Sangami Pugazenthi, MD, matched into the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery residency program in March of 2025 and will join the department July 1, 2025. She earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where she received the Distinguished Student Scholarship. She previously completed her undergraduate education in biochemistry and public health at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she graduated with highest honors.
During medical school, Dr. Pugazenthi developed an interest in leveraging neurosurgical interventions in skull base surgery and neuro-oncology to investigate brain and skull base tumors using computational molecular analysis techniques to further the ability to prognosticate and treat these tumors. She has received numerous grants and awards for this work resulting in first author publications in Science Advances, Neuro-Oncology and JNCI. She also has interests in medical education and organized neurosurgery resulting in her co-founding and leading the Women in Neurosurgery Medical Student Committee and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Medical Student Subcommittee. She has also published many manuscripts in these topics including detailing barriers to neurosurgery for medical students, the impact of organized neurosurgery research funding, and mapping the geographic movement of neurosurgeons across their training. In total, Dr. Pugazenthi has co-authored over 35 publications and continues to be engaged in academic neurosurgery.
Dr. Pugazenthi was born in Trichy, India and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Outside of neurosurgery, she enjoys running, hiking, visiting national parks, international travel, and spending time with family and friends.
Specialized Areas of Interest
Professional Organization Membership
Education & Training
- BA, Vanderbilt University, 2020
- MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 2025
Honors & Awards
- Future Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship, American Medical Association, 2024
- Neurosurgery Department Research Symposium Medical Student Research Award, Washington University, 2024
- Muraszko Mentorship Award, NREF/WINS, 2024
- Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship Best Abstract Award, NREF, 2023
- Lucien Rubenstein Award for Top Fellowship Performance, ABTA, 2024
- Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship Grant Award, NREF, 2023
- Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowship Grant, ABTA, 2023
- Year-Long Research Program Fellowship Award, Washington University, 2022-2023
- Socioeconomic Medical Student Summer Fellowship Grant Award, CSNS/CNS, 2023
- Best Oral Presentation at Annual Research Symposium, Washington University, 2023
- Scholars in Medicine Award, Washington University, 2023
- Mizuho Minimally Invasive Brain Tumor Surgery Abstract Award, AANS/CNS Section on Tumors, 2023
- Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity Grant Award, Washington University, 2022
- Neurosurgery Department Research Symposium Medical Student Research Award, Washington University, 2022
- Stephen Euless Kelly Scholarship, Washington University School of Medicine, 2020-2025
- Distinguished Student Scholar, Washington University School of Medicine, 2020-2025
- Highest Honors for Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Thesis Defense, Vanderbilt University, 2020
- Biochemistry Department Aida Nureddin Outstanding Research Award, Vanderbilt University, 2020
- Vanderbilt Awards for Leadership Excellence – Ripple in the Pond Award, Vanderbilt University, 2020