Bizhan Aarabi, MD

You can browse his publications on PubMed.

Books

An introduction to the treatment of craniocerebral battle wounds. Bizhan Aarabi (ed), Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research. Shiraz University Press, 1987.

Beyond Coma: Brain Death, Bizhan Aarabi (ed) Parvaz Press, Shiraz, Iran, 1993, 150 pages.

Missile Injuries of the Head and Neck. Bizhan Aarabi and Howard Kaufman (eds), American Association of Neurological Surgeons Publications Office, New Hampshire, 1999.

Neurotrauma including cervical spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries are my main interests. While at Hopkins, I worked on cold induced vasogenic brain edema in a cat model for one year. In this investigation it was learned that lesion excision completely interrupted edema spread. This study was completed in the Neurosurgical Department laboratory facilities with Drs. Donlin M Long and Melvin Epstein. We also evaluated the effectiveness of choleratoxin on the genesis and spread of cold induced brain edema in cats. From 1980-1988, while at the Shiraz University Medical School, I studied vascular, infectious and epileptic complications of penetrating brain injury in war casualties of Iran-Iraq war. At the University of Nebraska I was the PI of two major multicenter therapeutic trials in severe head injury: CP101-606 and Selfotel. At the University of Maryland we have been intensely involved in PRCT studies of Dexanabinol and COBRIT in TBI. From 2000-2006 we investigated the merits of decompressive craniectomy in severe head injury. One of the clinical studies I am very much interested in is traumatic cervical central cord syndrome. In 2007 the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene funded a randomized study of the timing of decompression in central cord syndrome which was completed in 2009. From 2010-2016 we have completed a phase I/II effect of Riluzole on cervical SCI (2010-2012), Glyburide and Ischemic stroke (2011-2013), Serum biomarkers in SCI (2011-2012, The PRCT RISCIS (Riluzole in Spinal Cord Injury Study) funded by AO Foundation, Stem cell in SCI (2015 Stem Cell Incorporated).  Clinically my main interest is genesis and expansion of spinal cord edema following cervical spinal core injury and central cord syndrome.  From 2007-2016 we have completed three validated Morphology Classification of thoracolumbar and cervical spine fracture subluxations.  We are currently screening patients for RCT VERTEX study in SCI.    

Primary interest and specialty are cervical traumatic spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.

• 1973: Valedictorian, Pahlavi University Medical School
• 1973: Highest Achievement Award, Shiraz University Medical School
• 1987: First Prize Award, “Traumatic aneurysms due to missile head wounds”
• 1990: Medal of Honor and Achievement, Iranian Government
• 2001: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2002: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2003: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2004: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2006: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2007: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
• 2010: Hero Award, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

Current

6/1/2023-Present

• Co-Investigator 1% PI: J. Podell
• “Dysautonomia in Spinal Cord Injury”
• Shock Trauma Department Designated Funds (STDF0014)
• $41,871.

5/1/2023-Present

• Principal Investigator 5%
• “IN-TWIN”: Traumatic Incomplete Tetraplegia Without Instability (HP-00104259)
• AOSpine

7/1/2023

• Principal Investigator 5%
• New Technique to Monitor Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure (SCPP) (HP-00105202)
• No budget, Supported technically by the Department of Neurosurgery.

09/17/2015-Present

• Co-Investigator 1% PI: D. Stein
• “Assessing the Accuracy and the Impact of Standard Practice Ventricular Drainage on Intracranial Pressure Measurements Following TBI”
• Air Force
• $441,000.

