Collaborative Visiting Researchers

Experimental Surgery, McGill University

Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary

Sommer Christie’s doctoral research focuses on the how the brain and body are linked to performance. Specifically, her research explores, a)  the psychophysiological profiles of elite performers (e.g., athletes and neurosurgeons) during performance, b) how EEG and other physiological parameters  (i.e., heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductance, peripheral body temperature, and muscle tension) linked to the sympathetic nervous system stress response are related to performance, and c) whether biofeedback and neurofeedback training improves an individual’s ability to self-regulate physiologically (stress) and neurologically (attention), and therefore enhance performance.

Publications:
Impact of Acute Stress on Psychomotor Bimanual Performance during Simulated Tumor Resection Task
[PDF]
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2017
Khalid Bajunaid, MD, MSc, Muhammad Abu Shadeque Mullah, MSc, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD, Fahad E. Alotaibi, MD, MSc, Jawad Fares, BSc, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush, PhD, Sommer Christie, BSc et al.

Bimanual Psychomotor Performance in Neurosurgical Resident Applicants Assessed Using NeuroTouch, a Virtual Reality Simulator
[PDF]
Journal of Surgical Education, 2016
Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Khalid Bajunaid, Muhammad A.S Mullah, Ibrahim Marwa, Fahad Alotaibi, MSc, Jawad Fares, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush, Gmaan Al Zharni, Sommer Christie et al.

MSc

Samaneh worked at the Neurosurgical Simulation Research and Training Centre from July 16th to September 7th 2018.

Research Project Description

To develop and validate ex vivo, perfused, biological simulation models to be employed for assessment and training of students dependent on their level of surgical expertise. Basic surgical techniques can be used for the training of medical students and residents in postgraduate year one (PGY1). Intermediate surgical exercises are used for training of PGY2 and PGY3 residents. The focus of these systems will be the training of advanced microsurgical skills to PGY4-6 residents.

The creation of these hybrid biological models which compliment concurrent validity carried out by virtual reality simulator systems and operative surgery will be critical to the development of modern surgical simulation education.

Publications:
Learning Brain Aneurysm Microsurgical Skills in a human placenta model: Predictive Validity
[PDF]
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2017
Marcelo Magaldi Ribeiro de Oliveira, MD, PhD,1,3 et al.,

Face, Content and Construct Validity of Brain Tumor Microsurgery Simulation using a Human Placental Model
[PDF]
Operative Neurosurgery, 2016
Oliveira, Marcelo Magaldi MD, PhD et al.,

Face, content, and construct validity of human placenta as a haptic training tool in neurointerventional surgery
[PDF]
Journal of neurosurgery, 2016
Marcelo Magaldi Ribeiro de Oliveira, MD, PhD et al.,

Visiting scientist and former Fellow at the Neurosurgical Simulation Research and Training Centre, MNI

M.D., FRCS(C)

Dr. Sabbagh, MBBS, FRCSC, is currently Director of the Neurosurgical Residency Training program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and a member of the nationwide Neurosurgery Residency Training Committee at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. He was formerly an Assistant professor of Neurosurgery at King Saud University for Health Sciences, Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and a Pediatric and Epilepsy Neurosurgeon, at the National Neurosciences Institute (NNI), King Fahad Medical City (KFMC). He is collaborative researcher at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec, in addition to being a visiting scantest and fellow at Neurosurgical Simulation Research Centre. He is currently developing complex virtual reality simulation scenarios and related metrics and benchmarks with the help of the engineers, scientists and researchers in both institutions. Dr. Sabbagh coauthored and coedited four neurosurgery books: Neurosurgery Case Review (2009), Neurosurgery rounds (2011), Neurosurgery Tricks of the Trade: Cranial (2013) and Neurosurgery Tricks of the Trade: Spine and Peripheral Nerves (2014). He authored over forty articles and book chapters. Dr. Sabbagh has held several education and administrative positions in the past including; program director of neurosurgery residency training program at NNI, Chairman of the neurosurgery department at NNI. In addition he was an executive committee member and headed education and training in the Saudi Association of Neurological Surgeons. His latest responsibility was directing the scholarship and postgraduate administration at KFMC where he ran over 50 residency and fellowship programs. KFMC has an existing Neurosurgical Simulation Unit that he champions. The medical city is currently building a world-class simulation Institution, CRESNT (Center of Research on Education, Simulation and Training).

