Dr. Mauricio Villamar is Assistant Professor of Neurology, Clinician Educator, at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He received his medical degree with highest honors from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. He then worked as a physician in the Amazon rainforest for one year. This was followed by a research fellowship in non-invasive brain stimulation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Villamar is a graduate of the neurology residency program at the University of Kentucky, where he obtained multiple research and teaching awards and was inducted to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. He then completed fellowships in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He joined Brown Neurology in 2020.
Dr. Villamar is Board-certified in neurology and in epilepsy. He is a Fellow of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the American Epilepsy Society. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, The Neurohospitalist Society, the American Neurological Association, and the Catholic Medical Association. His research and clinical interests include hospital neurology, epilepsy, EEG, medical education, global neurology, and hospital quality and process improvement.
Dr. Villamar has received multiple grants and awards for his clinical research and for his quality and process improvement initiatives. Since joining Brown, Dr. Villamar has received institutional and national awards for his work as a medical educator and was selected as a Harvard Macy Scholar.
In addition to English, Dr. Villamar is fluent in Spanish.
| Lemus, Hernan Nicolas, Villamar, Mauricio F., Roth, Julie, Tobochnik, Steven. "Initiation of Antiseizure Medications by US Board-Certified Neurologists After a First Unprovoked Seizure Based on EEG Findings." Neurology Clinical Practice, vol. 14, no. 1, 2024. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Ayub, Neishay, Koenig, Seth J. "Automated Seizure Detection in Patients with Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Review of Ceribell™ Rapid-EEG Recordings." Neurocritical Care, 2023. |
| Quon RJ, Sarangi S, Rogg JM, Villamar MF. "Cranial Polyneuropathy from Multiple Myeloma with CNS Involvement." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 106, no. 5, 2023, pp. 38-39. |
| DeCarvalho, Stephanie A., Ibanhes, Fernando H., Villamar, Mauricio F. "Potential Relationship Between Polysubstance Overdose, Hypoxia, and Increased Risk of Delayed Leukoencephalopathy." The Neurohospitalist, vol. 13, no. 2, 2023, pp. 212-213. |
| Beaulieu-Jones, Brett K, Villamar, Mauricio F, Scordis, Phil, Bartmann, Ana Paula, Ali, Waqar, Wissel, Benjamin D, Alsentzer, Emily, de Jong, Johann, Patra, Arijit, Kohane, Isaac. "Predicting seizure recurrence after an initial seizure-like episode from routine clinical notes using large language models: a retrospective cohort study." The Lancet Digital Health, vol. 5, no. 12, 2023, pp. e882-e894. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Ayub, Neishay, Koenig, Seth J. "Response to “Gaining Clarity on the Claritɣ Algorithm”." Neurocritical Care, 2023. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Roth, Julie L. "The value of neurology clerkship rotations at non-tertiary hospitals." Journal of the Neurological Sciences, vol. 451, 2023, pp. 120736. |
| Solís MB, Albuja AC, Villamar MF. "Parenthesis sign" in Eastern equine encephalitis." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 80, no. 9, 2022, pp. 975-976. |
| Villamar MF, Albuja AC. "Water in the Tube" Artifact Mimicking Epileptiform Abnormalities on Point-of-Care EEG." The Neurohospitalist, vol. 12, no. 3, 2022, pp. 581-582. |
| Robbins JO, Rothschild JH, Albuja AC, Villamar MF. "A Young Woman With New-Onset Focal Seizures." Journal of acute medicine, vol. 12, no. 1, 2022, pp. 43-44. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F, Albuja, Ana C. "Academic diversity programmes for non-US international medical graduates." The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, vol. 7, no. 2, 2022, pp. 115. |
