Neurosurgery in Michigan

Jawad Shah

Dr. Jawad Shah is an accomplished neurosurgeon and the CEO and founder of Insight, a fully-integrated multi-specialty medical system that has grown from a small doctor’s office he founded in 2006 to a multistate leader in health care with over 1,000 employees and $220 million in revenue.

Raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Dr. Shah completed medical school at the University of Manitoba, studying psychoneuroimmunology and neurosurgery. He then completed subspecialty fellowship training in skull base neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas. His areas of specialty include brain stem surgery, vascular neurosurgery, brain tumors, complex spine, and neuromodulation. He currently practices at McLaren, Hurley, and Genesys hospitals.

Dr. Shah is involved in extensive research projects, including clinical, patent work, biological/mechanical and electrical product development, industry-sponsored studies, and theoretical philosophy. He is a faculty member at the Michigan State University Medical School and the Center for Cognition and Neuroethics Co-Director, jointly administered by the University of Michigan and Insight.

Idara J. Edem

Dr. Idara Edem is the Vice Chair of Insight’s Department of Neurosurgery and the Director of Skull Base and Neurosurgical Oncology. Dr. Edem is a Canadian-trained neurosurgeon, board-certified in neurosurgery in 2019 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Her specialties include general neurosurgery, neurosurgical oncology, skull base neurosurgery, and complex spine disorders. She has also conducted and published research on neurosurgery and skull base neurosurgery, including minimal-access approaches and quality of life.

Dr. Edem is passionate about providing excellent patient-centered care to relieve suffering and prolong survival. She also has clinical and research interests in the provision of neurosurgical care in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and the policy changes needed to improve access to surgical care worldwide. She is affiliated with the Karmanos Cancer Institute, McLaren Flint Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, and Ascension Genesys Hospital in Michigan. She is also an assistant professor at Michigan State University.

Outside of work, Dr. Edem’s interests and hobbies include traveling and building her LP collection with records from around the world, hiking, football, literature and dancing.

Atya Alfllouse

Dr. Atya Alfllouse is a FRCSC board-certified neurosurgeon at Insight Neurosurgery, specializing in brain and spine surgery. With extensive training and a diverse range of experiences working at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary-affiliated Alberta Health Services in both Edmonton and Calgary, Canada and Central Tripoli Hospital, Tripoli, Libya, Dr. Alfllouse is equipped to provide care across a wide range of neurosurgical cases. His specialties include spine, brain, oncology, and trauma. Dr. Alfllouse is married and has two children. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, and traveling.

Dali Yin

Dr. Dali Yin is a neurosurgeon at Insight Neurosurgery, specializing in functional neurosurgery, spine surgery, and general neurosurgery. Dr. Yin earned his M.D. in China, his Ph.D in Japan, and completed neurosurgery residency training in China. He also completed a spine surgery fellowship in neurosurgery at University of Illinois Chicago and a functional neurosurgery fellowship at UIC and University of Colorado Denver. Prior to joining Insight, Dr. Yin was an assistant professor in neurosurgery at the University of Illinois Chicago and an attending neurosurgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago.

Roy Torcuator

Dr. Roy Torcuator is a neurosurgeon at Insight Neurosurgery, specializing in general neurosurgery, spine neurosurgery, and neuro-oncology. Dr. Torcuator completed medical school at the University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center and neurosurgery residency training at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center-St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Philippines. He subsequently completed a clinical fellowship in neuro-oncology at the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center- Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI and an image-guided neurosurgery fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School.

Prior to joining Insight, Dr. Torcuator was a senior staff attending neuro-oncologist at Henry Ford Hospital. He also headed the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Service at St. Luke’s Medical Center, where he was the fellowship director of the neuro-oncology fellowship program and training officer for the neurosurgery residency program as well. Additionally, he was also a clinical associate professor at St. Luke’s Medical Center-William Quasha College of Medicine.

In his free time, Dr. Torcuator likes to spend time with his family, watch movies, and play table tennis.

Sudesh Ebenezer

Dr. Sudesh Ebenezer is an adult and pediatric neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Surgery at Insight. He also performs spine surgery and epilepsy surgery. Originally from British Columbia, Canada, Dr. Ebenezer completed his medical degree and neurosurgery training while in Canada. During his studies, he received a Harvard University scholarship and went on to obtain a master’s degree from Harvard University. During his time at Harvard, Dr. Ebenezer wrote editorials for various school newspapers, including the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was a guest lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ebenezer received a congratulatory certificate from the government of Canada for his work at Harvard University.

He then completed his pediatric neurosurgery training at Seattle Children’s Hospital – University of Washington. Dr. Ebenezer also served as an attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where he was voted to the staff honor role. While in Washington State, Dr. Ebenezer received the Patient’s Choice Award three years in a row for being one of Washington’s favorite physicians. He also served as a consulting and treating neurosurgeon for active duty U.S. military stationed in Washington.

Dr. Ebenezer has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as having extraordinary ability in science and education. He now serves as an advisor for Harvard University’s Alumni Affairs & Development. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and is an active member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Dr. Ebenezer is also committed to humanitarian medical service and he has volunteered his time in various countries, from medical clinics in rural Peru to military hospitals in Ukraine.

Abdullah Al-Arfaj

Dr. Abdullah Khaled Al-Arfaj is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in complex spine surgery at Insight Neurosurgery. He is currently accepting new patients in Flint, Warren, and Dearborn. Dr. Al-Arfaj has always been interested in new technologies and how they can help his patients. His philosophy as a surgeon is to offer his patients the latest in surgical care with compassion and respect. He treats his patients as he would his own family, believing trust and respect are vital in providing the best care.

