01-01
The temporal and perceptual characteristics of emotion-induced blindness.
Michaela E Alarie, Grace H Yang, Lila R Quinn, Tiffany Lin, Wael F Asaad
Cognition & Emotion. 2025-11-11

Journal Articles

Factors Associated with the Progression of Conservatively Managed Acute Traumatic Subdural Hemorrhage
Cody Doberstein, Andrew Y Powers, Wael F Asaad, ScienceDirect

Press Mentions

Enspire DBS Therapy Announces the First Patient Implanted in the Second Center for RESTORE, a Multicenter Pivotal Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Arm Weakness and Reduced Function After StrokeMarch 4th, 2025
Brown Neurosurgery Department Tests Artificial Intelligence Models on Written, Oral Neurosurgery Board Exam QuestionsApril 25th, 2023
Hasbro Children’s Hospital Names 2020 ‘Brite Lite’ RecipientsJune 2nd, 2021

Grant Support

Neuronal Mechanisms of Credit Assignment in the Prefrontal CortexNIH2018–2023
COBRE InvestigatorNIH2013–2018
Young Clinician Investigator AwardAmerican Association of Neurological Surgeons / NREF2011–2013