Dr. Rezai earned his medical degree with honors from the University of Southern California and underwent neurosurgical training at New York University. He completed his subspecialty training in functional neurosurgery at the University of Toronto and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He then joined the neurosurgical faculty at New York University Medical Center, becoming the director of the Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery until January 2000, when he joined the faculty at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Rezai was the director of the Center for Neurological Restoration, as well as the Jane and Lee Seidman Chair in Functional Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic until August 2009, when he joined the faculty at the Ohio State University.

A board certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Rezai’ s clinical areas of expertise are the neurosurgical management of patients with severe movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, tremor, psychiatric conditions such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain. Dr. Rezai was named one of the best doctors in America in Castle and Connolly’s Guide to America’s Top Doctors for 2001-2011.

Dr. Rezai has published over 130 peer reviewed articles and more than 20 book chapters. He serves on the editorial board of five journals including Neurosurgery. He has edited a book on surgery for psychiatric disorders and the two volume textbook, Neuromodulation. In addition, Dr. Rezai has been the Principal (PI) and Co-investigator on eight NIH grants, and was the PI of the state of Ohio Brain Neuromodulation Center. He has delivered over 375 lectures nationally and internationally and chaired numerous symposia and meetings. Dr. Rezai has trained over 30 fellows in functional neurosurgery since 1998. In 2007, Dr. Rezai presented his work to the President of the United States as well as to members of the US Senate and House of Representatives on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Rezai is currently the President of the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ASSFN), President-Elect of the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS), and the President Elect of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), one of the largest neurosurgical societies in the world.

Dr. Rezai’s research focuses on mechanisms of neurostimulation, delineation of abnormal brain circuitry underlying disease processes, as well as developing neuromodulation devices and novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders and autonomic disorders. He has been involved in pioneering work involving the use of brain pacemakers for treating Parkinson’s disease, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and traumatic brain injury. His current research focuses on developing neuromodulation therapies to treat migraine headaches, asthma, addictions, Alzheimer’s, obesity, post-traumatic stress disorders and autism.

Dr. Rezai has received the Bottrell Neurosurgical Award, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Clinical Fellowship award, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons William Sweet Investigator Award. He has also received several innovation awards, including the 2011 Columbus Business First innovator of the year, achievement of the year award for health and Medicine from Northern Ohio Live magazine, Cleveland Clinic innovator of the year award, and NorTech annual Innovation award. He was also featured in Crains’ Who’s Who in Biotech. Dr. Rezai holds over 20 issued US patents for medical devices and technologies.

Clinical Sites

Ohio State University

Ali Rezai, MD, Co-Princiapl Investigator