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Howard M. Eisenberg, MD

R.K. Thompson, MD Professor of Neurosurgery

Academic Title:

Professor

Primary Appointment:

Neurosurgery

Additional Title:

Raymond K. Thompson, MD, Chair in Neurosurgery

Location:

UMH S12D

Phone (Primary):

(410) 328-3514

Education and Training

  • Syracuse University, BA, 1960
  • State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, MD, 1964
  • Fellowship, Cornell University, Surgery, 1964-1966
  • Residency, Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital,
  • Neurological Surgery, 1966-1970
  • Fellowship, National Hospital for Nervous Disease, London, 1968
  • Clinical Fellowship, Harvard Medical School, Surgery, 1970

Biosketch

Dr. Howard Eisenberg is recognized as one of the nation’s top neurosurgeons and experts on traumatic brain injury, the blood brain barrier and focused ultrasound for the treatment of movement disorders, essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Eisenberg is one of the key contributors to advancing research and application of Focused Ultrasound therapy, and led his team in treating the first Parkinson’s disease patient with focused ultrasound therapy.

He received his medical training from renown institutions such as State University of New York and New York Hospital-Cornell and completed neurosurgical training at Peter Bent Brigham and Children’s Hospital in Boston. After service in the US Navy, Dr. Eisenberg returned to Harvard University School of Medicine as an instructor. Later on, he was Professor (visiting) at Harvard University School of Medicine working on sophisticated imaging technology. Before joining the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Eisenberg was appointed to Chief of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas. He later became Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and advanced to Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and R. K. Thompson Professor.

Dr. Eisenberg is highly published, and his work has been cited over 25,000 times. He has also received countless awards for his contributions to neurosurgery. His expertise in the field has garnered him a place on the Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors list (a list of select physicians nominated by their peers) for more than 10 years. Dr. Eisenberg is a consultant to the National Football League, where he has served them since 2013.

He is a former Lieutenant Commander US Navy and has volunteered his time in various organizations including the NIH (where he was a member and Chairman of study section NeuroA), and a member and chair of the editorial board of the Journal of Neurosurgery. Dr. Eisenberg was also a Director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery where he has served as Secretary/Treasurer and Chairman and was a member and vice chair of the Residency Review Committee for neurosurgery. He was Vice President and President of the Society of Neurological Surgeons (Senior Society) and Vice President of the Academy of Neurological Surgeons.

Research/Clinical Keywords

Brain Tumors, Acoustic Neuromas, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders, Skull Base Surgery, Non-Invasive Surgery, Focus-Guided Ultrasound

Highlighted Publications

Eisenberg, H.M.; Suddith, R.L. Cerebral vessels have the capacity to transport sodium and potassium. Science 206:1083‑1085; 1979.

Eisenberg, H.M.; Frankowski, R.F.; Contant, C.F.; Marshall, L.F.; Walker, M.D.; Comprehensive Central Nervous System Trauma Centers. High dose barbiturate control of elevated intracranial pressure in patients with severe head injury. J. Neurosurg. 69:15‑23; 1988.

Bracken, M.B; Shepard, M.J.; Collins, W.F.; Holford, T.R.; Young, W.; Baskin, D.S.; Eisenberg, H.M.; Flamm, E.; Leo‑Summers, L.; Maroon, J.; Marshall, L.F.; Perot, Jr., P.L.; Peipmeier, J.; Sonntag, V.K.H.; Wagner, F.C.; Wilberger, J.E.; Winn, H.R. A randomized, controlled trial of methylprednisolone or naloxone in the treatment of acute spinal‑cord injury: Results of the second national acute spinal cord injury study. N Engl. J. Med. 322:1405‑1411; 1990.

Eisenberg, H.M.; Gary, H.E. Jr.; Aldrich, E.F.; Saydjari, C.; Turner, B.; Foulkes, M.A.; Jane, J.A.; Marmarou, A.; Marshall, L.F.; Young, H.F. Initial CT scan findings in 753 patients with severe head injury: A report from the NIH Traumatic Coma Data Bank. J. Neurosurg. 73:688‑698; 1990.

Elias WJ, Lipsman N, Ondo WG, Ghanouni P, Kim YG, Lee W, Schwartz M, Hynynen K, Lozano AM, Shah BB, Huss D, Dallapiazza RF, Gwinn R, Witt J, Ro S, Eisenberg H.M., Fishman PS, Gandhi D, Halpern CH, Chuang R, Butts Pauly K, Tierney TS, Hayes MT, Cosgrove GR, Yamaguchi T, Abe K, Taira T, Chang JW.  A Randomized Trial of Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Essential Tremor.  N Engl J Med, 2016 Aug 25;375(8):730-739; 2016

Awards and Affiliations

  • Wakeman Award, Duke University, 1990
  • Lecture and Trauma Award (First), American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Trauma, Joint Section on Trauma, 1991
  • William Fields Caveness Award, National Head Injury Foundation, 1994
  • Wagner Visiting Professor, Medical College of New Jersey, 2002
  • Marshall Visiting Professor, University of Toronto, 2002
  • Matson Visiting Professor, Harvard University, 2003
  • 19th Annual Eldridge Campbell Lecture, Albany Medical College, 2005
  • Distinguished Service Award, Society of Neurological Surgeons, 2008
  • 2st Alumni Visiting Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s  Hospital, Harvard University, 2010
  • Snodgras Visiting Professor, University of Texas Medical Branch, 2011
  • Johns Hopkins Visiting Professor, Johns Hopkins, 2016

Previous Positions

  • Peter Bent Brigham, Harvard University Instructor in Surgery (Neurosurgery), 1972-1975
  • University of Texas Medical Branch, Associate Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery) and Pediatrics, 1977-1981
  • University of Texas Medical Branch, Chief of Neurological Surgery, 1980-1992
  • University of Texas Medical Branch, Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery) and Pediatric Neurosurgery, 1981-1992