PGY-7 Residents
Nahom Teferi, MD
Medical school: Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences
Post-doctoral scholar/fellowship in neurosurgery: University of Iowa Health Care
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Why Iowa: “Having had the chance to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa, I was able to witness firsthand the cutting-edge scientific research and world class patient care that is rendered to our patients on a day-to-day basis. The diverse array of clinical presentations as well as volume of operative cases was also unparalleled. In addition, the utmost emphasis in training future academic neurosurgeons, who are leaders in their respective subspecialties along with the camaraderie and friendship among the residents, made choosing Iowa neurosurgery training program an easy choice.”
Research interests: I have keen interest in pursuing novel treatment approaches and research in the field of neuro-oncology, particularly in the study of GBM tumor metabolism.
Timothy Woodiwiss
Undergraduate (Major): Washington State University, Biochemistry
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Hobbies/Interests: Studying Spanish and French, traveling to Spanish speaking countries, commuting to work by running, running marathons, rowing, spending time with my wife and two daughters.
Why the University of Iowa: Iowa Neurosurgery is a program that is serious about training academic neurosurgeons with dedicated two years for research and 6 months for a mini 7th year fellowship, both of which can be performed anywhere in the world. Dr. Howard provides dedicated monthly mentorship on how to succeed in academics.
Why Iowa City: Iowa City is a fantastic place to live. It is a vibrant and growing college town and very affordable on a residents salary. Nearly all residents here are able to purchase a home. Exceptional schools districts for residents with children.
Clinical Research Interests: I will be completing a neuro-oncology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis from 2025-2027. My research is focused on the epigenetic regulation of glioblastoma and the immunmodulatory effects of LITT in brain tumors.
PGY-6 Residents
Tyson Matern
Undergraduate (Major): University of Utah (Biology, BS)
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Hobbies/Interests: Cycling, running, traveling, cooking, gardening/landscaping.
Why the University of Iowa: During my interview day at the University of Iowa, it was clear that the neurosurgery program offered extremely well-rounded training with strong clinical, operative, and research experience. It was also clear that the residents and faculty at Iowa are a cohesive, friendly, and hard-working group that would provide excellent mentorship and collegiality. Overall, the program's vast resources and commitment to training future leaders in academic neurosurgery made Iowa the preferred choice for my residency training.
Why Iowa City: Iowa City is a friendly, easy-going town that provides a relatively stress free lifestyle at a reasonable cost of living. While there is plenty of entertainment within the city itself, I also appreciate the fact that multiple large cities are close enough for a an easy weekend getaway.
Clinical & Research Interests: Pediatric neurosurgery, vascular neurosurgery, cerebral autoregulation, neural tube defects.
Michael Kritikos
Undergraduate (Major): N/A
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Why the University of Iowa: For an amazing training experience. Residents are a crucial part of the patient care team within our Department, and we get the opportunity to earn a bigger role in taking care of our patients as our training progresses. It is hard, but very fulfilling work. The Department also places a strong emphasis in helping residents pursue their research goals and formulate a career development plan from the very beginning, with the guidance and support of our department leadership.
Why Iowa City: Living in Iowa City means settling into a place where small-town charm meets intellectual depth. It is a diverse, vibrant community, that appeals to artists, students, young professionals and families alike. It offers a great quality of life, while overall the cost of living remains very affordable compared to major urban centers.
Clinical Research Interests:
- Neuromodulation
- Expanding indications of DBS
- Functional ultrasound imaging
- Epilepsy
PGY-5 Residents
Anthony Marincovich
Undergraduate (Major): BS in Biology and Psychology from the University of Oregon
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Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my growing family. Home renovation projects. Playing music and going to concerts. Oregon Ducks and Iowa Hawkeye sports.
Why the University of Iowa: I'm thrilled to be able to complete my residency training here as our program offers a fantastic combination of strong academic and research support along with high operative volume and exceptional neurosurgical training. And the people; our faculty are all very supportive and approachable and I've enjoyed all our resident camaraderie.
Why Iowa City: Excellent quality of life. Great cost of living. And I enjoy the college town environment with plenty of culture and events even though it's a small town.
Clinical Research Interests:
Elucidating the networks involved in the forebrain control of breathing.
Spinal surgery outcomes research and spinal oncology
Clayton Rosinski
Undergraduate (Major): University of Iowa, Neurobiology, Biochemistry
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Hobbies/Interests:
Snowboarding, cooking, golf, reading
Why the University of Iowa:
One of the few programs with two dedicated research years, 6-month fellowship opportunity in 7th year, and early operative exposure. No better place for those looking to go into academics and become good surgeons.
Why Iowa City:
Great place for residents, can afford to buy a home, ample entertainment options given our free time, surprisingly good food, easy access to outdoor activities.
