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About the Author
 
Dr. Vini G. Khurana MBBS, BSc(Med), PhD, FRACS
A Mayo Clinic-Trained Neurosurgeon with an advanced neurosurgery Fellowship in Cerebrovascular and Complex Tumor Surgery from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Current Surgical, Teaching, and Research Appointments:
- Associate Professor of Neurosurgery for the Australian National University and Canberra Medical School.
- Hon. Associate Professor of Neurosurgery for the University of Sydney.
Dr. Khurana's subspecialization in complex intracranial neurosurgery includes the following:
- Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery: Surgical treatment of brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and cavernous malformations (cavernoma) including those involving the brainstem; brain bypass surgery; carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis (
 Visit the Contents page of this Website) - Complex Tumor Neurosurgery: Tumors of the skull base (including acoustic neuromas and other Schwannomas, and meningiomas), brainstem and craniocervical junction ( Visit our Brain Tumor Educational Resource of our partner Website www.brain-surgery.us)
- Microvascular Decompression (MVD): For trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and glossopharyngeal neuralgia
- Salvage Neurosurgery: For "recurrent", "persistent" or "inoperable" brain tumors ( Visit our Brain Tumor Educational Resource)
- "MINIMAL-ACCESS" NEUROSURGERY: Routinely using a combination of intraoperative image-guidance technology and advanced neurosurgical approaches to optimize the accuracy and safety of neurosurgery, and to reduce incision and craniotomy sizes to the smallest and safest possible. Dr. Khurana also utilizes a "minimal-shave" technique for scalp incisions ( Visit the Brain Surgery book Webpage of our partner Website www.brain-surgery.us)
- "AWAKE BRAIN SURGERY"/"AWAKE CRANIOTOMY": For certain patients with tumours or vascular malformations in highly eloquent (highly functionally important) parts of the brain, Dr Khurana and his team offer a specialized and successful Awake Brain Surgery/Awake Craniotomy Service as a means of obtaining as complete a resection as possible while having the patient awake, pain-free and comfortable and neurologically testable during the critical parts of the surgery ( Visit the Awake Brain Surgery/Awake Craniotomy page of our partner Website www.brain-surgery.net.au)
Brief Curriculum Vitae of Vini G. Khurana
Higher Education and Training
 1988-1994: University of Sydney Medical School (Sydney, Australia)
- B.Sc. (Med.) (Honors) in Advanced Physiology Research; Graduated in 1992
- M.B.B.S. (Honors); Graduated in 1995
- Resident artist for University of Sydney Medical Society Newspaper 1991-1993
1995-1996: Surgical Intern, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney, Australia)
 1996-2005: Mayo Clinic & Mayo Foundation (Rochester, Minnesota, USA)
- Neurosurgery Resident and Chief Resident Associate; Graduated in 2005
- Thoralf Sundt Fellow in Neurosurgical Research (1999-2001)
- Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; Graduated in 2001
2005-2006: Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI; Phoenix, Arizona, USA)
U.S. Patents
- Gene Delivery Device and Gene Delivery Method (Khurana et al., U.S. Patent 6,821,264)
- Assessing Brain Aneurysms (Khurana & Meyer; Patent pending)
- Invention of a genetic test to assess risk of brain aneurysm rupture
Awards and Scholarships
- 1991: Australian Medical Association J.G. Hunter Research Scholarship for BSc(Med)
- 1991: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Undergraduate Research Scholarship for BSc(Med)
- 1992: P.O. Bishop Medal for Greatest Proficiency in Advanced Physiology for BSc(Med), University of Sydney, Australia
- 1993: Peter Bancroft Prize for Best Undergraduate Thesis, University of Sydney, Australia
- 1993: Sydney Tapping Bequest Undergraduate Scholarship, University of Sydney, for Medical Student Overseas Elective
- 1994: Robert Craig Prize for Surgery, University of Sydney, Australia
- 1995: Australasian Neurosurgical Society Prize for paper on pathophysiology of cerebral vasospasm
- 1999: Principal Collaborating Investigator to Zvonimir S. Katusic MD PhD for American Heart Association-Bugher Foundation Award for the Investigation of Stroke
- 1999: International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism Bursary for Young Scientists (Brain ’99 Meeting; Copenhagen, Denmark)
