Ajay Niranjan, MD

  • Professor
  • Director, UPMC Brain Mapping Center
  • Director, Radiosurgery Research
  • Associate Director, Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery

Dr. Niranjan received his medical training at the King George’s Medical College in Lucknow, India from 1980 to 1985, graduating with a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery degree. Dr. Niranjan completed general surgery residency in 1989 and neurological surgery residency 1992. Dr. Niranjan joined the University of Pittsburgh as a fellow in image-guided neurosurgery in 1997 and completed his fellowship in 2000. He joined the faculty of neurological surgery in July of 2000.

Dr. Niranjan has co-authored over 300 articles in refereed journals, over 170 book chapters and five books. He has contributed guidelines for stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia, pituitary adenomas, arteriovenous malformation, acoustic tumors, and brain metastases. Dr. Niranjan is the director of UPMC Brain Mapping Center which houses a magnetoencephalography unit. MEG is performed for pre-surgical mapping of critical brain functions in patients with brain tumors and for localization of seizure focus in patients with long standing epilepsy.

Dr. Niranjan's publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database.

Specialized Areas of Interest

Radiosurgery for benign and malignant brain tumors; radio surgery for brain vascular malformations; radio surgery for functional brain disorders; pre-surgical brain mapping using MEG.

Hospital Privileges

UPMC Presbyterian

Professional Organization Membership

American Clinical MEG Society
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
International Radiosurgery Research Foundation
International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society

Professional Activities

Member, International Radiosurgery Research Foundation
Course Co-Director, Principles and Practices of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, UPMC

Education & Training

  • MBBS, King George's Medical College, 1985
  • Residency, General Surgery, King George's Medical College, 1989
  • Residency, Neurological Surgery, King George's Medical College, 1992
  • Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh, 2000
  • MBA, University of Pittsburgh, 2009

Honors & Awards

  • Best Doctors in America, Pittsburgh Magazine, 2016-20
  • UPMC Excellence in Patient Experience, Physician and Medical Staff Honor Roll, 2017

Research Activities

Dr. Niranjan has clinical and research interests in the management of tumors, vascular malformations and functional disorders of brain using radiosurgery. Outcome based clinical research involving brain tumor radiosurgery has been his primary focus for over 20 years. His basic science research interests include radiobiology of brain tumors, and use of advanced imaging in improving the outcome of radiosurgery. His other major clinical research interest is in the development of presurgical brain mapping using magnetoencephalography. 

Media Appearances