Erika Petersen, MD

Erika Petersen, MD, FAANS, FACS, is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she directs the Section of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery and serves as program director for the neurosurgery residency. A board-certified neurosurgeon, her clinical practice and research focus on neuromodulation for movement disorders, spasticity, and chronic pain, with particular interest in developing new devices, indications, and methods for treatment. She collaborates across specialties to advance applications of deep brain stimulation and neuromodulation, and also studies the privacy and cybersecurity of implanted devices, diversity and inclusion in surgery, and the use of virtual reality in neuroscience. Dr. Petersen earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed neurosurgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern, and a fellowship in deep brain stimulation at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. She holds leadership roles in national neurosurgical and pain societies, and serves on multiple editorial boards.