Introduction
Nealen Laxpati, MD, is a Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and an Assistant Professor of Pediatric and Functional Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine. As a dedicated neurosurgeon-scientist, his work centers on integrating advanced neurotechnology into patient care.
Clinically, Dr. Laxpati focuses on the surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. He is skilled in advanced techniques including the stereotactic implantation of stereo-EEG (sEEG) electrodes, neuromodulation and minimally invasive laser ablation.
Drawing on more than a decade of translational research experience, Dr. Laxpati's serves as the Co-Director of the Translational Neuroengineering Research Lab. He is also a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and an Assistant Faculty Member in the Neuroscience Program at Emory University.
Dr. Laxpati earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California (USC). He then completed a joint MD/PhD program at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, receiving his PhD in biomedical engineering with a specialization in neural engineering. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Emory University, which included a two-year focused enfolded elective in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, followed by a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Texas Children's Hospital in 2024.
Academic Affiliations
- Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine
Focus of Practice
- Neurosurgery
- Deep brain stimulation
- Epilepsy
Areas of Interest
- Drug-resistant epilepsy
- Stereotactic implantation of stereo-EEG (sEEG) electrodes
- Neuromodulation
- Minimally invasive laser ablation
Locations
Pediatric Neurosurgery Associates
Medical Office Building at Scottish Rite hospital, 5461 Meridian Mark Rd NE Ste 520 Atlanta, GA 30342 Get Directions 404-785-2900Childrens Physician Group - Neurology
Scottish Rite Hospital, 1001 Johnson Ferry Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30342 Get DirectionsResearch & Publications
Dr. Laxpati’s research aims to optimize neuromodulatory strategies for nervous system disorders, particularly epilepsy. Key areas of investigation include leveraging spectral processing of sEEG signals for therapy optimization and designing machine-learning based optimization techniques for neuromodulatory control. Dr. Laxpati has contributed to the development and characterization of novel therapies, including laser ablation-specifically, real-time magnetic resonance-guided stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (LITT) for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy-and optogenetic neuromodulation of the septohippocampal axis. His current projects involve refining brain stimulation using active learning approaches and establishing individually-tailored neuromodulatory strategies for epilepsy. Dr. Laxpati's deep involvement in clinical surgery and innovation allows him to provide crucial clinical validation for neurotechnology projects, helping develop the next generation of therapeutic devices.