- 2000: American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Travel Award (ASPET Annual Meeting; Boston, MA)
- 2000: Grand Prize in Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Graduate Student Best Paper Competition (ASPET 2000 Meeting; Boston, MA)
- 2000: First Prize in Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic (“From Molecules to Mankind” Mayo Clinic Research Forum; Rochester, MN)
- 2001: Best Paper Award in Clinical Pharmacology (ASPET Annual Meeting; Orlando, FL)
- 2002: Scholarly Clinician Award, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, for Investigatorship in Vasospasm Genomics Clinical Trial, Mayo Clinic
- 2002: Certificate of Excellence for Patient Care and Team Work presented by the Neurosurgical Nursing Staff, St. Marys Hospital, Mayo Clinic
- 2003: Congress of Neurological Surgeons Galbraith Award for Cerebrovascular Surgery Research
- 2004: First place in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Neuroradiology Competition (AFIP Neuroradiology /Neuropathology Course; Bethesda, MD; Feb., 2004)
- 2005: Mayo Clinic Scholarly Achievement Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement During Neurosurgical Residency
- 2007: Recipient of the Australian Capital Territory Quality in Health Care Award for Patient Safety
Journal Articles (Listed chronologically)
- Bennett MR, Kerr R, Khurana G. Adenosine modulation of calcium currents in postganglionic neurones of avian cultured ciliary ganglia. British Journal of Pharmacology 106: 25-32, 1992.
- Khurana G, Bennett MR. Nitric oxide and arachidonic acid modulation of calcium currents in postganglionic neurones of avian cultured ciliary ganglia. British Journal of Pharmacology 109: 480-485, 1993.
- Khurana VG, Mentis DH, O’Brien CJ, Hurst TL, Stevens GN, Packham NA. Parotid and neck metastases from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck. American Journal of Surgery 170: 446-450, 1995.
- Khurana VG, Besser M. The pathophysiological basis of cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 4: 122-131, 1997.
- Khurana VG, Piepgras DG, Whisnant JP. Ruptured giant intracranial aneurysms. Part 1. A study of rebleeding. Journal of Neurosurgery 88: 425-429, 1998.
- Piepgras DG, Khurana VG, Whisnant JP. Ruptured giant intracranial aneurysms. Part 2. A retrospective analysis of timing and outcome of surgical treatment. Journal of Neurosurgery 88: 430-435, 1998.
- Besser M, Khurana VG. Management of giant intracranial aneurysms of the posterior circulation. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 5: 161-168, 1998.
- Khurana VG, Wijdicks EFM, Parisi JE, Piepgras DG. Acute deterioration from thrombosis and rerupture of a giant intracranial aneurysm. Neurology 52: 1694-1697, 1999.
- Khurana VG, Cameron BM, Bates LM, Robb RA. Virtual frontiers. Part 1. Fundamental concepts and recent advances in virtual reality technology. Perspectives in Neurological Surgery 10: 101-111, 1999.
- Khurana VG, Bates LM, Meyer FB, Robb RA. Virtual frontiers. Part 2. Role of virtual reality technology in neurosurgery. Perspectives in Neurological Surgery 10: 113-127, 1999.
- Khurana VG, Smith LA, Weiler DA, Springett MJ, Parisi JE, Meyer FB, Marsh WR, O’Brien T, Katusic ZS. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to human cerebral arteries. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 20: 1360-1371, 2000.
- Khurana VG, Feterik K, Eguchi D, Springett MJ, Shah V, Katusic ZS. Functional interdependence and colocalization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in cerebral arteries. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 20: 1563-1570, 2000.
- Khurana VG, Katusic ZS. Gene transfer for cerebrovascular disease. Current Cardiology Reports 3: 10-16, 2001.
- Piepgras DG, Khurana VG, Nichols DA. Occult rupture of a giant vertebral artery aneurysm following proximal occlusion and intrasaccular thrombosis. Journal of Neurosurgery 95: 132-137, 2001.
- Khurana VG, Smith LA, Baker TA, Eguchi D, O’Brien T, Katusic ZS. Protective vasomotor effects of in vivo recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene expression in a canine model of cerebral vasospasm. Stroke 33: 782-789, 2002.
- Khurana VG, Perez-Terzic CM, Petersen RC, Krauss WE. Singing paraplegia: A distinctive manifestation of a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula. Neurology 58: 1279-1281, 2002.
