Areas of Interest
Pediatric, cerebrovascular, global neurosurgery, genetics, functional genomics, molecular biology
Background
Hometown
Hudson, OH
Undergraduate School
Case Western Reserve University
Major: Biochemistry
Medical School
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
(Medical Scientist Training Program; PhD - Biochemistry)
Bio
Andrew T. Hale, MD, PhD is a neurosurgery resident and physician-scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with interests in pediatric neurosurgery, cerebrovascular disease, and genetics. He is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital (PI: Kris Kahle) and as an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Cape Town (PI: Graham Fieggen). Dr. Hale’s research focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying neurosurgical conditions, integrating human genomics, molecular diagnostics, and brain organoid models to advance precision medicine. He has received numerous national and international awards, including recognition from the American Academy of Neurological Surgery (Academy Award, Runner-up), the AANS/CNS Pediatric Section (Shulman award), CNS (Duke Samson Award), AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section (Robert Dempsey Award), and Neurosurgery Cerebrovascular Paper of the Year. Dr. Hale has been the recipient of multiple NIH and foundation grants. Dr. Hale has authored more than 85 peer-reviewed publications - including works in Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communciations, PNAS, and Cell Reports, among others. Dr. Hale is committed to improving outcomes for patients with complex neurosurgical conditions through clinical care and fundamental scientific investigation..
Honors and Awards:
- 2025 – 2026 Neurosurgeon Scientist Training Program, Society of Neurological Surgeons
- 2025 Stephen B. Mahaley Research Award, UAB Dept of Neurosurgery
- 2025 Finalist, Fulbright Global Scholar Award (US Dept of State)
- 2024 Invited Guest, AANS Van Wagenen Fellowship Colloquium
- 2024 Innovator Award (KLS Martin), AANS/CNS Pediatric Section
- 2024–2025 NIH Fogarty Global Health Fellow (Harvard / UCT)
- 2024–2025 Thrasher Research Fund Early Career Award
- 2024–2025 NREF & American Academy of Neurological Surgery Research Fellowship
- 2024 Best Pediatric Neurosurgery Basic Science Abstract, AANS Annual Meeting
- 2023 Honorable Mention, Academy Award, American Academy of Neurological Surgery Annual Meeting
- 2023 Neurosurgery Top Cerebrovascular Paper of the Year, ‘Multi-national genome-wide association study and functional genomics analysis implicates decreased SIRT3 expression underlying intracranial aneurysm risk’
- 2023 Beverly C. Walters, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FANS Academic Achievement Award, UAB Department of Neurosurgery
- 2022 Richard B. Morawetz Research Prize, 39th Annual Garber Galbraith Scientific Symposium, UAB Department of Neurosurgery
- 2022 Top Abstract Award, International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery Annual Meetong, 'Genetically-determined alterations in inflammation and infection-associated genes causes hydrocephalus in patients of African Ancestry'
- 2022 Duke Samson Award for Best Clinical Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery Abstract, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, 'Integrative genomics implicates decreased FDG6 expression underlying risk of intracranial aneurysm rupture'
- 2022 American Academy of Neurological Surgery Annual Meeting Invited Guest, Resident Abstract presenter, 'Multi-omics analysis elucidates the genetic basis of hydrocephalus'
- 2022 AANS Cerebrovascular (CV) Section Best Clinical Scientific Paper Abstract Award for "Multi-national genome-wide association study and functional genomics analysis implicates decreased SIRT3 expression underlying intracranial aneurysm risk."
- 2021 Shulman Award for Best Overall Paper at the 50th Annual AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery, ‘Multi-omics analysis elucidates the genetic basis of hydrocephalus’
- 2021 Griffith R. Harsh III Research Prize, 38th Annual Garber Galbraith Scientific Symposium, UAB Department of Neurosurgery
- 2021 Dean’s Award for Research Achievement, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- 2021 John G. Coniglio Prize for Outstanding Graduating Medical Student in Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- 2018 - 2021 NIH F30 NRSA Fellowship
- 2020 Top abstract selected for Scientific Showcase, AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery
- 2020 Invited Speaker, Keystone Symposia, Cerebral Fluid Flow & Function: Lymphatics, Glymphatics, and the Choroid Plexus
- 2019 Top poster award, AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery
- 2019 August McCravey Basic Science Award, Southern Neurosurgical Society; *1st medical student to receive this award*
- 2018 Fred Epstein Award, International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery
- 2014 - 2021 Full-tuition scholarship, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (MD/PhD program)
- 2011 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship
- 2011 Phi Beta Kappa Research Award
- 2008 – 2012 Dean’s List and/or Deans High Honors List at Case Western Reserve University
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Select Publications
- Hale AT*, Zhou B, Rajan A, Duy PQ, Goolam M, Alper SL, Lehtinen MK, Lancaster MA, Fame RM*, Kahle KT*. Molecular hallmarks of hydrocephalus. Science Translational Medicine. 2025; In press.
- Hale AT, Bastarache L, Morales DM, Wellons JC 3rd, Limbrick DD Jr, Gamazon ER. Multi-omic analysis elucidates the genetic basis of hydrocephalus. Cell Reports. 2021;35(5):109085. PMID: 33951428.
- Hale AT, Kalailingam P, Kundishora AJ, Reeves BC, Brastianos PK, Shih HA, Jain RK, Ning MM, Smith ER, Chapman PH, Rabinov JD, Kleinstiver BP, Musolino PT, Kahle KT. An opportune time for targeted brain AVM therapy. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2025.
- Hale AT, Liu S, Huang F, Song Y, Crowley MR, Crossman DK, Caudill C, Smith AA, Chapman L, Feldman MJ, Saccomano BW, Rocque BG, Rozzelle CJ, Blount JP, Johnston JM, Chong Z, Jones J. Endothelial sampling of vein of Galen malformation. Neurosurgery. 2024.
- Hale AT, Tian H, Anih E, Recio FO 3rd, Shatat MA, Johnson T, Liao X, Ramirez-Bergeron DL, Proweller A, Ishikawa M, Hamik A. Endothelial Krüppel-like factor 4 regulates angiogenesis and the Notch signaling pathway. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014;289(17):12016–12028. PMID: 24599951.