Professor of Neurosurgery
Dr. Nandan Lad is a neurosurgeon, scientist, and entrepreneur and Professor and Vice Chair of Innovation for Duke Neurosurgery. He is Director of the Functional & Restorative Neuromodulation Program and the Duke NeuroInnovations Program, a systematic approach to innovation to large unmet clinical needs.
He completed his MD and PhD in Biochemistry at Chicago Medical School and his neurosurgical residency training at Stanford with fellowships in both Surgical Innovation and Functional Neurosurgery.
Neuromodulation; Neurorestoration; Bioengineering; Medical Device Design; Clinical Trials; Data Science; Health Outcomes.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Professor of Neurosurgery
- Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy
- Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
Contact Information
- Office Location: 200 Trent Drive, Blue Zone, Su, Durham, NC 27710
- Email Address: nandan.lad@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- M.D. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 2004
- Ph.D. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 2004
- Stanford University, 2005
- Stanford University, 2011
- Stanford University, 2008
- Stanford University, 2009
Courses Taught
- BRAINSOC 796T: Bass Connections in Brain & Society Research Team
- BRAINSOC 795T: Bass Connections in Brain & Society Research Team
- BRAINSOC 394T: Bass Connections in Brain & Society Research Team
- BRAINSOC 393T: Bass Connections in Brain & Society Research Team
In the News
- Duke Scientists Create Brain Implant That May Enable Communication From Thought…
- When Diabetic Neuropathy Made Him Miserable, A Spinal Cord Stimulator Got Him B…
- A Challenging Diagnosis in a Patient With Metastatic Lung Cancer (Sep 13, 2016 …
- Chronic Foot, Ankle Pain After Lumbar Decompression Surgery (Aug 16, 2016 | Cli…
- Trying a New Pulse for Pain Relief (Nov 1, 2015)
- MRI Technology Reveals Deep Brain Pathways in Unprecedented Detail (Jun 4, 2015…
- Surgical Complications of DBS No Higher Risk for Older Parkinson’s Patients (Au…
- Spinal Fusion Material, BMP, Increases Risk of Benign Tumors, Not Cancer (Sep 5…
Representative Publications
- Petersen, Erika A., Thomas G. Stauss, James A. Scowcroft, Michael J. Jaasma, Deborah R. Edgar, Judith L. White, Shawn M. Sills, et al. “High-Frequency 10-kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation Provides Long-term (24-Month) Improvements in Diabetes-Related Pain and Quality of Life for Patients with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.” J Diabetes Sci Technol 20, no. 1 (January 2026): 124–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/19322968241268547.
- Blackburn, Spiros L., Marc A. Babi, Andrew W. Grande, Omar A. Choudhri, Erik F. Hauck, Christopher P. Kellner, Michael C. Giordano, Shivanand P. Lad, and Aaron R. McCabe. “Prospective Trial of Cerebrospinal Fluid Filtration After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage via Lumbar Catheter Extension (PILLAR-XT).” Neurocrit Care 43, no. 3 (December 2025): 934–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-025-02328-8.
- Pope, Jason E., Gregory L. Smith, Johnathan A. Goree, Nagy A. Mekhail, Robert M. Levy, Timothy R. Deer, Chau M. Vu, et al. “Clinical utility of ECAP dosing in a real-world population delivered via EVOKE therapy: the ECAP study.” Reg Anesth Pain Med, December 1, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2025-107051.
- Hunter, Corey W., Jeffrey S. Raskin, Nagy A. Mekhail, Erika A. Petersen, Shivanand P. Lad, Jason E. Pope, Shrif J. Costandi, et al. “ECAP-Controlled Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Nonsurgical Refractory Back Pain: Subgroup Analysis From Two Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trials.” Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 50, no. 23 (December 1, 2025): 1637–47. https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000005445.
- Blackburn, Spiros L., Marc A. Babi, Andrew W. Grande, Omar A. Choudhri, Erik F. Hauck, Christopher P. Kellner, Michael C. Giordano, Shivanand P. Lad, and Aaron R. McCabe. “Correction: Prospective Trial of Cerebrospinal Fluid Filtration After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage via Lumbar Catheter Extension (PILLAR-XT).” Neurocrit Care, September 8, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-025-02380-4.