George Ibrahim

Dr. George Ibrahim is a paediatric neurosurgeon at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, the Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is also a Scientist in the Neurosciences and Mental Health program at the SickKids Research Institute.

Dr. Ibrahim’s clinical and research interests include the surgical treatment of medically intractable epilepsy, spasticity and functional disorders in children. 

He plays an active role in the comprehensive epilepsy, dorsal rhizotomy, and deep brain stimulation programs at SickKids. His research lab is dedicated to the study of neural networks in children with epilepsy and functional disorders through a combination of connectomic, computational neuroscience, and machine learning approaches. His work has yielded insights into personalized treatments for children targeting specific network impairments, and the development of novel devices and treatment strategies. His interests also include the intersection of global health, neuroethics, and neurosurgery, including the provision of neurosurgical care to the world's most vulnerable children. 

Achievements

• 2019: Canada’s Top 40 under 40 
• 2015: Governor General of Canada's gold medal
• 2015: Dimitris Chorafas Foundation Prize 
• 2014: American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Kenneth Schulman Award  
• 2014: Canadian Neurological Society K.G. McKenzie Prize
• 2012: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada 
• 2012: K.J.R. Wightman Award for Scholarship in Ethics
• 2012: CIHR Vanier Canada Scholar 2012: CIHR Bisby Fellowship

1. Mithani K, Mikhail M, Morgan BR, Wong S, Weil AG, Deschenes S, Wang S, Bernal B, Guillen MR, Ochi A, Otsubo H, Yau I, Lo W, Pang E, Holowka S, Snead OC, Donner E, Rutka JT, Go C, Widjaja E, Ibrahim GM. Connectomic Profiling Identifies Responders to Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Ann Neurol. 2019 Nov;86(5):743-753
2. Ibrahim GM, Cassel D, Morgan BR, Smith ML, Otsubo H, Ochi A, Taylor M, Rutka JT, Snead OC 3rd, Doesburg S.  Resilience of developing brain networks to interictal epileptiform discharges is associated with cognitive outcome. Brain. 2014 Oct;137(Pt 10):2690-702
3. Mithani K, Boutet A, Germann J, Elias GJB, Weil AG, Shah A, Guillen M, Bernal B, Achua JK, Ragheb J, Donner E, Lozano AM, Widjaja E, Ibrahim GM.  Lesion Network Localization of Seizure Freedom following MR-guided  Laser Interstitial Thermal Ablation.  Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 9;9(1):18598.
4. Martire DJ, Wong S, Mikhail M, Ochi A, Otsubo H, Snead OC, Donner E, Ibrahim GM. Thalamocortical dysrhythmia in intraoperative recordings of focal epilepsy.  J Neurophysiol. 2019 1;121(6):2020-2027.
5. Elkaim LM, Alotaibi NM, Sigal A, Alotaibi HM, Lipsman N, Kalia SK, Fehlings DL, Lozano AM, Ibrahim GM; North American Pediatric DBS Collaboration.  Deep brain stimulation for pediatric dystonia: a meta-analysis with individual participant data. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2019 Jan;61(1):49-56.

See a full list of George Ibrahim's publications

Funding

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• Garry Hurvitz Centre for Brain and Mental Health
• SickKids Foundation 
• Liva Nova