Functional Neurosurgery is a specialty that focuses on restoring neurological function and quality of life in patients with a variety of conditions of the nervous system. This includes patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, pain conditions, and epilepsy. Our team of experts integrates clinical care with cutting-edge research to provide the best possible outcomes for our current and future patients.
Lang Neurosurgery Lab
Integrated Clinical Research in
Functional Neurosurgery
Research
We are committed to advancing the field of functional neurosurgery through research and innovation. We are particularly interested in deep brain stimulation and the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Non-motor symptoms (cognition, mood, pain, sleep, and autonomic function) are prevalent and significantly affect quality of life. Our research is aimed at understanding how DBS impacts non-motor symptoms and how this is related to specific brain networks. Ultimately, we hope to develop new approaches to treatment.
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Our research program is integrated with the clinical pipeline as closely as possible. The primary objective is to improve our clinical therapies for the benefit of our future patients. All patients who are undergoing DBS are given the option of participating in research. We gather detailed clinical outcomes, perform advanced pre-operative neuroimaging and intraoperative neurophysiology, and implant state of the art devices. These devices allow for directional stimulation, chronic monitoring of brain signals, and are compatible with 3.0T MRI.
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We are always interested in potential collaborations that will help fully realize the unique data that is generated from our integrated clinical and research program. Please contact stefan.lang@vch.ca if you are interested in collaborative efforts or if you wish to join our lab.
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Our clinical interests includes the use of deep brain stimulation and ablative techniques for the treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, pain, and select psychiatric conditions. We also treat facial pain with microvascular decompression and other procedures. Dr. Lang has advanced fellowship training in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery.
Our primary clinical objective is to provide safe and effective state of the art functional neurosurgery treatment options for the British Columbia population.​The deep brain stimulation clinic at the Vancouver General Hospital is one of the largest in Canada. Through this clinic, we are involved in every step of the clinical pathway from assessment of candidacy, implantation of the devices, and post-operative programming and management of our patients. Our team includes two functional neurosurgeons, several nurse practitioners, clinical fellows, and research and administrative support.
Clinical Focus
Vancouver
We are lucky to live and work within the vibrant city of Vancouver. Canada's third largest city is also it's most beautiful- nestled between majestic mountains and the expansive Pacific Ocean in the heart of British Columbia. Vancouver offers an unparalleled quality of life with its clean, green spaces, world-class dining, and rich tapestry of arts and entertainment.
The academic opportunities here are great. The most established global rankings all consistently place UBC in the top three universities in Canada and in the top five per cent of universities in the world.
