Nitin Agarwal
Appointment Rank: Affiliate
“I care for my patients akin to how I care for my family – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Nitin Agarwal, MD, is an associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery with a secondary appointment in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering. As part of his educational mission, he serves as the associate program director of the UPMC/University of Pittsburgh neurological surgery residency program and co-director of the department’s Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Deformity Fellowship. On the clinical front, he is director of the department’s Minimally Invasive Spine and Robotics Surgery program.
Dr. Agarwal received his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Afterward, he completed his neurological surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh. During this time, he also completed an enfolded fellowship in sports medicine and in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. He then completed an AO Spine and Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST) approved minimally invasive and complex spine surgery fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, with dual training from orthopedic and neurosurgical mentors. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Agarwal served as the director of neurotrauma at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a clinical focus on spinal deformity surgery.
Dr. Agarwal also serves as a director for the Spine Computational Outcomes Learning Institute (SCOLI), a hub for cutting-edge clinical and translational science that enhances neurosurgical patient care. SCOLI has funded investigations in four main domains: neurotrauma outcomes, spine outcomes, socioeconomic research, and patient education.
To date, Dr. Agarwal has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles and has spoken at several regional and national conferences with over 350 oral and poster presentations. His health literacy research has been published in several high-impact factor journals, including JAMA Internal Medicine, and he has also been featured by prominent healthcare-oriented news outlets such as Reuters Health. In addition, he is an editor for the following books:
Surviving Neurosurgery: Vignettes of Resilience
The Evolution of Health Literacy: Empowering Patients through Improved Education
Pre-Medicine: The Complete Guide for Aspiring Doctors
Dr. Agarwal also actively participates in organized neurosurgery advocating for medical student and patient education. Locally, under the SCOLI umbrella, he runs a weekly education and research conference for trainees. He also runs a quarterly patient support group focused on spine and scoliosis. Moreover, he has pledged his commitment to advancing neurosurgery as a member of the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation Cushing Circle of Giving.
Outside of neurological surgery, Dr. Agarwal has been deeply dedicated to martial arts, specifically Taekwondo, Krav Maga, and Jiu-Jitsu. For over a decade, he served as a certified instructor, national judge, and school owner. Dr. Agarwal credits martial arts with providing mental and physical discipline as well as adherence to a strict honor code.
Research Activities
The Spine Computational Outcomes Learning Institute (SCOLI) has explored several advanced technologies and methodologies in 2023-24. Among its notable projects is the development of intelligent metamaterial implants in collaboration with Amir Alavi, PhD. These are designed to overcome common surgical complications such as failed fusion.
Additionally, SCOLI employs advanced neuroimaging to detect occult neurotrauma that standard imaging techniques might miss, in collaboration with Sheng-Kwei Song, PhD. This paves the way for early intervention and better patient outcomes.
The laboratory also investigates molecular signaling mechanisms within the musculoskeletal system, focusing on tailored therapeutics for elderly patients with degenerative conditions, enhancing procedural success and long-term recovery.