Department of Neurological Surgery Faculty

Brittany was born and raised in New York City. She graduated last spring from the combined seven-year BS/MD program at the City College of New York/City University of New York School of Medicine. Brittany earned numerous undergraduate academic honors, including being named to the Dean’s List and graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in biomedical education. Her clinical performance in medical school was outstanding. According to a letter from the CUNY School of Medicine, she would have been considered for membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society if the school had an AOA chapter. Brittany was the recipient of a Mack Lipkin Research Fellowship to study the effects of intense exercise and deep brain stimulation on Parkinson’s disease. In addition, she has conducted research on the restorative effect of sleep on learning and studied the therapeutic effect of middle meningeal artery embolization on chronic subdural hematoma. She has been involved in numerous community activities, having started the first bone marrow drive at her school and having mentored disadvantaged students whose parents were incarcerated. Brittany’s letters of recommendation from medical school are filled with superlatives. One of her professors described her as “gifted, highly intelligent, extremely organized and determined” and “one of the best students I have encountered in my thirty plus-year career in the academic world.” Another wrote “Brittany is an exceptional human being…I see her as a shining star in neurosurgery.” Our own faculty were uniformly impressed with Brittany’s academic accomplishments and outstanding personal qualities, deeming her among the best of the hundreds of applicants who applied for this position. Brittany is the rising Chief at UMass Neurosurgery. Congratulations to Brittany on her Fellowship Match at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center!

Constance grew up in a small rural town in Nebraska and, through a combination of grit, hard work and outstanding academic achievement made her way to the University of Pennsylvania where she earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology. She then spent several years doing laboratory research on neuroinflammation and traumatic brain injury before matriculating in the MD/PhD program at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. Her clinical and academic performance were described as “outstanding” with “an amazing fund of knowledge.” One recommender wrote, “She takes initiative and has a strong work ethic…Professionally, she leads by example. She demonstrates excellence in all that she does and is gracious to all members of the health care team.” Her PhD thesis focused on the microvascular pathology of peripheral vascular disease. Constance has co-authored 10 peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous awards, including a University of Nebraska Presidential Graduate Fellowship (awarded for research accomplishments and scholastic performance), a First Place Research Poster Award, the Most Outstanding Student Grand Rounds Presentation Award and a top 10 percent presentation at the American Heart Association scientific sessions. Constance is a proven leader, having served as founder and president of the Nebraska chapter of the American Physician Scientist Association, founder and president of the student chapter of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and secretary/treasurer of the student interest group in neurological surgery.

Will attended Boston College where he majored in biology and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society in 2016. After graduation, he worked for several years as an administrative assistant in the cerebrovascular division of the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  His supervisor at the Brigham described Will as “a superstar” with “a calm demeanor, humility and drive.”  Will then matriculated at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where his performance was stellar. His clinical performance was near the top of his graduating class, and his performance on standardized examinations was in the extraordinary range. He has conducted research in the area of pediatric neurosurgery and has published eight peer-reviewed articles, including four as first author. Several additional articles have been submitted for publication. The Dean’s letter stated that “he has produced superb performances across multiple competencies in multiple disciplines, demonstrating mastery of skills that are crucial to success as a physician.” Will has also demonstrated significant leadership skills while in college and medical school. In college, he founded Camp Kesem Chestnut Hill, a national organization that supports the children of cancer patients. He helped to found the University of Connecticut student chapter of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, served as Director of the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Craft student organization, and volunteered as a tutor and mentor in medical school. Will enjoys hiking, camping and long-distance running. 

Hanya Qureshi graduated from the Yale School of Medicine and holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior from Columbia University. She is the Co-Founder of Yale Global Health - Students United for Regional and Global Education (SURGE), bringing together students from nearly 20 countries to design innovative global health solutions.  Hanya was also the Founder & Co-Developer of the United Nations STEM Connect Program, which focused on increasing STEM participation amongst underrepresented high school girls internationally.  Hanya has led and contributed to a number of research projects exploring the intersection of ophthalmologic and neurological diseases, examining intrathecal nicardipine usage in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, writing on familial and syndromic arachnoid cysts, presenting on SMA syndrome, and authoring numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.  She completed her medical school thesis on genomic profiles, frailty, and outcomes in meningioma patients. Starting residency, Hanya’s academic contributions already total over 40, including nearly 20 peer-reviewed publications encompassing journals such as Nature Medicine, Neurology, Journal of Neuro-Oncology, and Journal of Neurosurgery. As a Solomon Center for Health Law & Policy Fellow at Yale Law School, Hanya uniquely combined her neurosurgery and policy interests, designing research-informed policy for traumatic brain injury patients.  Hanya is interested in global neurosurgery efforts to improve access to neurosurgical care for minority patients.

Chelsea is a native of Colorado. She earned a BA degree in Philosophy from Dartmouth College. She worked for several years in the Phytohormone Signaling Laboratory at Dartmouth College and in the Neurovascular Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital before enrolling at UMass Chan Medical School. Chelsea’s academic performance in medical school has been exemplary, placing her in the top quartile of the class. Her research experiences in the areas of hormone signaling, cerebrovascular disease and brain tumors have resulted in four publications in peer-reviewed journals, and she is the lead author on a fifth manuscript with our Department. She has been active in the UMass Chan community, serving as President of the UMass Chan student chapter of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, a leader of the UMass Urban Health Scholars Program, and as a volunteer of Mentors for Young Mothers. Chelsea is multi-talented. She was a violinist in the Colorado All State Orchestra and the Western States Honor Orchestra, and she holds a second degree black belt in taekwondo. By consensus of the UMass Chan neurosurgery faculty and residents, she was among the top 1% of the hundreds of applicants who applied for a residency position in our training program. Please join us in welcoming Chelsea to UMass Chan Neurological Surgery.

Sandra earned a BA in Classical Studies and Music from Boston College, followed by an MA in Humanities and Philosophy from New York University. She then earned a Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate from Columbia University and worked as an EMT in Scarsdale, NY before matriculating at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Sandra’s performance in medical school has been outstanding. She earned top honors throughout her clinical rotations and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society at SUNY Downstate. Her research at Cornell, Columbia and SUNY Downstate has focused on the fields of neuropathology, neuro-oncology and brain connectivity and has resulted in over 30 peer-reviewed publications, including 19 as first author. Sandra has also been active in the community, serving as a mentor to junior medical students and volunteering in the Brooklyn Free Clinic. She now brings her broad training and track record of excellence in the arts and medicine to UMass. Please join us in welcoming Sandra Leskinen to UMass Neurosurgery.