Alexander A. Khalessi is the chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and professor of Neurological Surgery, Radiology and Neurosciences at UC San Diego. In 2021 he was named the inaugural Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery, one of the highest academic honors conferred upon a faculty member in the University of California system.
Since joining the Executive Committee in 2014, Dr. Khalessi has assumed progressive positional responsibilities within the CNS. These roles include Vice President, co-chair of the CNS Foundation, Scientific Program and Annual Meeting Chair. He remains deeply engaged in the work of the CNS/AANS Washington Committee and further served in several executive leadership roles in the Joint Sub-Specialty Cerebrovascular Section. Complementing his CNS leadership roles, Dr. Khalessi also sits on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Dr. Khalessi has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and monographs and more than 230 abstracts and presentations. He has served as principal or co-investigator of more than 25 clinical trials and grants. His research has spurred advances in the catheter-based treatment of ischemic stroke, endoscopic treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage, multi-modal treatment of cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and complex surgical approaches to brain tumors. His research interests include the intersection between physiology, engineering, and neurosurgical technique.
Dr. Khalessi earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, completed his residency at the University of Southern California, and endovascular neurosurgery fellowship at SUNY Buffalo. He graduated with honors from Stanford University, holds master’s degree in health services research from the same, and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.
Dr. Khalessi resides in San Diego, California, with his wife Sara, who is a lawyer. They are the proud parents of Wilder (6) and Pierce (4). As a family, they enjoy the outdoors together from the beach to the mountains.