Ellen L Air, MD

Titles:

• Neurosurgery Residency Program Director, Henry Ford Health
• Co-Director Functional Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Health
• Interim Division Head, Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology
• Chair-Elect, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons Executive Board, Member-At-Large
• American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Board of Directors
• Clinical Associate Professor, Wayne State University

Care Philosophy:
What drives me is helping patients regain their quality of life. I am inspired every day by my patients and enjoy helping patients reach their goals and to enjoy what is important in their lives.

Biographical Statement:
My relationship with my patients comes from collaboration, honesty and dedication to work for them. I am always pushing myself to become a better doctor and surgeon so that I can take on anything my patients may need from me.

Officially, I am called a ‘functional neurosurgeon’. This simply means that I help individuals with neurological disorders live as productive lives as possible. This varies from reducing pain to managing seizures and movement disorders.

Neither medicine nor surgery may get patients back to 100%. I think that it is important to be an advocate for patient resources so that they may connect with other patients, receive education materials and see the progression of research. Below are some organizations that I support so that patients can find the resources they need:

• Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
• Epilepsy Foundation
• International Essential Tremor Foundation
• International League Against Epilepsy
• Parkinson's Disease Foundation
• Trigeminal Neuralgia - Facial Pain Association

Research Interests:

• Epilepsy
• Movement Disorders
• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
• Deep Brain Stimulation
• Trigeminal Neuralgia

Awards & Honors:

• Top Doctor, Castle Connolly (2019)
• Exceptional Women in Medicine, Castle Connolly (2019)
• “Top Docs”, Hour Detroit magazine (2017–20)
• L. Murray Thomas Visiting Professor, Wayne State University, Department of Neurosurgery (2017)
• Senior Staff Teaching Award, Henry Ford Department of Neurosurgery (2017)
• “Forty Under 40” Awardee, Cincinnati Business Courier (2013)
• Ellen and Stewart B. Dunsker, M.D., Award for Clinical Research 2010