Training & Education

Neuroradiology Fellowship

The University of Southern California offers a one-year ACGME accredited training program in Neuroradiology. This program is designed to provide trainees with the unique clinical, academic, research and technical skills required to practice this specialty. The education program is organized to provide comprehensive, in-depth training and experience in the evaluation and diagnosis of patients in all aspects of Neuroradiology including brain, spine, and head & neck imaging for both pediatric and adult patients.

Diagnostic modalities covered in the training program include plain x-ray, computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography with 3D post-processing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MR angiography, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) MRI, functional MRI (fMRI), MR spectroscopy (MRS), and other advanced imaging techniques including CT perfusion and MR perfusion/permeability.

In addition to diagnostic training, the program provides trainees with a structured experience in procedural work such as lumbar spinal punctures/myelography, cervical puncture, epidural blood patch, percutaneous image-guided pain procedures including facet/epidural spinal injections under both CT and fluoroscopic guidance, CT-guided bone and soft tissue biopsies/drainages, vertebral augmentation (vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty), and diagnostic cerebral angiography.

Faculty & Program Director

The USC Neuroradiology program has ten primary full-time faculty members who teach and provide clinical coverage at Los Angeles General Medical Center and the Keck Medical Center of USC. There are also two USC faculty Pediatric Neuroradiologists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). The program additionally has the benefit of three faculty who serve on a part-time and voluntary basis over the course of the year.

Dr. Paul Kim is the Division Chief of Neuroradiology. Dr. Alexander Lerner is the fellowship program director. Dr. Priya Rajagopalan is the assistant fellowship director, working closely alongside Dr. Kim and the other USC faculty to provide fellows a comprehensive training program in Neuroradiology.

All USC Neuroradiology faculty members are certified by the American Board of Radiology in Diagnostic Radiology with all eligible faculty also holding a CAQ in Neuroradiology. These faculty members demonstrate a commitment to the subspecialty as documented by membership and leadership in professional societies, publications in the field, and an ongoing dedication to patient care and the clinical practice of Neuroradiology. The faculty provide fellows with teaching at the workstation, didactic lectures, case conferences, journal clubs, hands-on supervision and guidance during procedures, and direct supervision of patient care including management decisions, interpretive skills, and consultative aspects of the specialty. The program also provides systems based practice, practice quality improvement, and business of radiology exposure.

Patient Population

The patient population fellows provide care for at USC is extremely broad and diverse between time spent at Keck Medical Center of USC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, USC Healthcare Center 2 outpatient imaging center, Los Angeles General Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Fellows are exposed to Neuroradiology practice in multiple settings including emergency, inpatient, and outpatient imaging at a large tertiary referral university based hospital network, one of the nation’s largest and busiest level I trauma county hospitals treating the underserved, and a preeminent tertiary referral pediatric hospital. Fellows see a far range of pathologies such as trauma, congenital and pediatric neurological disorders, neuro-oncology, head & neck oncology, infectious disease, and pre- and post-operative brain/spine/head & neck imaging.