Baltazar Zavala, MD
Physician, Assistant Professor
Neurological Surgery
Make an appointment
614-293-8714
Accepting new patients
Conditions and expertise
- Epilepsy
- Movement Disorders
- Seizures
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Tremor
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Locations
- Outpatient Care Powell
Academics and research
Department: Neurological Surgery
About
- Gender
- Male
- Additional languages
- Spanish
Biography
I’m a neurosurgeon specializing in epilepsy, pain, and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. I graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College. My senior year, I was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, which allowed me to complete my PhD at the University of Oxford in the UK. My PhD focused on the role of the subthalamic nucleus beta and theta oscillations in cognition. I subsequently attended the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed my neurosurgery residency training at the Barrow Neurological Institute.
As a neurosurgeon, I use forms of stimulation, drug delivery, surgical techniques or ablative treatments to provide symptom improvement and better quality of life. Thanks to the latest therapies and state-of-the-art facilities at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, I’m able to provide the best treatment options for my patients and pass on my knowledge to medical students, resident physicians and fellows.
Conditions and expertise
- Back Pain
- Chronic Pain
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Epilepsy
- Low Back Pain
- Movement Disorders
- Parkinson's Disease
- Seizures
- Tremor
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Locations
Please note: Not all physicians schedule patients at each listed location.
Credentials
Education
- Residency - Neurological Surgery
- Barrow Neurological Institute/St. Josephs Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
7/1/2019 - 6/30/2026 - Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
8/10/2015 - 5/23/2019
Academics and research
My research focuses on understanding how the waves in our brain (neuronal oscillations) help us execute our day-to-day activities and how those brain waves are altered by diseases and clinical treatments. Using recordings obtained directly from the human brain, I study how very precise changes in oscillatory activity control actions, decisions and memories. I also study how some of the therapeutic interventions we offer (like deep brain stimulation) alter these brain waves and how that impacts our ability to perform cognitive tasks. The goal is to understand brain waves well enough such that we can purposely manipulate them for therapeutic purposes.
My work has been published in multiple prestigious journals, including Science, Annals of Neurology, Brain, eLife, and the Journal of Neuroscience. Following my PhD, I completed medical school at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where I was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.
I completed my neurosurgery training at the Barrow Neurological Institute. While in residency, I served as the director of the Barrow Innovation Center and was also a sub-investigator in the Neuralink PRIME study, which led to the first in-human implantation of a Neuralink N1 brain computer interface device.
I appreciate the commitment to innovation here in The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and the readily available resources that allow me to pursue highly complex research.
Research interests
- Neurophysiology
- Movement Disorders
- Local Field Potentials
- Oscillations
- Theta Band
- Cognition
- Quantitative Research
Awards and honors
- Summa Cum Laude from Harvard College
- Rhodes Scholar
- PhD at the University of Oxford
- Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society
- Four-year Harvard Football Team Member
Academic information
- Department:
- Neurological Surgery
- Division:
- Neurological Surgery
More about my research
Consulting and related relationships
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 11/3/2025, Baltazar Zavala has reported no relationships with companies or entities.