| Abud, Alexander M., Rizvi, Syed, Zainah, Hadeel, O'Brien, Thomas C., Villamar, Mauricio F. "Aggressive MOGAD with bilateral corticospinal tract lesions following infection with Jamestown Canyon virus." Journal of Neuroimmunology, vol. 373, 2022, pp. 577997. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Taylor, J. Andrew, Hamner, J. W., Voinescu, P. Emanuela. "Author Response: Clinical Reasoning: A Young Man With Daily Episodes of Altered Awareness." Neurology, vol. 99, no. 12, 2022, pp. 540-540. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Taylor, J. Andrew, Hamner, J.W., Voinescu, P. Emanuela. "Clinical Reasoning: A Young Man With Daily Episodes of Altered Awareness." Neurology, vol. 98, no. 11, 2022, pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200049. |
| Clay, Jordan L., Villamar, Mauricio F., Bensalem-Owen, Meriem K. "Comments on “Pharmacist involvement with antiepileptic therapy for status epilepticus in the emergency department”." The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 63, 2022, pp. 156-157. |
| Ibanhes FH, O'Connell E, Villamar MF. "Delayed Toxic-Hypoxic Leukoencephalopathy After Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 105, no. 9, 2022, pp. 37-39. |
| Ibanhes FH, Villamar MF. "Delayed Unilateral Facial Weakness in COVID-19-Associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 105, no. 4, 2022, pp. 49-50. |
| DeCarvalho SA, Villamar MF. "Opioid-Associated Amnestic Syndrome." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 105, no. 2, 2022, pp. 22-23. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Sarkis, Rani A., Pennell, Page, Kohane, Isaac, Beaulieu-Jones, Brett K. "Severity of Epilepsy and Response to Antiseizure Medications in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis." Neurology: Clinical Practice, vol. 12, no. 4, 2022, pp. e49-e57. |
| Batayneh O, Lin A, Abu-Jaradeh O, Wu P, Villamar MF, Sharma P. "Symptomatic leptomeningeal carcinomatosis: a rare presentation of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia relapse." BMJ Case Reports, vol. 15, no. 6, 2022. |
| Albuja, Ana C., Bensalem-Owen, Meriem K., Villamar, Mauricio F. "Reader Response: Association of Guideline Publication and Delays to Treatment in Pediatric Status Epilepticus." Neurology, vol. 96, no. 10, 2021, pp. 502-503. |
| Villamar MF, Albuja AC. "Waveform Window #50: A Novel Presentation of Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS) Artifact on Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Electrocardiogram (ECG)." The Neurodiagnostic Journal, vol. 61, no. 2, 2021, pp. 104-109. |
| Obretenova, Souzana, Villamar, Mauricio F., Tobochnik, Steven. "Addition of Anterior Temporal EEG Electrodes to Improve Seizure Detection." The Neurohospitalist, vol. 11, no. 1, 2020, pp. 89-90. |
| Clay, Jordan L., Villamar, Mauricio F. "Continuous facial myokymia in multiple sclerosis." Clinical Case Reports, vol. 8, no. 11, 2020, pp. 2326-2327. |
| Romero Carvajal F, Albuja AC, Villamar MF. "Post-ictal whistling in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome." Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape, vol. 22, no. 6, 2020, pp. 834-835. |
| Sokolov, E., Abdoul Bachir, D. H., Sakadi, F., Williams, J., Vogel, A. C., Schaekermann, M., Tassiou, N., Bah, A. K., Khatri, V., Hotan, G. C., Ayub, N., Leung, E., Fantaneanu, T. A., Patel, A., Vyas, M., Milligan, T., Villamar, M. F., Hoch, D., Purves, S., Esmaeili, B., Stanley, M., Lehn‐Schioler, T., Tellez‐Zenteno, J., Gonzalez‐Giraldo, E., Tolokh, I., Heidarian, L., Worden, L., Jadeja, N., Fridinger, S., Lee, L., Law, E., Fodé Abass, C., Mateen, F. J. "Tablet-based electroencephalography diagnostics for patients with epilepsy in the West African Republic of Guinea." European Journal of Neurology, vol. 27, no. 8, 2020, pp. 1570-1577. |
| Garcia CR, Villamar MF, Villano JL. "Intraventricular Glioblastoma." The Neurohospitalist, vol. 9, no. 4, 2019, pp. 239-240. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Smith, Vanessa D., Smith, Jonathan H., Wilson, Dianne, Nuovo, Gerard J. "Rabies encephalitis presenting with new-onset refractory status epilepticus-Update." Neurology: Clinical Practice, vol. 10, no. 1, 2019, pp. e1-e4. |
