Gabrielle Santangelo, MD
Dr. Gabrielle Santangelo is a neurosurgeon specializing in spinal oncology and complex spine surgery. Her areas of clinical expertise include primary and metastatic spinal tumors, cervical spine disease, spinal deformity, revision spine surgery, and peripheral nerve disorders.
Research
Dr. Santangelo’s research focuses primarily on improving outcomes for patients undergoing surgery for primary and metastatic spinal tumors. During her training, she studied outcomes following sacral tumor resection and reconstruction, surgical management of primary and metastatic spinal tumors, and strategies to identify patients most likely to benefit from surgery. She has also published extensively on adult spinal deformity, cervical spine surgery, peripheral nerve disease, and simulation-based surgical education.
At Vanderbilt, Dr. Santangelo is continuing this work through clinical outcomes research focused on patients undergoing spine tumor surgery. Her research seeks to better define how tumor characteristics, patient health, neurologic function, and surgical treatment influence postoperative recovery, complications and survival.
Memberships, Awards and Honors
Dr. Santangelo is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, North American Spine Society, and AO Spine North America. She serves on the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Educational Committee. Recent honors include the Cervical Spine Research Society Emerging Leaders Scholarship and the AO Spine North America Davos Fellows Scholarship.
Education
Dr. Santangelo earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Northeastern University. She received her medical degree with Distinction in Research from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed her Neurological Surgeryresidency at the University of Rochester. During residency, she completed fellowship training in peripheral nerve surgery and an enfolded complex spine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. She subsequently completed a post-graduate fellowship in spinal oncology and complex spine surgery at Northwell Health.