Areas of Interest: Health professions education, Virtual Reality Simulation for education aHealth professions education, Virtual Reality Simulation for education and assessment, epilepsy surgery and Pediatric and developmental Neurosurgery, History of Neurosurgery.

Publications:
Virtual Reality Tumor Resection: The Force Pyramid Approach
Accepted in Operative Neurosurgery, 2017
[PDF]
Robin Sawaya, B.Sc. Abdulgadir Bugdadi, MD. Hamed Azarnoush, PhD. Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD. Fahad Eid Alotaibi, MD. MSc Khalid Bajunaid, MD, MSc. Gmaan AlZhrani, MD, MA. Ghusn Alsidieri, MD. Abdulrahman Jaffar Sabbagh, MBCHB, FRCSC et al.

Automaticity of Force Application during Simulated Brain Tumor Resection: Testing the Fitts and Posner Model
Journal of Surgical Education, 2017
Bugdadi A, Sawaya R, Olwi D, Al-Zhrani G, Azarnoush H, Sabbagh A et al.
[PDF]

The Force Pyramid: A Spatial Analysis of Force Application During Virtual Reality Brain Tumor Resection
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2016
Hamed Azarnoush, Samaneh Siar, BSc, Robin Sawaya, BSc, Gmaan Al Zhrani, MD, MSc, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD, Fahad Eid Alotaibi, MD, MSc, Abdulgadir Bugdadi, MD, Khalid Bajunaid, MD, MSc, Ibrahim Marwa, MD, Abdulraham Jafar Sabbagh, MBCHB, FRCSC et al.
[PDF]

Impact of Acute Stress on Psychomotor Bimanual Performance during Simulated Tumor Resection Task
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2017
Khalid Bajunaid, MD, MSc, Muhammad Abu Shadeque Mullah, MSc, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD, Fahad E. Alotaibi, MD, MSc, Jawad Fares, BSc, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush, PhD, Sommer Christie, BSc, MHK, Gmaan Al-Zhrani, MD, MA, Ibrahim Marwa, MD, Abdulrahman Jafar Sabbagh, MBChB, FRCSC et al.
[PDF]

Bimanual Psychomotor Performance in Neurosurgical Resident Applicants Assessed Using NeuroTouch, a Virtual Reality Simulator
Journal of Surgical Education, 2016
Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Khalid Bajunaid, Muhammad A.S Mullah, Ibrahim Marwa, Fahad Alotaibi, MSc, Jawad Fares, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush, Gmaan Al Zharni, Sommer Christie, Abdulraham Sabbagh, Penny Werthner, Rolando F. Del Maestro.
[PDF]

Face, Content and Construct Validity of Brain Tumor Microsurgery Simulation using a Human Placental Model
Operative Neurosurgery, 2016
Oliveira, Marcelo Magaldi MD, PhD; Araujo, Audrey Beatriz MD, MSc; Nicolato, Arthur MD; Prosdocimi, Andre MD; Godinho, Joao Victor MD; Valle, Ana Luiza Martins MD; Santos, Marcilea MD; Reis, Augusto Barbosa MD, PhD; Ferreira, Mauro Tostes MD, PhD; Sabbagh, A et al.
[PDF]

Assessing Neurosurgical Psychomotor Performance: Role of Virtual Reality Simulators, Current and Future Potential
SOJ Neurology 2(1), 2015
Fahad E. AlOtaibi, Gmaan Al Zhrani, Khalid Bajunaid, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Hamed Azarnoush, Muhammad A.S. Mullah, Abdulraham Sabbagh et al.
[PDF]

Neurosurgical Assessment of Metrics including Judgment and Dexterity (NAJD) Using the Virtual Reality Simulator NeuroTouch
[PDF]
Surgical innovation, 2015
Alotaibi, F. E., AlZhrani, G. A., Sabbagh, A. J. et al.