| Villamar MF. "Reply." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 77, no. 3, 2019, pp. 217. |
| Villamar MF. "Acute methanol poisoning." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 76, no. 9, 2018, pp. 636-637. |
| Smith JH, Nuovo GJ, Villamar MF. "Author Response: Rabies encephalitis presenting with new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE)." Neurology: Clinical Practice, vol. 8, no. 5, 2018, pp. 371-372. |
| McCann MR, Albuja AC, Villamar MF, Lukins DE. "Disseminated necrotizing leukoencephalopathy." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 76, no. 12, 2018, pp. 858-859. |
| Villamar MF, Gilliam FG. "Dyshormia in focal epilepsy." Arq Neuropsiquiatr ., vol. 76, no. 7, 2018, pp. 495-496. |
| Al-Bakri AF, Villamar MF, Haddix C, Bensalem-Owen M, Sunderam S. "Noninvasive seizure prediction using autonomic measurements in patients with refractory epilepsy." Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference, vol. 2018, 2018, pp. 2422-2425. |
| Villamar MF, Mirza FA, Smith JH, Smith VD. "Pearls & Oy-sters: Persistent elevation of serum carcinoembryonic antigen in secretory meningioma." Neurology, vol. 90, no. 6, 2018, pp. e538-e541. |
| Albuja AC, Villamar MF, Stewart AM, Lightner DD. "Pediatric cardioembolic stroke in midaortic syndrome." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 76, no. 11, 2018, pp. 800-801. |
| Villamar MF, Khan GQ, Naranjo VI, Alhajeri A. "Pediatric spinal perimedullary arteriovenous fistula." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 76, no. 10, 2018, pp. 722-723. |
| Campos EM, Raslau FD, Salinas R, Di Capua D, Slevin JT, Villamar MF. "Reversible manifestations of extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis." Clinical Case Reports, vol. 6, no. 7, 2018, pp. 1400-1401. |
| Villamar MF, Cook AM, Ke C, Xu Y, Clay JL, Dolbec KS, Ward-Mitchell R, Goldstein LB, Bensalem-Owen M. "Status epilepticus alert reduces time to administration of second-line antiseizure medications." Neurology: Clinical Practice, vol. 8, no. 6, 2018, pp. 486-491. |
| McCann MR, Villamar MF. "Two classical neurological syndromes following a stab wound." European journal of internal medicine, vol. 54, 2018, pp. e3-e4. |
| Villamar MF, Lee JD. "Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis secondary to otomastoiditis." Postgraduate medical journal, vol. 93, no. 1103, 2017, pp. 569. |
| Villamar MF. "Extensive cerebral and extracerebral metastases from a large-cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma." The Pan African medical journal, vol. 28, 2017, pp. 264. |
| Grewal PK, Villamar MF, Raslau FD, Dobbs MR. "Pearls & Oy-sters: An uncommon initial presentation of thyrotoxicosis." Neurology, vol. 89, no. 6, 2017, pp. e61-e63. |
| Villamar, Mauricio F., Smith, Jonathan H., Wilson, Dianne, Smith, Vanessa D. "Rabies encephalitis presenting with new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE)." Neurology: Clinical Practice, vol. 7, no. 5, 2017, pp. 421-424. |
| Bravo GL, Poje AB, Perissinotti I, Marcondes BF, Villamar MF, Manzardo AM, Luque L, LePage JF, Stafford D, Fregni F, Butler MG. "Transcranial direct current stimulation reduces food-craving and measures of hyperphagia behavior in participants with Prader-Willi syndrome." Am. J. Med. Genet., vol. 171B, no. 2, 2016, pp. 266-75. |
| Hamner JW, Villamar MF, Fregni F, Taylor JA. "Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and the cardiovascular responses to acute pain in humans." Clinical Neurophysiology, vol. 126, no. 5, 2015, pp. 1039-46. |
| Portilla AS, Bravo GL, Miraval FK, Villamar MF, Schneider JC, Ryan CM, Fregni F. "A feasibility study assessing cortical plasticity in chronic neuropathic pain following burn injury." Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association, vol. 34, no. 1, 2013, pp. e48-52. |
| Villamar MF, Wivatvongvana P, Patumanond J, Bikson M, Truong DQ, Datta A, Fregni F. "Focal modulation of the primary motor cortex in fibromyalgia using 4×1-ring high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS): immediate and delayed analgesic effects of cathodal and anodal stimulation." The Journal of Pain, vol. 14, no. 4, 2013, pp. 371-83. |
