Samden Lhatoo, MD, named Department of Neurology chair
Following a national search, Samden Lhatoo, MD, is the new chair of the Department of Neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
“This transition represents an important moment for the Department of Neurology,” said LaTanya Love, MD, dean of McGovern Medical School and H. Wayne Hightower Distinguished Professor in the Medical Sciences. “Dr. Lhatoo assumes the role with a strong foundation on which to build, and I am confident that his leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence will further advance the department’s clinical, educational, and research missions.”
He currently serves as executive vice chair of the Department of Neurology, a John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair, director of the Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, and co-director of the Texas Institute of Restorative Neurotechnologies. Since joining McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston in 2018, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the department’s clinical programs, research enterprise, and national reputation.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to be chosen to lead one of the most storied departments of neurology in the country,” Lhatoo said. “Our department has been led by a series of extraordinarily accomplished clinician-scientist leaders, and to join their ranks is not only a privilege, but also a profound responsibility to build upon their legacy and guide the department toward its next era of excellence.”
Lhatoo received his medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi. He completed postgraduate training in internal medicine before pursuing neurology training at leading institutions throughout the United Kingdom, including Oxford, Bristol, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Queen Square in London. He later completed advanced fellowship training in epilepsy and epilepsy surgery at Queen Square, followed by an epilepsy research fellowship in electroencephalography at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Before joining McGovern Medical School, he served on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University, where he also earned an MBA through the Weatherhead School of Management Executive MBA Program.
An internationally respected epileptologist, Lhatoo specializes in the care of patients with complex epilepsy and has devoted his career to improving outcomes for people living with seizure disorders.
His research focuses on epilepsy mortality, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), epilepsy surgery outcomes, and the development of innovative technologies to improve patient care. He currently serves as principal investigator of the NIH-funded International Seizure and SUDEP Research Repository, a collaboration that houses one of the world’s largest multimodal epilepsy research datasets. He also leads international efforts exploring the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to improve epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.
“As we welcome Dr. Lhatoo to this new role, I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Louise McCullough, MD, PhD, for her outstanding leadership as chair of the Department of Neurology,” Love said. “Under McCullough’s guidance, the department has continued to grow as a national leader in patient care, education, and groundbreaking neuroscience research while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. Her leadership has positioned the department exceptionally well for the future. I am deeply grateful for her dedication to McGovern Medical School and am pleased that she will remain an important part of our community, continuing to contribute her leadership, mentorship, and expertise to our institution.”