Anthony M. Avellino, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S.
Professor of Neurological Surgery,
Director of UW Medicine Neurosciences Institute

Dr. Avellino is the director of UW Medicine Neurosciences Institute located at the new Ninth and Jefferson building across from Harborview Medical Center.

Dr. Avellino is Professor of Neurological Surgery and Professor of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is an attending neurosurgeon at Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

He received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in 1992. After completing an eight-year residency in Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington and a one-year pediatric neurosurgical fellowship at the Seattle Children’s Hospital, he joined the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery as an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hospital in January, 2001, and was a member of the consulting medical staff at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (Baltimore, MD). Dr. Avellino subsequently returned to the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Seattle Children’s Hospital in January, 2003, and served as Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery from 2007-2009. In addition, he was the University of Washington Department of Neurological Surgery Residency Program Director from 2005-2009.

In 2007, he completed the “Certificate Program in Medical Management” in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and in 2008, he received his MBA degree from The George Washington University School of Business.

Dr. Avellino is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Patient Care
Dr. Avellino’s clinical practice focuses on all aspects of neurosurgery with special expertise in:

• minimally invasive endoscopic neurosurgery
• complex spine problems
• brain and spinal cord tumors
• normal pressure hydrocephalus

Research
Investigations in the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus using proteomic and genomic techniques. Identifying biomarkers for the prognosis of cognitive outcome in hydrocephalus. Establishing a human ventricular CSF databank for the investigations of CSF biomarkers in hydrocephalus.

Education and Training
1988, B.S., Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cornell University; Ithaca, NY

1992, M.D., Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons; New York, NY

1992 – 1993, Intern in General Surgery, University of Washington Medical Center; Seattle, WA

1993 – 2000, Resident in Neurosurgery, University of Washington Medical Center; Seattle, WA

1996 – 1997, Specialist Registrar in Neurosurgery, Atkinson Morley's Hospital, University of London, St. George's Hospital Medical School; UK

1997, Complex Spine Fellowship in Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Washington Medical Center; Seattle, WA

1999, Acting Instructor in Neurosurgery, University of Washington Medical Center; Seattle, WA

2000, Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship (one-year), Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center; Seattle, WA

2007, Certificate Program in Medical Management, University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Health Services; Seattle, WA

2008, M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration), The George Washington University, School of Business; Washington, DC

Honors and Awards
2008: Elected to Beta Gamma Sigma (International Business Honor Society)

2006: Seattle Magazine: 385 Top Doctors in the Northwest - Top doctors in Pediatric Neurosurgery pdf file of article

2006: Seattle Metropolitan Magazine: Seattle’s Best Doctors in Pediatric Neurological Surgery pdf file of article

2002: The Irving J. Sherman, MD, Traveling Fellowship of Neuroendoscopy, Mainz, Germany (Johns Hopkins University)

1992: Doctor Harold Lee Meierhof '17 Memorial Prize (Columbia University)

1989: NIH / Dean's Summer Research Fellowship (Columbia University)

1988: Quill & Dagger Senior Honorary Society (Cornell University)

1988: Ho-Nun-De-Kah, Academic Honorary Society (Cornell University)

1987: Co-Founder of Health Career Service Organization (Cornell University)

1987: Alpha Epsilon Delta, National Pre-Medical Honorary Society (Cornell University)

1985: Dewitt Wallace Reader's Digest Fellow, Rusk Rehabilitation Institute, NYU Medical Center (Cornell University)

