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For more information on applying for one of four fellowship positions
available
for the 2024 – 2025 academic year, click here.

“Greetings from the Southern Part of Heaven and thank you for considering the University of North Carolina as your potential Neuroradiology Fellowship destination! We pride ourselves on providing an outstanding training experience at one of the top public research universities in the country.  During their time at UNC, our fellows gain critical interpretive skills through exposure to a high volume of interesting and diverse pathologies in a fast-paced but collegial and friendly work environment.  They also enjoy working with and learning from a highly diverse group of renowned faculty members who are dedicated to their growth and well-being throughout their fellowship years and beyond.

Why else would you want to come to Chapel Hill?  Well, as a born and bred Chapel Hill native, I can attest to the fact that our town and the surrounding Triangle area are amongst the best places to live, work, and raise a family in the country.  The area features great schools, a fantastic and diverse array of music, arts, and food, as well as top-level collegiate and professional sports.  In addition, we are a short distance away from both the scenic and ruggedly beautify Blue Ridge mountains to the west (my own personal happy place) and the warm, sandy beaches along the North Carolina coast.  There truly is something for everyone here!

If you’d like to learn more about what our program and Chapel Hill have to offer, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.  I hope that you’ll consider becoming a part of the Tar Heel family! “

Benjamin Huang: Neuroradiology Fellowship Director | Email


ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

Our fellowship is designed to produce knowledgeable, well-rounded neuroradiologists who excel in meeting the demands of a busy clinical practice, while also being able to succeed and flourish in an academic setting.  Fellows rotate regularly through clinical services at the main hospital campus and at our nearby outpatient imaging center, with dedicated exposure to all core aspects of diagnostic neuroradiology, including brain imaging; pediatric neuroimaging; head and neck imaging; spine imaging; and vascular interventional neuroradiology.  In addition, fellows gain ample exposure to advanced imaging techniques, including functional MRI, DTI, MR spectroscopy, MR vessel wall imaging, high-resolution imaging of the skull base, fetal MRI, and perfusion CT and MR.

Fellows actively participate in image interpretation and image-guided procedures, and they also take part in several regular multidisciplinary conferences.  The clinical experience is further supplemented with regularly scheduled didactic and educational conferences, such as a dedicated fellow lecture series and regular case conferences, including weekly pediatric neuroradiology conferences. Finally, we endeavor to give our fellows the flexibility to tailor their experiences with plenty of academic and elective time available to them throughout the year. Ample research and global health opportunities are also available for interested candidates. All of our fellows have passed their examinations and gotten the jobs of their choice. Our experience: we have trained over 200 individuals.

A limited number of 2nd year advanced neuroimaging fellowship positions are available for fellows interested in additional training, with a focus on gaining greater skills in advanced imaging techniques, scholarship and resident and medical student education.


Israel “Izzy” Saramago, MD

Class of 2021

“UNC neuroradiology fellowship was a great experience! Very interesting case mix with outstanding pathology, amazing head/neck/skull base cases, pediatric neuroradiology incorporated throughout the entire year, great outside referral cases with a high number of positive cases, and wonderful faculty. Interesting Neuro Case Conference every Tuesday with Mauricio Castillo, Carlos Zamora, Benjamin Huang, Keith Smith, Valerie Jewells, Ray Lee, and Alex Hung was one of the highlights of the UNC Neuroradiology fellowship experience. Faculty are knowledgeable, give you the right level of autonomy, and help you thrive in a great environment. There are many opportunities to do research but this is not imposed upon you. You will come out well-rounded and ready to hit the ground running at your future practice. The triangle (Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh) has great food and drinks with an abudance of cultural and outdoor activities. Will never forget the people I’ve met and lifelong friends I’ve made. Go Tar Heels!”

Our yearly calendar is composed of 13 four-week blocks, with fellows rotating weekly among four different areas:

  • Brain imaging (13 weeks)
  • ENT imaging and procedures (13 weeks)
  • Spine imaging (13 weeks)
  • Flex time (9 weeks)

Work days in all of the core clinical services (Brain, ENT, and Spine) include significant daily exposure to pediatric neuroimaging cases (including neonatal ultrasound and fetal MRI), which on average account for approximately 15-20% of the total volume interpreted by fellows.

