Zarina S. Ali - Faculty Biosketch

Zarina S. Ali, M.D., M.S.

Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia

Attending physician, Pennsylvania Hospital

Attending physician, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Attending physician, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania

Co-Director, Penn Nerve Center, Penn Medicine University City

Chief of Neurosurgery, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Vice Chair for Clinical Operations and Quality Improvement, Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery

Department: Neurosurgery

Contact information

3737 Market Street, 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Office: 215-294-9494
Fax: 215-222-8646

Email:
zarina.ali@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Publications

Search PubMed for articles

Links
Search PubMed for articles
Mind Your Brain Foundation

Education:
BS (Neuroscience )
University of Rochester, 2004.
MS (Neurobiology and Anatomy)
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2007.
MD (Medicine)
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2009.

Post-Graduate Training
Intern in Neurological Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2009-2010.
Resident in Neurological Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2010-2015.
Peripheral Nerve in-folded clinical and research fellowship, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2013-2014.
Chief Resident in Neurological Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2015-2016.
Peripheral Nerve Advanced Clinical Education, Mayo Clinic (Robert J. Spinner, MD); University of Michigan (Lynda Yang, MD, PhD); University of Calgary (Rajiv Midha, MD) , 2016-2016.

Certifications
The American Board of Neurological Surgery, Board certification, 2020.
American College of Surgeons, Fellow, 2021.

Permanent link

> Perelman School of Medicine > Faculty > Details

Description of Clinical Expertise

neurosurgery, peripheral nerve surgery, spine surgery, brachial plexus surgery, nerve sheath tumors

Description of Research Expertise

enhanced recovery after surgery, opioid stewardship, quality improvement, nerve regeneration, tissue engineered nerve grafting

Selected Publications

Das S, Gordián-Vélez WJ, Dave JR, Ali ZS, Ledebur HC, Cullen DK: The nerve center of organ engineering. Nature Commun 16(1): 9834, Nov 2025.

Turlip RW, Ghenbot Y, Chauhan D, Dagli MM, Ahmad HS, Kincaid J, Kim RJ, Shin J, Judy B, Ali Z, Petrov D, Malhotra N, Ozturk AK, Welch WC, Yoon JW: Endoscopic Decompression and Resection for Complex Spinal Tumors: A Paradigm Shift. Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) Annual Forum Oct 2025 Notes: E-poster, Las Vegas, NV.

Ghenbot Y, Turlip RW, Howard S, Arena JD, Dagli MM, Ahmad HS, Petrov D, Shammassian B, Ali Z, Schuster JM: Osteotomy of a Congenital Paracondylar Process: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg Sept 2025.

Hejazi-Garcia C, Howard SD, Gabriel ED, Ferriby L, Rushanan S, McWilliams T, Ali ZS: The association between prehabilitation participation and spine surgery outcomes. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 256, Sep 2025.

Burrell JC, Ali ZS, Zager EL, Rosen JM, Tatarchuk MM, Cullen DK: Engineering the Future of Restorative Clinical Peripheral Nerve Surgery. Adv Healthc Mater 14(20), Aug 2025.

Shultz RB, Laimo FA, Lee HH, Ali ZS, Huang R, Barnewall RE, Fetzek CG, Ledebur HC, Cullen DK, Katiyar KS: A Nonhuman Primate Model to Evaluate Treatments for Long-Gap Ulnar Nerve Injury. J Neurosci Res 103(8), Aug 2025.

Smith CJ, Howard SD, Arena JD, Ghenbot YG, Ali ZS, Petrov D, Kumar MA, Schuster JM: A prediction model of adenosine diphosphate inhibition among traumatic brain injury patients. Brain Inj 39(11): 963-969, Aug 2025.

Agarwal AK, Ebert JP, Xiong R, Ali ZS, Lee D, Shofer F, Gitelman Y, Do D, Spencer EA, Grenader EM, Li F, Harhay MO, Delgado MK: Peer and Patient Feedback to Increase Adherence to Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Guidelines: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg 160(8): 866-874, Aug 2025.

Howard SD, Pessoa R, Costello L, Silpagar M, Gardiner D, Tambe U, Rushanan S, Joshi D, Nguyen J, Macaluso D, Malhotra NR, Welch W, Ali ZS: Accuracy of RAPT Score in Predicting Discharge Disposition in Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery Within an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program. Clin Spine Surg Mar 2025.

Hejazi-Garcia C, Howard SD, Quinones A, Malhotra NR, Yoon JW, Ozturk AK, Schuster JM, Petrov D, Hsu JY, Ali ZS: The Social Deprivation Index and lumbar spine surgery outcomes. J Neurosurg Spine 42(5): 579-588, Mar 2025.