Team Members
Robert Singer, M.D.
Dr. Singer received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. In 1992, he received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska. He completed his residency in Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Singer also completed an Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, and a Neurovascular Surgery Fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. His clinical interests include Adult and Pediatric Neurovascular Therapeutics. Dr. Singer is the Director of the J.B. Marshall Laboratory for Neurovascular Therapeutics with a primary focus of blood brain barrier modulation, cerebral vasospasm and novel endovascular approaches to brain pathology.
Moneeb Ehtesham, M.D.
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Moneeb is a fifth year neurosurgery resident and second year endovascular neurosurgery fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He graduated from The Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan prior to starting his training at Vanderbilt. His clinical interests focus on complex skull base neurosurgery and endovascular neurosurgical therapeutics. Moneeb's research interests focus on cancer stem cells in neuro-oncogenesis and chemokine receptor pathways as they relate to brain tumor biology and mechanisms of vasospasm in subarachnoid hemmorhage. Moneeb plans to pursue a year of complex skull base fellowship after completion of his neurosurgery residency and endovascular training at Vanderbilt.
Brandon Davis, M.D., Ph.D.
Brandon is a fourth year neurosurgery resident and first year endovascular fellow at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prior to beginning his residency training, Brandon graduated medical school with a Ph.D from the University of California, San Francisco. Brandon’s clinical interests include endovascular therapeutics and stroke. His research interests include the role of the disruption of the blood brain barrier in visualizing and treating tumors.
Imad Khan, M.D.
Imad is a research fellow at the J.B. Marshall Laboratory. He graduated with honors in the fall of 2010 from the Aga Khan University Medical College, Pakistan. He then joined as a clinical research fellow at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport. The focus of his work included outcomes research in skull base and cerebrovascular neurosurgery. He joined the J.B. Marshall Lab in the summer of 2012 and is now involved in managing the lab. His active projects include translational research in stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage as well as the development of a cerebrospinal tissue bank.
Travis Ladner
Travis graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society. As an undergraduate student he completed an honors thesis on the organization of the thalamocortical pathways of the primate visual system. He is currently a second year medical student at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has an interest in cerebrovascular disease and is conducting research on cerebral vasospasm associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in animal models as well as clinical outcomes. Within the Nashville community, Travis serves as data management assistant for the Shade Tree Clinic, a student-run free clinic for the underserved, where he carries out chronic disease management research.
Young Lee
Young graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Biostatistics. As an undergraduate, Young was a part of the TRYUMPH Research Program led by Dr. McLean in the anesthesiology department where he studied biological processes mediating recovery after trauma and injury. In his free time, he worked as a paramedic for the county 911-service in Wilson, NC. Young’s current research interests include (1) post-subarachnoid hemorrhage cerebral vasospasm and (2) the development of a tissue bank of CSF for patients at VUMC. Young is currently a second year medical student at Vanderbilt University, and is expected to graduate in 2015.
Mitchell Odom
Mitchell graduated from the University of Idaho in 2010 with a degree in Psychology. As an undergraduate, he was involved in both cognitive neuroscience and synthetic chemistry research. He is currently a second year medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and serves as the president of the second year class. He has an interest in intracranial neurosurgery and translational medicine. His other interests include rock-climbing and graphic design.
Komron MacLean
After a five month mission trip to Costa Rica where he taught English, mathematics and science, Komron began his undergraduate studies at Middle Tennessee State University where he is now in his third year as a pre-med student. His current research with the Department of Biology involves a close study of the transmission of the emerging Legionella-Like Amoebal Pathogen from its natural host, A. polyphaga, to human macrophages as well as a concurrent investigation of its threat as a cause of respiratory infection in humans. Komron pursues a career as an orthopedic surgeon in the United States Armed Forces where he wishes to conduct research leading to innovative surgical procedures and an improved prognosis for servicemen and women who endure blunt, blast and/or penetrating trauma in the line of duty.
Alexander Maris
Alex was born and raised in the swamps of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from Catholic High School as a National Merit Scholar. Alex is studying molecular and cellular biology at Vanderbilt University’s College of Arts and Science. His interests include running, traveling to Greece, and teaching middle schoolers math and science. Alex was recently accepted into the highly selective early admissions program for the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He plans on become a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon after medical school.