Clinical/Research Interests:
Interested in spine sub-specialization and researching biomechanics of spine instrumentation as well as cognitive impacts of cervical myelopathy.
PGY-4 Residents
Asad Lak
Undergraduate (Major): Pre-Medicine
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Hobbies/Interests: Photography, cooking, enjoying trips with my wife.
Why the University of Iowa: The clinical training at UI Health Care is very rigorous and enables one to become a well-rounded neurosurgeon while the close mentorship from Dr Howard and rest of the faculty paves the way for future academic success in terms of fellowship opportunities and research endeavors.
Why Iowa City: Iowa city is very affordable to live comfortably as a resident. The day-to-day life in Iowa city is stress free allowing one to focus on residency training. There is enough fun stuff to do around on weekends, there are some really nice trails to enjoy around the city and you can easily bike to work. You can also easily do a weekend trip to nearby major cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.
Clinical/Research Interests: Skull base; neuro-oncology; tumor biology; neuro-immunology
Katherine Jensen
Undergraduate (Major): Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
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Hobbies/Interests: Running, baking, hiking, napping
Why the Univesity of Iowa: I was so impressed by the people and collaborative atmosphere. It has all of the resources of a large academic center for patient care and research nestled in an incredibly livable city.
Why Iowa City: It's beautiful, affordable, easy to get around, and has all of the amenities you could need.
Clinical/Research Interests: Spine, Pediatrics
PGY-3 Residents
Mani Ratnesh Sandhu
Undergraduate (Major): N/A
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Hobbies/Interests: Running, Hiking
Why the University of Iowa:
The University of Iowa is a top-tier hospital providing excellent care to patients from Iowa and neighboring states. It offers a high clinical volume, strong camaraderie among residents, and a collaborative environment across all specialties. Most importantly, the program has a supportive staff caring about every aspect of neurological training. It is also one of the few programs that offers two years of dedicated research along with “transition to practice” model
Why Iowa City:
A beautiful city and vibrant university town, Iowa City offers great running trails, scenic places to explore, and a warm, welcoming community.
Clinical/Research Interests:
Functional, Vascular, Clinical outcomes, systems neuroscience
PGY-2 Residents
Saad Javeed
Undergraduate (Major): NA
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Hobbies/Interests: Running, freediving, and espresso enthusiast.
Why the University of Iowa: Iowa’s rigorous training, operative autonomy, and resident-led clinical service create a truly unique environment. I chose Iowa because it excels in both clinical and academic neurosurgery, supporting my goal of becoming a neurosurgeon-scientist.
Why Iowa City: Iowa City has a cozy college-town vibe—walkable, close to nature, full of cafés, bookstores, and constant energy. It’s a small town with a big personality.
Clinical Research Interests: Neurotrauma, spinal cord injury, spine surgery
Lina Marenco Hillembrand
Undergraduate (Major): Does not apply.
Doctor of Medicine: Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla Colombia
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Hobbies/Interests: Running, Cycling, Hiking, Painting.
Why the University of Iowa: I chose the University of Iowa Neurosurgery Program because of its exceptional clinical training, strong research foundation, and unparalleled operative experience.
As the only Level 1 trauma center in the state, the institution provides exposure to a wide breadth of both emergent and elective cases across all neurosurgical subspecialties. The program is rigorous, with a structured pathway toward early and meaningful autonomy under expert supervision.
What truly sets Iowa apart, however, is its culture of mentorship and excellence. The faculty are deeply committed to hands-on teaching, and the success of past graduates, many of whom have gone on to prestigious academic and leadership positions, speaks volumes about the program.
On a personal level, I was drawn to the people. The camaraderie among residents, the approachability of attendings, and the supportive, collaborative environment made it clear to me that this is a place where I can thrive both professionally and personally.
Why Iowa City: I chose Iowa city for its strong academic environment, beautiful nature scenery including riverfront trails and parks, affordability, and its convenient proximity to major cities.
Clinical Research Interests: Neuro-oncology, skull base, brain metastasis, cerebrovascular.
PGY-1 Residents
Jordan Krieg
Undergraduate (Major): Neuroscience
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Hobbies/Interests: fishing, sports card collecting, college football
Why the University of Iowa: learn to operate early, resident autonomy, diverse faculty with global training creates a world class training environment.
Why Iowa City: culturally diverse, ease of living, friendly people
Clinical Research Interests: electrophysiology, evoked compound action potentials, cortical mapping, ephaptic coupling
Vivanco Suarez
Undergraduate (Major): Medicine
More about Vivanco
Hobbies/Interests: Tennis, coffee, stoicism
Why the University of Iowa: Research opportunities, comprehensive training, busy service
Why Iowa City: Minimal distractions, friendly environment, cultural diversity
Clinical Research Interests: brain electrophysiology, computer vision