Selected Publications

1. A.M. Avellino. So You Want To Be A Doctor? A Guide For Those Interested In A Career In Medicine (Especially High School Students). Carlton Press, Inc., New York, NY, Copyright 1988. Nationwide book release.
2. A.M. Avellino, L.S. Hair, W.F. Symmans, A.P. Gold, P. Carmel, J.M. Powers. Meningeal meningiomatosis in a child: Case report. Clinical Neuropathology 13 (2): 82-87, 1994.
3. A.M. Avellino, D. Hart, A.T. Dailey, M. MacKinnon, D. Ellegala, M. Kliot. Differential macrophage responses in the peripheral and central nervous system during Wallerian degeneration of axons. Experimental Neurology 136: 183-198, 1995. PubMed abstract
4. A.M. Avellino, D.K. Kim, E. Weinberger, T.S. Roberts. Resolution of spinal syringes and chiari I malformation in a child. Case illustration. Journal of Neurosurgery 84: 708, 1996.
5. A.M. Avellino, M.S. Berger, R.C. Rostomily, C-M. Shaw, G.A. Ojemann. Surgical management and seizure outcome in patients with tuberous sclerosis. Journal of Neurosurgery 87: 391-396, 1997. PubMed abstract
6. A.T. Dailey, A.M. Avellino, L. Benthem, J. Silver, M. Kliot. Complement depletion reduces macrophage infiltration and activation during Wallerian degeneration and axonal regeneration. Journal of Neuroscience 18 (17): 6713-6722, 1998. PubMed abstract
7. G.W. Britz, A.M. Avellino, R. Schaller, J.D. Loeser. Percutaneous placement of ventriculoatrial shunts in the pediatric population. Pediatric Neurosurgery 29: 161-163, 1998. PubMed abstract
8. A.M. Avellino, G.W. Britz, J.R. McDowell, D.W. Shaw, R.G. Ellenbogen, T.S. Roberts. Spontaneous resolution of a cervicothoracic syrinx in a child: Case report and review of the literature. Pediatric Neurosurgery 30: 43-46, 1999. PubMed abstract
9. G.A. Grant, A.M. Avellino, J.D. Loeser, R.G. Ellenbogen, M.S. Berger, T.S. Roberts. Management of intrinsic gliomas of the tectal plate in children: A ten year review. Pediatric Neurosurgery 31: 170-176, 1999. PubMed abstract
10. A.M. Avellino, G.A. Grant, A.B. Harris, S.K. Wallace, C-M. Shaw. Recurrent intracranial Masson's vegetant intravascular hemangioendothelioma: Case report and review of the literature. Journal of Neurosurgery 91: 308-312, 1999.
11. A.M. Avellino, J.D. Loeser. Intrathecal baclofen for the treatment of intractable spasticity of spine or brain etiology. Neuromodulation 3 (2): 75-81, 2000.
12. J.M. Schuster, A.M. Avellino, F.A. Mann, A.A. Girouard, M.S. Grady, D.W. Newell, H.R. Winn, J.R. Chapman, S.K. Mirza. Use of structural allografts in spinal osteomyelitis: A review of 47 cases. Journal of Neurosurgery (Spine 1) 93: 8-14, 2000.
13. A.M. Avellino, A.H. Mesiwala, D.W.W. Shaw, D.J. Fisher, D.B. Musante, T.S. Roberts, R.G. Ellenbogen. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance image of a pediatric spinal epidermoid cyst. Pediatric Neurosurgery 34: 325-326, 2001.
14. A.H. Mesiwala, A.M. Avellino, R.G. Ellenbogen. The diagonal ventricular dimension: A method for predicting shunt malfunction on the basis of changes in ventricular size. Neurosurgery 50: 1246-1252, 2002. PubMed abstract
15. A.M. Avellino, P.P. Wang, N.H. Miller, E.H. Herskovits. Flair magnetic resonance image of a pediatric spinal epidermoid cyst. Pediatric Neurosurgery 36: 220-222, 2002. PubMed abstract
16. E.H. Kossoff, E.P.G. Vining, P.L. Pyzik, S. Kriegler, K.S. Min, B.S. Carson, A.M. Avellino, J.M. Freeman. The postoperative course and management of 106 hemidecortications. Pediatric Neurosurgery 37: 298-303, 2002. PubMed abstract
17. S.L. Tow, S. Chandela, N.R. Miller, A.M. Avellino. Long-term outcome in children with gliomas of the anterior visual pathway. Pediatric Neurology 28: 262-270, 2003.
18. A.M. Avellino, A.T. Dailey, J.M. Harlan, S. Sharar, R.K. Winn, L. McNutt, M. Kliot. Blocking of upregulated ICAM-1 does not prevent macrophage infiltration during Wallerian degeneration of peripheral nerve. Experimental Neurology 187: 430-444, 2004.
19. A.M. Avellino, F.A. Mann, M.S. Grady, J.R. Chapman, R.G. Ellenbogen, T.D. Alden, S.K. Mirza. The misdiagnosis of acute cervical spine injuries and fractures in infants and children?: The 12 year experience of a level I pediatric and adult trauma center. Child’s Nervous System 21: 122-127, 2005.
20. T.D. Veenstra, T.P. Conrads, B.L. Hood, A.M. Avellino, R.G. Ellenbogen, R.S. Morrison. Biomarkers: Mining the biofluid proteome. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 4: 409-418, 2005.
21. S. Greene, N. Nair, J.G. Ojemann, R.G. Ellenbogen, A.M. Avellino. Meningiomas in children. Pediatric Neurosurgery 44: 9-13, 2008.
22. A.L. Ko, K. Song, R.G. Ellenbogen, A.M. Avellino. Retrospective review of multi-level spinal fusion combined with spinal cord transection for treatment of kyphoscoliosis in pediatric myelomeningocele patients. Spine 32:2493-2501, 2007.
23. K.W. Feldman, A.M. Avellino, N.F. Sugar, R.G. Ellenbogen. Cervical spinal cord injury in abused children. Pediatric Emergency Care 24(4):222-227, 2008.
24. E.A. Ploplys, R.A. Hopper, A.R. Muzaffar, J.R. Starr, A.M. Avellino, M.L. Cunningham, R.G. Ellenbogen, J.S. Gruss. Comparison of computed tomographic imaging measurements with clinical findings in children with unilateral lambdoid synostosis. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 123(1):300-309, 2009.
25. C. Wu, W. Weber, L. Kozak, L.J. Standish, J.G. Ojemann, R.G. Ellenbogen, A.M. Avellino. A survey of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) awareness among neurosurgeons in washington state. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 15(5):551-555, 2009.
26. T.J. Abel, A. Chowdhary, M. Thapa, J.C. Rutledge, J. Gruss, S. Manning, A.M. Avellino. Ectopic glioneuronal tissue in the middle cranial fossa regions: Report of four cases. Journal of Neurosurgery – Pediatrics 3:188-196, 2009
27. D.B. Shurtleff, J.D. Loeser, A.M. Avellino, S. Duguay, J.A. Englund, E. Marcuse, D. Peterson. Haemophilus influenzae and streptococcus pneumoniae infections in children with cerebrospinal fluid shunts. Pediatric Neurosurgery 45:276-280, 2009.