Neuroscience Institute Education

Welcome to the Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at JFK University Medical Center! We appreciate your consideration of our training programs as you embark on the next stage of your career.

The Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at JFK University Medical Center was founded in 1992 by neurosurgeon Dr. Russ Zapulla and neurologist Dr. Martin Gizzi, both from Mount Sinai. These founders envisioned a collaborative team of neurologists and neurosurgeons who would focus on exemplary clinical care, education of neurology residents, medical students and advanced practice providers, and translational research in the neurosciences. We are a unique combination that exemplifies the true integration of neurology and neurosurgery. We are organized around Centers of Excellence, which are co-managed by neurology and neurosurgery clinical leaders providing care for both adults and children.

Our founding principle is centered on multidisciplinary collaboration with academic offices, clinical care and translational research facilities, and these are housed together at the JFK University Medical Center. Our academic medical center represents the central region hub of the Hackensack Meridian Health system, the largest health system in New Jersey, and provides the neurology residency and fellowship training programs for the system. 

The Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at JFK University Medical Center is considered to have the best training programs in the state of New Jersey. 

The Institute is proud to be part of Hackensack Meridian Health that was ranked # 1 in the nation (2023), and has been consistently in the list for 3 years in a row, for their initiatives to promote diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. Read the news article here.

The Institute is based in Edison, a vibrant and diverse community, less than an hour from New York City by train/car and only 90 minutes from Philadelphia providing suburban and metropolitan living and entertainment.