Illustration of a neuroscientist and neurons

Awards & Recognitions – January 2026

Byline: Christina O'Haver
January 29, 2026

AANS History Section Chair

Mark Preul, MD, poses for a photo. He is wearing a white, Barrow-branded lab coat and smiling at the camera. Operative equipment can be seen in the background.

Mark Preul, MD, director of neurosurgery research at Barrow, has been re-elected as Chair of the AANS Section on the History of Neurological Surgery. With more than 32 years of leadership with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Dr. Preul is the only person in the organization’s history to serve as a section chair four times. Dr. Preul has also been invited to present the annual Sir Victor Horsley Lecture at the AANS 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in May, making him the first person to deliver this esteemed lecture on two separate occasions.

ILAE Task Force Leader

Barrow neurology resident Ryan Wagner, MD, poses for an environmental portrait in South Africa. He is in front of a field, sparsely populated with structures. He has his arms folded and is smiling at the camera.

Ryan Wagner, MD, a neurology resident at Barrow, has been selected by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to lead the Cost-Effective Care Task Force of its Epidemiology Commission. During his four-year term, Dr. Wagner will continue the work he has led for ILAE to measure the economic cost of epilepsy and redefine the global epilepsy treatment gap. These efforts underscore his commitment to addressing the health care needs of underserved populations worldwide—the core mission of the Barrow Global initiative and an important pillar of the Barrow Neurology Residency Program.

Barrow Neurology Vice Chair of Research

Chia-Ling Phuah, MD, MMSc, has been selected to serve as Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Neurology at Barrow, effective Feb. 1. Dr. Phuah is highly regarded nationally and internationally for her work in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as acute brain injury. She has received two National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants since joining our faculty, one centered on the intersection of traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s and the other focused on demystifying white matter hyperintensities on imaging. Additionally, as co-director of the Barrow Neuro Analytics Center, Dr. Phuah has been instrumental in bringing the first high-performance computer network to Barrow. As Vice Chair of Research, Dr. Phuah will play a key role in expanding the Department’s research portfolio.

Ina Levine Chair for Brain Tumor Research

The Grants Committee of the Barrow Neurological Foundation Board of Trustees has approved Shwetal Mehta, PhD, to be named the Ina Levine Chair for Brain Tumor Research at Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. Mehta serves as deputy director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow, where she leads the field in the development of early-phase pharmacodynamic- and pharmacokinetic-driven studies for patients with malignant brain tumors.

500th Seven Series

Seven Series, a neurosurgery education project led by Barrow President and CEO Michael T. Lawton, MD, reached its 500th episode. Seven Series has amassed 1.3 million views since its inception almost six years ago, with viewers “scrubbing in” virtually to real neurosurgical cases for nearly 3.6 million minutes and counting.

Creighton School of Medicine Appointment

Barrow neurologist and Moreno Family Chair of Alzheimer’s Research Marwan Sabbagh, MD, FAAN, has been appointed Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Public Health for Creighton University School of Medicine‘s Phoenix campus, effective Jan. 1. Creighton selected Dr. Sabbagh based on his extensive experience as a clinician, a researcher, and an educator. In addition to his clinical work at Barrow, Dr. Sabbagh will work with Creighton to elevate the clinical research infrastructure at their Phoenix campus, grow their clinical research portfolio, and support the development of research curricula and educational offerings.