| Villamar MF, Fregni F. "Response to the letter to the editor by Berger." Journal of rehabilitation medicine, vol. 45, no. 2, 2013, pp. 221-2. |
| Villamar MF, Volz MS, Bikson M, Datta A, Dasilva AF, Fregni F. "Technique and considerations in the use of 4x1 ring high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)." Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE, no. 77, 2013, pp. e50309. |
| Villamar MF, Contreras VS, Kuntz RE, Fregni F. "The reporting of blinding in physical medicine and rehabilitation randomized controlled trials: a systematic review." Journal of rehabilitation medicine, vol. 45, no. 1, 2013, pp. 6-13. |
| Villamar MF, Santos Portilla A, Fregni F, Zafonte R. "Noninvasive brain stimulation to modulate neuroplasticity in traumatic brain injury." Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, vol. 15, no. 4, 2012, pp. 326-38. |
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | MD | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador |
| Clinical Fellow | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Clinical Neurophysiology | 2019-2020 | |
| Clinical Fellow | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Epilepsy | 2018-2019 | |
| Resident Physician | University of Kentucky, Neurology | 2015-2018 | |
| Intern | University of Kentucky, Medicine | 2014-2015 | |
| Research Fellow | Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences | 2011-2013 |
Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. 2024.
Positive Champion Award. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. 2024.
2023 BPI Minority Faculty Career Development Award. Brown Physicians, Inc., 2023.
Dean’s Positive Champions of the Learning Environment Award. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. 2023.
Medical Specialist Doctor of the Year. Kent Hospital. 2023
A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award. American Academy of Neurology. 2023.
Positive Champion of the Learning Environment. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. 2022.
Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. 2021.
Epilepsy Study Consortium Mini-Grant. American Epilepsy Society / Epilepsy Study Consortium. 2019.
Alumni Excellence Award for Sustained Project Work. Partners HealthCare Clinical Process Improvement Leadership Program. 2019.
J. Kiffin Penry Neurostimulation for Epilepsy Program. Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 2019.
Fellows Program. American Epilepsy Society. 2018.
National Fellowship Course for the NeuroPace RNS ® System. Neuropace, Inc. 2018.
Best Poster Presentation. American Neurological Association. 2018.
Resident of the Year. Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky. 2018.
Excellence in Research Award. Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky. 2018.
Safety and Quality Award. American Academy of Neurology. 2018.
Alpha Omega Alpha Resident Member. Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. 2018.
Clinical Teaching Award. College of Medicine, University of Kentucky. 2017.
J. Kiffin Penry Residents Epilepsy Program. Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 2017.
Alpha Omega Alpha Postgraduate Award. Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. 2016.
Resident of the Month. Graduate Medical Education, University of Kentucky. 2016.
Clinical Research Scholar Award. Department of Continuing Education, Harvard Medical School. 2011.
Valedictorian. School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. 2009.
Academic Excellence Scholarship. School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. 2004, 2005, 2008.
First Place in Academic Achievements. School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Kent Hospital
Rhode Island Hospital
The Miriam Hospital
Newport Hospital
| License | Rhode Island Department of Health | 2020- | |
| Diplomate | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Epilepsy | 2020- | |
| Diplomate | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology | 2018- |