Assessing bimanual performance in brain tumor resection with NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator
[PDF]
Operative Neurosurgery, 2015
Alotaibi, F. E., AlZhrani, G. A., Mullah, M. A., Sabbagh, A. J et al.

Proficiency Performance Benchmarks for Removal of Simulated Brain Tumors using NeuroTouch a Virtual Reality Simulator
[PDF]
Journal of Surgical Education, 2015
Gmaan AlZhrani, MD, Fahad Alotaibi, MD, Hamed Azarnoush, PhD, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD, Abdulrahman Sabbagh, MD et al.

Visiting scientist (summer 2015 and summer 2018) and Fellow (August 2011 – August 2013) at the Neurosurgical Simulation Research and Training Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.

Dr. Azarnoush received his PhD in engineering from McGill University. During his PhD studies he worked with the National Research Council Canada (NRC). He continued collaborating with NRC as a fellow at the Neurosurgical Simulation Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute.

During his fellowship, he worked on the novel concept of surgical skill assessment using NeuroTouch, designing simulation scenarios and novel performance metrics. This work laid the foundation for execution of several projects and a sequence of trials that have been reported in various articles.

Publications
Virtual Reality Tumor Resection: The Force Pyramid Approach
[PDF]
Operative Neurosurgery, 2017
Robin Sawaya, B.Sc. Abdulgadir Bugdadi, MD. Hamed Azarnoush, PhD et al.

Automaticity of Force Application during Simulated Brain Tumor Resection: Testing the Fitts and Posner Model
[PDF]
Journal of Surgical Education, 2017
Bugdadi A, Sawaya R, Olwi D, Al-Zhrani G, Azarnoush H et al.

The Force Pyramid: A Spatial Analysis of Force Application During Virtual Reality Brain Tumor Resection
[PDF]
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2016
Hamed Azarnoush et al.

Impact of Acute Stress on Psychomotor Bimanual Performance during Simulated Tumor Resection Task
[PDF]
Journal of Neurosurgery, 2017
Khalid Bajunaid, MD, MSc, Muhammad Abu Shadeque Mullah, MSc, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, MD, Fahad E. Alotaibi, MD, MSc, Jawad Fares, BSc, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush, PhD et al.

Bimanual Psychomotor Performance in Neurosurgical Resident Applicants Assessed Using NeuroTouch, a Virtual Reality Simulator
[PDF]
Journal of Surgical Education, 2016
Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Khalid Bajunaid, Muhammad A.S Mullah, Ibrahim Marwa, Fahad Alotaibi, MSc, Jawad Fares, Marta Baggiani, Hamed Azarnoush et al.

Assessing Neurosurgical Psychomotor Performance: Role of Virtual Reality Simulators, Current and Future Potential
[PDF]
SOJ Neurology, 20155
Fahad E. AlOtaibi, Gmaan Al Zhrani, Khalid Bajunaid, Alexander Winkler-Schwartz, Hamed Azarnoush et al.

Neurosurgical Assessment of Metrics including Judgment and Dexterity (NAJD) Using the Virtual Reality Simulator NeuroTouch
[PDF]
Surgical innovation, 2015
Alotaibi, F. E., AlZhrani, G. A., Sabbagh, A. J., Azarnoush, H. et al.

Assessing bimanual performance in brain tumor resection with NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator
[PDF]
Operative Neurosurgery, 2015
Alotaibi, F. E., AlZhrani, G. A., Mullah, M. A., Sabbagh, A. J., Azarnoush, H, et al.