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Our Team.

UMC has the largest team of Neurosurgeons in the region.

John Day, M.D.

Dr. Day is an internationally known leader in skull base tumor surgery and vascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Day received his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1989. He completed residency in neurological surgery at the University of Southern California (USC) Medical Center. Dr. Day continued his postdoctoral training with a research fellowship in cranial base surgery and anatomy at the University of Vienna Medical School in Austria, under the... tutelage of pioneering neurosurgeon Dr. Wolfgang T. Koos. After fellowship training in Austria, Dr. Day worked with legendary neurosurgeon Dr. Takanori Fukushima at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. He then joined the prestigious Lahey Clinic in Boston as Director of Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery. In 1995, Dr. Day joined the faculty of the USC School of Medicine in Los Angeles, where he was also Director of Neurological Surgery at the world-renowned House Ear Clinic. In late 2001, he returned to Pittsburgh and Allegheny General Hospital as the Director of the Center for Cerebrovascular Surgery and Stroke, also serving on the faculty of Drexel University College of Medicine through 2004. He practiced at the Colorado Neuroscience Institute in the Denver area for the next three years, until being recruited to UTHSC in San Antonio in 2007. He was named Vice Chairman for Academic Affairs and Associate Residency Program Director in the Department of Neurosurgery at UTHSC the following year. In 2010, Dr. Day became Professor and Chairman of Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and led the department until his recruitment to University Medical Center in El Paso in 2023. Dr. Day has authored four textbooks on neurosurgery and has published over 80 articles on neurosurgical topics. He has served on several editorial boards of international neurosurgical journals over the past 25 years. He has taught skull base surgery techniques and lectured extensively in the North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Dr. Day treats a wide range of neurosurgical problems including brain and spinal tumors, vascular problems, spine problems, and trauma of the brain and spine. He focuses on minimally invasive techniques and solutions to diseases of the brain and spine.

Jaime Gasco, M.D., FAANS, FEBNS

Dr. Gasco has nearly a decade of experience in neurosurgical care. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Valencia Medical School in Spain and then he went on to complete his neurosurgery residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Dr. Gasco is one of few neurosurgeons worldwide to be board-certified in two continents. He specializes in brain, spine and peripheral nerve surgery with emphasis on using the latest minimally invasive technologies including (MIS-TLIF, XLIF, ALIF, CoFlex, Intracept, OLIF) and pain management including ESI injections and blocks.

June Guillet, M.D., PhD

Dr. Guillet is an experienced board-certified neurosurgeon who completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Dallas, and her degrees for the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed a neurosurgery residency at Augusta University and a fellowship in epilepsy surgery and functional neurosurgery at Yale University. Her clinical interests are epilepsy, deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders, and utilizing minimally invasive techniques with the ROSA robot, laser, and the endoscope. In addition, she also performs surgeries for brain and spine trauma, brain and spine tumors, degenerative spine disease, spasticity, peripheral nerve disorders, and trigeminal neuralgia.

Akshay A. Gupte, M.D., MBBS, MPH

Dr. Gupte has nearly a decade of experience in neurosurgical care. He completed his undergraduate degree at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences in India and then went on to complete his medical degree at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Gupte has clinical interests and specializes in brain and spinal cord tumors and complex spinal degenerative conditions. He also treats facial conditions like trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasms.

Ziyad Makoshi, M.D., FRCSC, FAANS

Dr. Makoshi completed his neurosurgery residency and general neurosurgery fellowship in Canada at The Ottowa University. His pediatric neurosurgery fellowship was completed at Nationwide Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He has been cited in over 100 publication regarding neurosurgical trauma, Chiari malformations and brain tumors. His clinical interests are focused on general pediatric neurosurgery with specific focus on neuro-oncology, epilepsy and spasticity. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.

Harold K. Smith, M.D., FAANS

Harold K. Smith, MD, FAANS received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Following this, Dr. Smith completed his residency in neurological surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Smith is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and has been practicing medicine since 1988. Dr. Smith specializes in a broad range of general neurosurgical disciplines, with extensive experience in spinal... and intracranial neurosurgery.

Dr. Smith has expertise and experience in skull base, vascular, functional and tumor neurosurgery, as well as stereotactic radiosurgery and image guided robotically assisted spinal surgery. He has pioneered the use of fluorescence guidance and awake techniques for the resection of complex brain tumors.

In Dr. Smith’s spare time, he enjoys cycling, travel and is an accomplished ornithologist.

Luis F. Vasquez, M.D., FACS

Dr. Vasquez has over 30 years of experience in neurosurgical care. He completed his medical school education in Lima, Peru. and then went on to neurosurgical residency training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. His clinical practice includes complex spine, brain and spine trauma and tumors, hydrocephalus, peripheral nerve entrapment and microsurgery for brain and spine. Dr. Vasquez is fluent in English, Spanish, German and French.

David Wang, M.D., PhD, FAANS

Dr. Wang has nearly a decade of experience in neurosurgical care. He is board-certified and a Fellow in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Wang completed his undergraduate degree at Penn State University, completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience at the University of Florida, and then went on to complete his medical degree at University of Miami’s School of Medicine. Dr. Wang was enlisted in the military where he served as a Major, and Staff Neurosurgeon at Tripler Army Medical Center. He specializes in brain and spinal trauma, spinal cord injury, spinal myelopathy, spinal stenosis, spinal deformity, and brain tumors.

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