Mahdi Alizadeh, PhD

My research focuses on precision neuroimaging and computational neuroscience for translational research and neurosurgical applications. I develop and apply multimodal neuroimaging, connectomics, network neuroscience, and AI/machine learning approaches to understand brain and spinal cord organization and to develop imaging-based biomarkers for neurological disorders. A central focus of my lab is the intersection of neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and functional neurosurgery, including stereotactic applications in movement disorders and epilepsy, as well as functional imaging of neurovascular disorders. My research integrates functional, metabolic, and structural connectivity to characterize individual network architecture and its reorganization in disease, to improve patient-specific diagnosis, surgical planning, treatment targeting, and outcome prediction.

Another major area of interest is brain–spinal cord network communication. My lab study structural and functional interactions across the brain and spinal cord in conditions including spinal cord injury, chronic pain, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Through these efforts, my research seeks to better understand how pathology in one part of the nervous system influences distributed neural networks and to translate these insights into precision, patient-specific approaches to neurological and neurosurgical care.