Neurological Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience
Dr. Yasser Tajali is an Assistant Research Physician at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), where he serves as Director of the Epilepsy Clinic and Chief of the EEG Section at the NIH Clinical Center. He is board certified in Neurology, Epilepsy, and Clinical Neurophysiology. His clinical and academic focus is on the diagnosis and management of seizure disorders, including both surgical and non-surgical treatment approaches.
Dr. Tajali received his medical degree with honors, after which he completed a research fellowship in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Case Western Reserve University. He then pursued neurology residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, followed by fellowships in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at the NIH. Before returning to NIH, he served on the faculty at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Hartford HealthCare. In his current role, he is involved in the clinical care of patients with epilepsy, oversight of EEG services, and the training of fellows in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology. He also provides clinical and research support for intramural research programs at the NIH and is actively engaged in clinical research aimed at improving diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in epilepsy.
Research Interests
Dr. Tajali maintains a close collaborative research relationship with the Neurophysiology of Epilepsy Unit and the Surgical Neurology Branch, with a research focus on optimizing outcomes for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing surgical interventions by advancing diagnostic tools and treatments for this patient population. With a background in studying aging and health, he is also interested in further investigating the intersection of epilepsy and aging, particularly in patient populations with dementia.
As Chief of the EEG Section, Dr. Tajali supports a wide range of NIH intramural research programs by performing neurophysiological studies essential to ongoing clinical investigations. These include long- and short-term electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, and evoked potentials. The Epilepsy Clinic also provides clinical support for patients participating in broader intramural research studies at the NIH.