Skip to main content

Gary T. Schwartzbauer, MD, PhD

Academic Title:

Associate Professor

Primary Appointment:

Neurosurgery

Secondary Appointment(s):

Orthopaedics

Administrative Title:

Director of the Neurotrauma Critical Care Unit (NTCC)

Location:

UMMC S12B07

Phone (Primary):

410-328-7371

Phone (Secondary):

410-328-1417

Fax:

410-328-1420

Education and Training

1990                 B.S., Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh (Summa Cum Laude)

1997                 Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh

2007                 M.D., University of Maryland School of Medicine

1997-1999       Postdoctoral Fellow, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PI Ram Menon, M.D.

1999-2003       Postdoctoral Fellow, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, PI Jeffrey Robbins, Ph.D.

2007-2014       Residency, Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland Medical Center (2011-

                          2012 research fellowship with J. Marc Simard, M.D., Ph.D.)

2014-2015       Fellow, Surgical Critical Care R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, UMMC

 

Biosketch

An Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Surgical Critical Care in the Program in Trauma at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Schwartzbauer received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology both from the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated as co-valedictorian and president of the AOA national medical honor society from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and completed his neurosurgical residency at Maryland as well.

Dr. Schwartzbauer became the first neurosurgeon to complete a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where he also obtained additional fellowship training in orthopedic spine surgery. He specializes in the treatment of traumatic and degenerative spine disease, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors.

Research/Clinical Keywords

Cerebral edema; traumatic brain injury; TBI; spinal cord injury; SCI; cerebral malaria

Highlighted Publications

  1. Simard, JM, Woo, SK, Schwartzbauer, G, Gerzanich, V (2012) Sulfonylurea receptor 1 in central nervous system injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2012 Sep;32(9):1699-717
  2. Aarabi, B, Simard, JM, Kufera, J, Alexander, M, Zacherl, K, Mirvis, S, Shanmuganathan, K, Schwartzbauer, G, Maulucci, C, Slavin, J, Massetti, J, Eisenberg, H (2012) Intramedullary Lesion Expansion on MRI in Motor-Complete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Patient. J Neurosurg Spine. 2012 Sep;17(3):243-50.
  3. Tosun C, Koltz MT, Kurland DB, Ijaz H, Gurakar M, Schwartzbauer G, Coksaygan T, Ivanova S,  Gerzanich V, Simard, JM (2013) The Protective Effect of Glibenclamide in a Model of Hemorrhagic Encephalopathy of Prematurity. Brain Sci., 3(1), 215-238.
  4. Simard JM, Pampori A, Keledjian K, Tosun C, Schwartzbauer G, Ivanova S, Gerzanich V (2014) Exposure of the thorax to a sublethal blast wave causes a hydrodynamic pulse that leads to perivenular inflammation in the brain. J Neurotrauma.15: 1292-1304.
  5. Schwartzbauer, G and Stein, D. (2016) Critical Care of Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries: Preventing Secondary Injury. Seminars in Neurology (In Press).

Research Interests

Dr. Schwartzbauer studies the microvascular causes of brain swelling and hemorrhage. Brain swelling can occur due to several mechanisms including trauma, infection, tumor, inflammation, bleeds, or other metabolic disease. Currently he is studying cerebral malaria, a terrible disease that kills half a million children per year with no cure and shares many characteristics of other neurosurgical disorders that lead to brain swelling and hemorrhages.

In addition he is exploring causes of microvascular dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is the biggest killer of people less than 44 years old, and leads to more life years lost than HIV, cancer, and heart disease combined. Uncontrolled swelling and continued hemorrhages after TBI contribute in large part to poor outcomes. He is currently using both pre-clinical models and clinical investigations to develop small molecule therapies for these devastating conditions.

Clinical Specialty Details

Dr. Schwartzbauer maintains a general neurosurgery practice, concentrating on degenerative and traumatic spine disease, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors. He also is a Critical Care intensivist and divides his clinical responsibilites between the OR and ICU.

Awards and Affiliations

Program in Trauma

Institute for Global Health

Professional Activity

  • American Medical Association
  • AOA honor society
  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons
  • AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section
  • Society of Critical Care Medicine