11/08/2013-Present     

• Principal Investigator 5%
• “A Multi-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded, Trial of Efficacy and Safety of Riluzole in Acute Spinal Cord Injury”
• AO Spine North America
• $119,679.00

06/01/2013-Present     

• Principal Investigator 5%
• “A Multi-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded, Trial of      Efficacy and Safety of Riluzole in Acute Spinal Cord Injury”
• Christopher Reeve Foundation
• $166,070.12

06/01/2018-Present

• Kinjal Sethuraman PI
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Brain Injury Treatment (HOBIT) Trial: A Multicenter, Randomized, Prospective Phase II Adaptive Clinical Trial Evaluating the Most Effective Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Paradigm for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
• $200,000

7/1/2022-Present

• Konrad Walek PI
• Charles Bagley Neurotrauma Research Fellowship
• AIS grade on severe TBI and its effect on GOSE
• $35, 568

8/25/2022-Present

• Co-Investigator 1% PI: J Cherian
• MEMBRANE n-BCA 1%                  

Past

06/01/2007-05/2013

• Principal Investigator (3%)
• "North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury"
• Christopher Reeve Foundation
• NCT00178724; CTN1-2004(RG); W81XWH-07-1/0361
• $581,877.00

07/2007-12/2012

• Co-Investigator (15%) PI: H.M. Eisenberg
• "Citicoline Brain Injury Treatment Trial (CORBIT)"
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child and Health and Human Development @NIH
• NCT00545662; BA-HD042, HD042687-04, HD042738-05, HD042678-03, HD042653-05, HD042689-05, HD042736-04, HD 042686-01A1, HD042652-04, HD042823-05
• $1,650,000.00

04/2010-08/2012

• Principal Investigator (3%)
• "Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Riluzole in Patients With Traumatic Acute Spinal Cord Injury"
• Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and The Department of Defense
• ID #HP-40687; IND 79,600; NCT00876889
• $100,000.00

2011-2015

• Co-Investigator PI: H.M. Eisenberg
• "Glyburide: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Treatment Study of Glyburide in Ischemic Stroke"
• Department of Defense/USA MRMC
• Contract#W81XWH-08-2-0159
• $1,465,476.00

2011-2012

• Co-Investigator PI: H.M. Eisenberg
• "Serum Biomarkers: Correlation between biomarkers, MR imaging, and six month ASIA exam in spinal cord injury patients"
• Department of Defense
• ID# 10492195
• $506,251.00

04/2009-05/2010

• Co-Investigator (1%) PI: H.M. Eisenberg
• "A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Dose Escalation Study to Investigate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics after Single and Multiple Doses of SLV334 in Sequential Cohorts of Patients with Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury"
• Solvay Pharmaceuticals
• NCT00735085; S334.2.002
• $17,200.00 per patient, contracted for five

10/27/2009-03/30/2010

• Co-Principal Investigator (1%) PI: H.M. Eisenberg
• "Multi-center prospective randomized trial of early decompressive Craniectomy in patients with severe brain injury (DECRA)"
• ANZICS CTG: Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group
• ID # HP-42186; CCT ID # 0396-09; NCT00155987
• $1,200.00 per patient; contracted for five

Professional Society Memberships

• 1982-Present: Member, American Association of Neurosurgical Surgeons
• 1983-Present: Member, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• 1984-Present: Member, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
• 1990-2001: Member, Joint Section on Tumors of the AANS/CNS
• 1992-2001: Member, New York Academy of Sciences
• 1993-Present: Member, Joint Section on Trauma of the AANS/CNS
• 1994-2005: Member, American Medical Association
• 1994-Present: Member, American College of Surgeons
• 2001-2004: Member, MedChi, State of Maryland Medical Society
• 2005-2009: University of Maryland School of Medicine Council
• 2006-2010: Liaison, Physician Compliance Liaison, Department of Neurosurgery
• 2006-2007: Director, University of Maryland Student Neurosurgical Education
• 2007-2014: Member, Institutional Review Board, University of Maryland, Baltimore

• 1979-1990: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
• 1990-1995: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Professor and Chairman, Neurosurgery
• 1995-2000: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
• 2000-2007: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
• 2000-Present: R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Director of Neurotrauma, UMMC
• 2007-Present: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Professor, Neurosurgery