Flex time can be tailored to each individual fellow’s interests and may be used for activities including: neurointerventional radiology, meeting attendance, academic time for research or other scholarly activities, and various other electives.  Electives can be taken within the Neuroradiology Division or with any of the other divisions in the Department of Radiology (thoracic imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, nuclear medicine, PET/CT, pediatrics, interventional radiology, cardiovascular imaging, breast imaging, and GI/GU imaging) or other select departments at UNC, including the departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Anesthesiology (Pain Management), and Pathology.

Fellows enrolled in the second-year training program continue to rotate through the core areas and take limited weekend call but are afforded additional academic and elective time (one week out of every four on average) to complete scholarly activities including scientific research and educational projects and to gain additional expertise in advanced neuroimaging techniques.  The second-year curriculum can be tailored to fit each fellow’s specific needs and interests.

MRI

We have access to ten clinical MRI scanners including seven 1.5T and three 3T magnets. One of our upcoming 3T scanners is equipped with a dedicated 64 channel high-resolution head and neck coil. In addition, our Biomedical Research Imaging Center houses 3T and 7T MR/PET units. We have a high-volume MRI service coveringthe entire spectrum of neurological diseases, including inflammatory/demyelinating conditions, infections, neuro-oncology, congenital brain malformations, neurodegenerative, and vascular pathology, among others.

CT

We have ten CT scanners ranging from 64 to 128 detectors (including two dual energy units), one cone beam CT scanner dedicated to head and neck imaging, and three combination PET/CT scanners. In addition, we have acquired a state-of-the-art photon counting CT unit that is being installed in our main hospital in the coming months.

US

There are 13 ultrasound machines, including Siemens S3000, Ge LogiqE9 and Philips IU 22 with state-of-the-art software, including pulse inversion harmonics, contrast-enhanced ultrasound experiencs, elastography and 3D. In addition to image interpretation, ultrasound-guided procedures are performed on this service. We perform approximately 150-200 guided thyroid and lymph node biopsies each year.

GI/GU

There are 6 digital fluoroscopy rooms in our main hospital. On this rotation, fellows perform and supervise inpatient and outpatient genitourinary and gastrointestinal fluoroscopic procedures and interpret abdominal plain films.

Our faculty are actively involved in multiple areas of research, including stroke and vessel wall imaging, spine trauma, imaging of pediatric hearing loss, and carbon nanotube-based CT imaging.  Several of our faculty are PIs or co-investigators on ongoing federally and industry sponsored studies.

In addition to clinical research taking place on the hospital side, there are numerous ongoing research projects and opportunities at the UNC Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC). The BRIC was formed in 2005 to support image-based biomedical research across the UNC System and is a statewide resource serving researchers across the state of North Carolina in a central facility that handles the acquisition, processing, analysis, storage, and retrieval of images. The center is located one block south of the UNC Hospital building and houses both human and animal imaging equipment, including a 7T whole-body MRI, multinuclear capable 3T MRI, PET/MRI, cyclotron, and a full complement of small animal imaging modalities.

On average, fellows take 1 night of at-home backup beeper call per week, and one weekend of call per four-week block. Fellows are given an academic day on the Monday after each call weekend. 

Fellows are provided 3 weeks (15 days) of vacation/PTO for the year with an additional week of vacation provided by the department over the Christmas/New Years’ holidays.  Please visit the UNC Office of Graduate Medical Education GME policies page for additional information on paid time off and other benefits.

Qualifying fellows are allowed and encouraged to engage in both internal and external moonlighting activities.  Note that moonlighting time is counted towards a fellow’s GME duty hour limits.


Melissa Davis, MD, MBA

Class of 2015

“I really enjoyed my time as a neuroradiology fellow at UNC. The attendings were amazing, and I made lifelong friends with my co-fellows. The lessons I learned then I carry with me today.”


FACULTY

Pediatric Neuroradiology


CURRENT FELLOWS


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