Julie Pilitsis

Julie G. Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., is Dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Being the first woman neurosurgeon to become a Dean, Dr. Pilitsis oversees the college’s innovative medical student and graduate medical education programs in partnership with a consortium of five regional hospitals. Dr. Pilitsis is also a board-certified practicing neurosurgeon who is a national expert in multidisciplinary pain, and movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease.

As Vice President for Medical Affairs, Dr. Pilitsis is leading the FAU Health Network initiative. Under her stewardship, FAU Health Network is well positioned to promote premium academic healthcare to the community while addressing the challenges of shortages in medical workforce in the region. Guided by vision “Of the Community, For the Community”, Dr. Pilitsis’ compassionate care for patients permeates to the communities in the region, where she continues to tackle complex health challenges and create meaningful change.

Prior to joining FAU, Dr. Pilitsis served as division chief of functional neurosurgery and chair and professor of the basic neuroscience department at Albany Medical College in New York. Dr. Pilitsis is the 2023 president of the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS), the first woman ever to lead the organization. She is also President Elect of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ASSFN). She maintains an NIH sponsored research program focused on device optimization for neuromodulation and has published over 200 journal articles, 4 books, and numerous chapters.