- Khurana VG, Weiler DA, Witt TA, Smith LA, Kleppe LS, Parisi JE, Simari RD, O’Brien T, Russell SJ, Katusic ZS. A direct mechanical method for accurate and efficient adenoviral vector delivery to tissues. Gene Therapy 10: 443-452, 2003.
- Khurana VG, Link MJ, Driscoll CLW, Beatty CW. Evolution of a cochlear schwannoma on clinical and neuroimaging studies. Journal of Neurosurgery 99: 779-782, 2003.
- Khurana VG, Meyer FB. Translational paradigms in cerebrovascular gene transfer. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 23: 1251-1262, 2003.
- Khurana VG, Sohni YR, Mangrum WI, McClelland RL, O'Kane DJ, Meyer FB, Meissner I. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T-786C single nucleotide polymorphism: A putative genetic marker differentiating small versus large ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Stroke 34: 2555-2559, 2003.
- Khurana VG, Sohni YR, Mangrum WI, McClelland RL, O'Kane DJ, Meyer FB, Meissner I. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms predict susceptibility to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral vasospasm. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 24: 291-297, 20.
- Khurana VG, Wijdicks EFM, Heublein DM, McClelland RL, Meyer FB, Piepgras DG, Burnett JC Jr. A pilot study of Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 55: 69-76, 2004.
- Khurana VG, Sohni YR, Mangrum WI, McClelland RL, O'Kane DJ, Meyer FB, Meissner I. Section of Cerebrovascular Surgery: Galbraith Award: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene polymorphisms predict susceptibility to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and post-SAH cerebral vasospasm. Clinical Neurosurgery 51: 343-350, 2004.
- Khurana VG, Meissner I, Meyer FB. An update on genetic evidence for “rupture-prone”versus “rupture-resistant” intracranial saccular aneurysms. Neurosurgical Focus 17(5): E7, 2004.
- Khurana VG, Meissner I, Sohni YR, Bamlet WR, McClelland RL, Cunningham JM, Meyer FB. The presence of tandem eNOS gene polymorphisms identifying brain aneurysms more prone to rupture. Journal of Neurosurgery 102: 526-531, 2005.
- Lekovic GP, Gonzalez LF, Khurana VG, Spetzler RF. Intraoperative rupture of brainstem cavernous malformation: Case report. Neurosurgical Focus 21(1): E14, 2006.
- Khurana VG, Fox DJ, Meissner I, Meyer FB, Spetzler RF. Update on evidence for a genetic predisposition to cerebral vasospasm. Neurosurgical Focus 21(3): E3, 2006.
- Khurana VG, Mathews M, Wijdicks EFM, Bledsoe J, Foy A, Spranger J, Manno E, Spinner RJ. The diagnosis of acute cerebral venous thrombosis made intraoperatively. Submitted.
Book Chapters
- Khurana VG, Benarroch EE, Katusic ZS, Meyer FB: Chapter 86: Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. In Winn HR (ed), Youmans Neurological Surgery, 5th Edition, Vol. 2, Philadelphia, WB Saunders, pp 1467-1494, 2003.
- Khurana VG, Friedman JA, Meyer FB: Chapter 11: Biology of Cerebral Blood Vessels and Blood Flow. In Le Roux PD, Winn HR, Newell DW (eds), Management of Cerebral Aneurysms, Philadelphia, WB Saunders, pp 139-167, 2003.
- Friedman JA, Khurana VG, Anderson RE, Meyer FB: Chapter 71: Cerebral Blood Flow: Physiology and Measurement Techniques. In Moore AJ, Newell DW (eds), Neurosurgery Principles and Practice, London, Springer, pp 301-314, 2004.
- Fox DJ, Khurana VG, Spetzler RF: Olfactory Groove/Planum Sphenoidale Meningioma. In Lee JH (ed), Meningiomas: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome, London, Springer, In press.
- Khurana VG, Fox DJ, Gonzalez LF, Shedd SA, Spetzler RF: Vertebral Confluence and Mid-Basilar Aneurysms Including Transpetrosal Approach. In Macdonald RL (ed), Neurosurgical Operative Atlas: Vascular Neurosurgery, 2nd Edition, New York, Thieme, In press.
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