Ellen O'Callaghan, BA

Medical Student
Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, US

My name is Ellen O'Callaghan and I am a medical student at Duke University School of Medicine. I received my Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience with honors distinction at the University of Pennsylvania, with minors in chemistry and bioethics. I graduated in 2022; it was there I also captained the Division I Women's Lacrosse Team. I am passionate about neurosurgery, specifically spine oncology. Within this space, I conduct research on the dynamic of mental health comorbidity on patient outcomes and preoperative optimization. I intend to apply for neurosurgery residency in the next application cycle.

Poster(s):

• Depression Prevalence in Metastatic Spine Disease Patients Undergoing Surgery

• Palliative Care Utilization and Its Outcomes in Bone Metastasis Patients

• Prevalence of Depression and Utilization of Depressive Symptomatology Tools in Brain and Spine Tumor Patients

• The Impact of Preoperative Psychological Interventions on Postoperative Outcomes in Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review

• Utilization of Psychiatric Evaluation and Psychotherapy in Patients with a Primary Malignant Brain Tumor