Meet Our Fellows
Every year neurosurgical trainees are supported by FIENS Fellowships in the persuit of furthering their education and training. Click on their profile to learn more about some of their experiences and stories!
Abdisamed Abdi Ali
Clack FELLOW
2022
Fourth Year Resident at Black Lion Hospital
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Abdisamed Abdi Ali
2022 Clack Fellow
Currently, I am a fourth-year neurosurgical resident at Adiss Ababa University. I can say that my training in neurosurgery was made possible by the FIENS scholarship.
The financial support from the FIENS scholarship enables me to continue my training and participate in all activities including monthly rotation of the hospitals and procedure activities.
At Black Lion, I participate in many neurosurgical procedures such as brain tumor resection, surgery for trigeminal neuralgia, and procedures for endoscopic TSS.
At Zewditu Memorial Hospital, I participated in many pediatric neural tube defect procedures: MMC, Meningocele, Lipomeningocele and TCS, as well as endoscopic third ventriculostomies.
At Allert Hospital, I participated in many spine procedures including traumatic patient for lateral mass screw fixations, Pedicle screw fixation, C1/C2 fusions, deformity corrections, and spinal tumor resection.
At Myung Sung Christian Medical Center, I participated in many procedures including brain tumor resection, spine cases, and pediatric cases.
Thank you FIENS for having enabled a good neurosurgical training experience for me which will be beneficial for my country.
Louncény Fatoumata Barry
Clack FELLOW
2023
Assistant at Ignace Deen National Hospital
🇬🇳 Guinea
Louncény Fatoumata Barry
2023 Clack Fellow
I am grateful that FIENS helped me finance the rest of my training. There is still a great shortage of neurosurgical equipment in our country, which limits our capacity to work and therefore our output in terms of clinical results.
There is a significant need to perform surgeries that are not yet developed in Guinea such as vascular neurosurgery and scoliosis surgery. We are asking for help in obtaining equipment from any person of goodwill or institution.
Chafik Handis
BASSETT FELLOW
2023
Assistant Professor at Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University Hospital
🇩🇿 Algérie
Chafik Handis
2023 Bassett Fellow
I am an Algerian assistant Professor in Neurosurgery. My medical school is Algiers University - Faculty of Medicine in Algeria. I was trained in a neurosurgical residency at Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University Hospital (BEO). I am practicing as a specialist since 2018 in the same hospital. I have a special interest in skull base and cerebrovascular surgeries.
With the Bassett Fellowship, I had an excellent opportunity to observe Dr. Kelly's and Dr. Barkhoudarian's surgeries, from endoscopic endonasal to keyhole technics. I attended the tumoral board which was a great chance of learning the management of complex cases. The most important part was the dissection laboratory where I spent a long time performing all skull base approaches from endonasal to open technics. I had even done some white matter anatomy studies which was very interesting. I am performing anatomical studies comparing endoscopic and open microscopic approaches for the lower clivus.
Peh Hueh Low
Bassett FELLOW
2022
Neurosurgeon at Miri Hospital
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Peh Hueh Low
2022 Bassett Fellow
Peh Hueh Low graduated from University Putra Malaysia with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Microbiology in 2004. Subsequently went on to clinical studies at International Medical University in Malaysia and obtained her MBBS in 2009. Neurosurgical training began at the Sarawak General Hospital in 2011, with higher surgical training at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia since 2014. She obtained her Master of Surgery in Neurosurgery in 2018 and a Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in the specialty of Neurosurgery in 2023.
She has served as a neurosurgeon at Sarawak General Hospital in East Malaysia since 2018, and she has been based in Miri Hospital since 2021 to facilitate the set up of neurosurgical service in the Northern zone of Sarawak. She was the recipient of the FIENS-Bassett Fellowship in 2022. With support from FIENS and the Neurosurgical Department of Sarawak, she undertook her International Travelling Fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, California, United States, under the mentorship of Professor Michael Levy.
Dr. Low received numerous awards throughout her training and career. In 2020, the Ministry of Health Malaysia awarded her the Excellent Service Award. She invented the hybrid acrylic-autologous skull cranioplasty technique utilizing 3D printing, and received the Silver Medal for the Invention and Design Competition during the 30th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in 2019. She received a free paper presentation award in the Young Neurosurgeon Session during the 5th Winter Seminar on Cerebrovascular Diseases at Fujita Health University, Nagoya, Japan, in 2019. She was awarded the Arumugasamy Award for the best free paper presentation during the 16th Neurosurgical Association Malaysia Annual General and Scientific Meeting in 2016. She was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Territorial Army Regiment by the supreme Commander of the Malaysia Armed Forces in 2004.
She has published numerous peer-reviewed publications, is a clinical instructor for the Advanced Trauma Life Support Course, and holds membership in the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Neurosurgical Association Malaysia, Foundation of the International Educational Neurological Surgery, AO Spine and Society of Pediatric Neuroimaging.
Peter Mushenya
BASSETT FELLOW
2022
Neurosurgeon at University Teaching Hospitals
🇿🇲 Zambia
Peter Mushenya
2022 Bassett Fellow
I am a young Neurosurgeon based at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs), Lusaka, Zambia. I am interested in skull base, vascular, and spine neurosurgery. Currently attending to all general neurosurgery cases, both pediatric and adult.
During the Bassett Fellowship, I was so motivated and encouraged by the level of dedication, knowledge, and skill of my mentors in Italy. These included Prof. Iaccarino Corrado, Dr. Barbara Cappelletto, and Dr. Stephano Romoli. They are excellent Neurosurgeons and teachers.
Zambia currently only has 10 Neurosurgeons (7 of which are newly qualified) in public hospitals and 2 neurosurgeons in private practice. This is against a population of 20 million people. All these Neurosurgery specialists are based in the capital city, Lusaka. These patients have to move long distances to access neurosurgical services. Access to diagnostic imaging investigations such as CT scans and MRIs, ICU facilities, and basic Neurosurgery equipment is also very limited — especially outside Lusaka, which makes it almost impossible to provide a safe and effective neurosurgery service outside Lusaka.
Jo Ee Sam
BASSETT FELLOW
2023
Neurosurgeon at Hospital Pulau Pinang
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Jo Ee Sam
2023 Bassett Fellow
I have been a doctor since 2011 and I recently graduated as a Neurosurgeon in 2021 from University Sains Malaysia. My main interest is in vascular and skull base surgeries.
This fellowship was key in opening my eyes to the vast advancements in neurosurgery. With the limited number of neurosurgeons with vascular experience in my country, exposure to complex vascular techniques and approaches was a rarity. Not only did my confidence in vascular surgeries increase but also my entire approach to other cases has changed as well.
An unforgettable experience would be the time I completed my first practice anastomosis. I had looked forward to this moment since I was training to be a neurosurgeon. Never could I have imagined that I would be doing it in one of Japan’s most famous neurovascular centers. This must sound silly, but I took about 20 pictures of that anastomosis.
Sometimes I dare not dream too far or I would limit the expectations of my surgical outcome so as to not disappoint myself. But after this experience and opportunity, I believe even with limited resources we can dream big since there are many international neurosurgeons that are willing to help us, and our patients through us.