After receiving his neurosurgical training at the University of Alberta, one of the leading hospitals in neurosurgery, neurotrauma, neuro oncology, neurovascular diseases, and complex spine diseases, he served as the chief resident during his final year of education. During this time, he also supervised junior neurosurgery residents and trained medical, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant students. He then completed his fellowship at the University of Arizona, studying the latest minimally-invasive and robotic surgical techniques in complex surgery. Dr. Al-Arfaj also studied basic science and published his neuroscience research while working at the University of Toronto. He continues to publish his work in scientific and neurosurgical journals.

‌Dr. Al-Arfaj grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and is excited to bring his expertise to his hometown of Detroit, where he currently lives with his family. Dr. Al-Arfaj speaks both Arabic and English. In his free time, Dr. Al-Arfaj enjoys beaches and the lake with his family, summer festivals, and trying new foods and exercises.

Chirag Chaudhary

Dr. Chirag Chaudhary is a fellowship-trained adult and pediatric spine surgeon at Insight. Dr. Chaudhary completed his medical education and orthopedic surgery residency at Government Medical College, India, where he developed a passion for spine health. He then went on to complete an orthopedic trauma and adult reconstruction fellowship at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, an orthopedic spine fellowship at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, and a pediatric spine fellowship at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando.

Always interested in new technologies and how they can help his patients, Dr. Chaudhary’s philosophy as a surgeon is to offer his patients the latest in surgical care with compassion and respect. He treats his patients as he would treat his own family and he believes trust and respect are vital in providing the best care.

Dr. Chaudhary is excited to bring his expertise in minimally-invasive, lumbar, cervical thoracic spinal decompression and fusion, adult spinal deformity, and pediatric scoliosis surgery to Michigan. Through his hard work and dedication, he has built a busy and highly recommended private practice, while also training medical, nurse-practitioner, and physician assistant students. Dr. Chaudhary currently lives in Rochester Hills with his family. He speaks Gujarati and Hindi. In his free time he loves doing anything by the lake, traveling, summer festivals, and trying new foods.

Zakhria Belasher

Dr. Zakhria Belasher is Vice Chief of Medical Staff at Insight Surgical Hospital in Warren, where he has been serving and taking care of patients since 2018. With over 15 years of experience in medicine, Dr. Belahser is dedicated to providing compassionate, quality care for his patients. Although Dr. Belasher specializes in treating spine problems, he also has a passion for general orthopedics and trauma conditions.

Dr. Belasher graduated from medical school at the University of Tripoli in 2005 with honors and completed five years of postgraduate residency training in orthopedic surgery in Libya. During that time, he also participated in a one-year clinical fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK. Following his residency, Dr. Belasher worked as an orthopedic trauma surgeon before receiving his full medical license to practice medicine in the United States and moved here with his family.

Nasir Khatri

Dr. Nasir Khatri is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician at Insight. As an expert in advanced pain medicine techniques, he approaches each patient in a holistic manner, prioritizing multidisciplinary care for a healthy mind and body.

Dr. Khatri attended North Carolina State University for his undergraduate education and graduated as valedictorian. He completed his medical education at VCU School of Medicine, where he graduated at the top of his class and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the nation’s most prestigious honor society. Dr. Khatri went on to complete his residency training at UNC Chapel Hill, where he was avidly involved with research and leadership. He then completed his medical training with a fellowship in interventional pain medicine at the
University of Kansas, one of the most selective training programs in pain medicine.

Prior to joining Insight, Dr. Khatri worked with a large health system in Charlotte, NC and helped implement many advanced interventional pain procedures. Dr. Khatri is nationally renowned for his leadership roles within the field of pain medicine and is the Co-Chair of Young Innovators within the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience. He also consults for medical device companies, is a peer reviewer for medical journals, has been invited to speak at national medical conferences, and has authored several peer-reviewed medical studies and best practices guidelines.

Outside of work, Dr. Khatri enjoys spending time with his family, reading about history, running, and traveling.

Allison Piatt

Allison Piatt is a board-certified nurse practitioner and is the External Clinical Director at Insight. She specializes in acute care. Allison completed her nurse practitioner degree with honors from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her nursing degree at the University of Michigan in Flint. Allison had six years of experience as a registered nurse taking care of step down and ICU surgical patients at area hospitals before pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner. She also worked in general surgery as a nurse practitioner prior to joining Insight in July 2014.

Nina Smith

Nina Smith is the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Insight and is responsible for guaranteeing every experience between our team and our patients is positive. Nina is incredibly passionate about people and dedicated to going above and beyond to ensure the needs, wants, and desires of everyone associated with Insight are met. From a young age, Nina has been taking care of people and her family. She has always loved knowing that a tiny gesture can make an impact in ways we never fully understand. Nina graduated with honors from the University of Michigan-Flint, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in human biology. Outside of work, Nina enjoys spending time with her family, outdoor summer activities, and traveling to warm destinations.

Monica Culver

Monica Culver is a board-certified adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner at Insight. She completed bachelor’s degrees in nursing and biology, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Michigan-Flint. Prior to joining Insight, Monica was an ICU RN, as well as an interventional pain management and interventional radiology nurse practitioner. She has volunteered abroad on medical missions to Kenya and Cambodia with plans to pursue such endeavors throughout her career. She was born, raised, and currently resides in the Flint area.