Vascular Neurology Fellowship
Dr. Davis is the Director of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology.
The Vascular Neurology Fellowship is one-year ACGME approved program. There are four positions each year. Clinical training is based at Harborview Medical Center, a dynamic county hospital that is also a Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and level 1 Trauma Center caring for approximately 800 ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients each year. In addition to the intensive vascular neurology training offered, there are rotations in neuroradiology, neurosoncology and neurocritical care. Call is taken with the acute stroke interventional team and includes video telestroke. There are numerous opportunities to participate in research and fellows are encouraged with faculty support to submit abstracts to the International Stroke Conference. At the end of one year of training, the trainee will be eligible to sit for the Vascular Neurology subspecialty board certification examination. Those trainees interested in research or an academic career will be encouraged to apply for external (AAN, ASA, NIH) research fellowship funding.
Interviews for our July 1, 2025-2026 fellowship will be held:
Early 2024
Stroke Clinic
Fellows have the opportunity to care for outpatient vascular neurology patients in half-day clinics each week. The clinic is staffed by vascular neurology attendings and provides an opportunity for continuity of care and for managing chronic neurovascular conditions such as moya-moya syndrome and CADASIL. In addition, fellows have the unique opportunity to spend some time in clinic at Seattle Children’s Hospital under the mentorship of our pediatric vascular neurology expert, Dr. Amlie-Lefond.
Conferences
- Monday stroke webinar (topics from the prior year include International Stroke Conference, NIH Stroke Net Grand Rounds, World Stroke Organization, and more).
- Wednesday noon Neurology Lecture Series (including a monthly stroke lecture and visiting stroke faculty annual lecture)
- Thursday afternoon Neurology Grand Rounds
- Friday afternoon stroke didactics followed by a multi-disciplinary stroke clinical conference (discussion of interventions and challenging or interesting cases of the week)
In addition, fellows are encouraged to attend the International Stroke Conference as well as other national conferences, especially if presenting research.
Teaching opportunities for fellows abound – fellows participate in the Neurology Lecture Series and lead various medical student and resident didactics throughout the year.
Pediatric Vascular Neurology Track
Starting with academic year 2024-2025 we are offering a dedicated slot for a Child Neurology applicant to pursue a Pediatric Vascular Neurology fellowship with ACGME accreditation. The Pediatric Track will offer additional clinical and research time at Seattle Children’s Hospital and mentorship from Dr. Amlie-Lefond, a national leader in Pediatric neurovascular disease. The Vascular Neurology program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, established in 2011, is a leading multidisciplinary program in the Pacific Northwest, catering to children with neurovascular disorders.
The addition of a Pediatric Vascular Neurology track enhances the current Adult Vascular Neurology training by broadening the scope of the fellowship and offering our adult fellows more interaction and comfort with the field of Pediatric Vascular Neurology.
How to Apply
Our program participates in the NRMP Match using ERAS for Fellowship Positions. Please upload your C.V., 3 letters of recommendation including a letter from your current program director, a personal statement, and your USMLE Scores into the ERAS program. Applications will be reviewed starting December and interviews will follow.
Prior to appointment in the program, fellows must have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited program in neurology, child neurology, neurodevelopment disabilities, or a program in one of these specialties that is located in Canada and accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
The UW Neurology Department is is committed to recruiting, training and promoting a diverse community of scholars. We welcome diverse individuals and recognize that diversity can come in the form of lived experiences. We believe that diversity and inclusion are crucial components in providing both excellent patient care and an excellent learning environment.
To Apply
All applications are submitted through the Electronic Residency Applicator Service (ERAS). Information regarding ERAS can be found on National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Interviews will be conducted in early 2024.
For any questions or to submit additional materials for your application please contact our Program Coordinator, at neurofellowship@uw.edu.
Core Fellowship Team
Catherine Amlie-Lefond, M.D.
Dr. Amlie-Lefond is the Director of the Pediatric Vascular Neurology program at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Neurology. She is the site director for the fellowship at Children’s and helps direct the Pediatric Vascular Neurology track.
Special Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Pediatric stroke, acute treatment of stroke, cerebrovasculopathy and cerebral vascular malformations
Claire Creutzfeldt, M.D.
Dr. Creutzfeldt is a neurologist at Harborview Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Neurology.
Special Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Neuro-palliative care, especially for patients with severe acute brain injury.
Rizwan Kalani, M.D.
Dr. Kalani is an Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Special Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Lipids and cerebrovascular disease, stroke epidemiology and population-based approaches to stroke prevention in low-and middle-income countries.
Sandeep Khot, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Khot is the Director of the HMC Consult Service and an Associate Professor of Neurology.
Research Interests:
Dr. Khot conducts clinical research on the relationship between sleep apnea and stroke, notably assessing stroke recovery with the treatment of sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Other research includes cardiac arrest, carotid dissection, intracranial atherosclerosis, giant cell arteritis, and stroke.
Clinical Interests:
Care of hospitalized patients with neurologic disease.
Will Longstreth, M.D.
Dr. Longstreth is the chief of Neurology at Harborview Medical Center, Professor of Neurology, and an Adjunct Professor of General Internal Medicine, Epidemiology, and Medicine.
Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Cerebrovascular disease and epidemiology.
Malveeka Sharma, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Neurology. She is the Associate Program Director of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship.
Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Global health in neurology, medical education, and sustainable health care development.
Breana Taylor, M.D.
Dr. Taylor is an Acting Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Special Clinical and/or Research Interests:
Medical education and neuro-palliative care
David Tirschwell, M.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Tirschwell is the Medical Director of Comprehensive Stroke Care at the UW Medicine Stroke Center at HMC and a Professor of Neurology.
Research Interests:
Intracerebral hemorrhage, stroke epidemiology, quality of care, clinical trials and outcomes of stroke patients.
Natlie Weathered, MD, MS
Dr. Weathered is the Program Director of the Neurology Residency Program and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Jonathan Weinstein, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Weinstein is an Associate Professor of Neurology and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery.
Special Clinical Interests:
CNS Vasculopathies, neurovascular leukoencephalopathies
Special Research Interests:
Basic and translational work on the neuroimmune responses in both acute stroke and in ischemic preconditioning.
Dr. Weinstein’s Research Laboratory: https://neurology.uw.edu/research/weinstein-lab/research.html
Ryan Kiser, M.D.
Dr. Kiser is an Acting Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Hope Ukatu, M.D.
Dr Ukatu is an Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Vivian Yang, M.D.
Dr Yangis an Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Fellows also work extensively with our neuro-interventionalists, neurocritical care, neuroradiology, and neurosonology faculty, among others.
Current Fellows
Kafi Hemphill, M.D.
Dr. Hemphill grew up just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, but she moved to the West Coast for college and never left. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Stanford University. She then spent a year tutoring high school students for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, AP tests) and working as a research assistant before attending the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) for medical school and neurology residency. Her clinical interests include interventional neurology, the care of underserved populations, and medical education. Outside of medicine, she enjoys cuddling with her Corgi Mix, playing
music/singing with friends, and watching murder mystery shows with her
partner.
Farrah Khan, M.D. M.P.H
Dr. Khan grew up in Bellevue, WA. She completed her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University and her M.D. and M.P.H. degrees at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. While in medical school, she spent a research year working in the Polio Eradication Branch at the Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.). She completed neurology residency at the University of Washington. Her clinical and research interests lie at the intersection of vascular neurology with neuro infectious disease and global health. Outside of medicine, she enjoys running, hiking, and coffee.
Shannon Tierney, M.D.
Shannon is a native of Western New York and earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology at Canisius College, a small Jesuit liberal arts school. She earned her medical degree at Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, New York before changing coasts and completing her neurology residency training at the University of Washington, where she also served as Chief Resident. Her clinical interests include medical education and humanities. Outside of medicine, she enjoys reading, live music, podcasts, kayaking, and crafting.
Meghan Romba, M.D.
Meghan grew up in the suburbs outside of Chicago, Illinois. She completed her medical degree at University of Illinois followed by her neurology residency at University of Washington. Following residency, she completed a neuroimmunology fellowship at Johns Hopkins. She was an attending in multiple sclerosis for 6 years before deciding to return for fellowship training in stroke. Outside of neurology, she enjoys living in Ballard with her dog, Moose, and has teacher certification in both meditation and yoga.
Fellowship Graduates and Post-Graduate Employment
2022-2023
Matt Murphy, M.D. – University of Colorado Health (Fort Collins, CO)
Amy Steinberg, M.D. – TeleSpecialists and Indian Health Services
Hope Opara, M.D. – University of Washington/Harborview Medical Center
2021-2022
Ryan Kiser, M.D. – University of Washington Harborview Medical Center (Seattle)
Rachel Schutz, M.D. – Evergreen Heath Medical Center
Nandini Abburi, M.D. – Duke Raleigh Hospital
2020-2021
William Lou, M.D. – Swedish Medical Center (Seattle)
Markus Hannan, M.D. – UCHealth at Memorial Hospitals
Amita Singh, M.D. – University of Florida Health
2019-2020
Smita Holden, M.D. – Our Lady of Lourdes (Camden, NJ) and University of Pennsylvania hospitals (Philadelphia, PA)
Carson Van Sanford, M.D. – Providence Everett (Everett, WA)
2018-2019
Breana Taylor, M.D. – University of Washington/Harborview Medical Center
James Wang, M.D. – Swedish Medical Center (Seattle)
2017-2018
Steve O’Donnell, M.D. – Virginia Mason (Seattle)
Jenny Siv, M.D. – Providence Everett (Everett, WA)
Why UW Vascular Neurology?
We have a unique geographic location – as the only academic medical center in the Seattle metropolitan area and because we draw patients from a broader region, including Alaska, our patient population is rich and offers a wealth of learning.
Our faculty are smart, accessible, and remarkably approachable. Anyone at almost any time is happy to sit down and discuss a patient issue or personal concern.
Seattle is a phenomenal place to live! Not only do we have a thriving city with great food and cultural activities, but we have easy access to water and mountains as well. Where else can you see sea lions and a volcano (Mt. Rainier) on your commute to work each day?