Jasmine Thum, MD

Biography

Title

Director, Adult Peripheral Nerve Center ; Co-Director, Functional and Epilepsy Fellowship ; PI, The Consciousness Lab

Faculty Appointment

Assistant Professor

Research Interests

“Translating neuroengineering into transformative neurosurgical care.”
With a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Thum leads research at the intersection of neurosurgery, neuroscience, and technology. Her lab explores how brain networks support consciousness—and how epilepsy, anesthesia, and trauma alter awareness. She studies brain rhythms in patients undergoing depth electrode monitoring (sEEG) or neuromodulation (DBS) to better understand the neural basis of consciousness. Her team also investigates how to predict and enhance recovery after peripheral nerve transfer surgery, using tools like electrical stimulation, physiologic monitoring, and AI. This work directly informs her surgical practice, with the goal of restoring both function and awareness in patients facing complex neurological challenges.

Publications

Consciousness:

Akeju O, Pavone KJ, Thum JA, Firth PG, Westover MB, Puglia M, Shank ES, Brown EN, Purdon PL. Age-dependency of sevoflurane-induced electroencephalogram dynamics in children. Br J Anaesth. 2015 Jul;115 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):i66-i76.

Malekmohammadi M, Price CM, Hudson AE, Thum JA, Pouratian N. Propofol-induced loss of consciousness is associated with a decrease in thalamocortical connectivity in humans. Brain. 2019 Aug 1;142(8):2288-2302.

Thum JA, Malekmohammadi M, Toker D, Sparks H, Alijanpourotaghsara A, Choi JW, Hudson AE, Monti MM, Pouratian N. Globus pallidus externus drives increase in network-wide alpha power with propofol-induced loss-of-consciousness in humans. Cereb Cortex. 2024 Jun 4;34(6):bhae243.

Toker D, Thum JA, Guang J, Miyamoto H, Yamakawa K, Vespa PM, Schnakers C, Bari AA, Hudson A, Pouratian N, Monti MM. An AI-Dri

Neuromodulation:

Bari AA, Thum J, Babayan D, Lozano AM. Current and Expected Advances in Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders. Prog Neurol Surg. 2018;33:222-229.

Bari A, Thum J, Babayan D, Runcie M, Sparks H, Wilson B. Neuromodulation for substance addiction in human subjects: A review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018 Dec;95:33-43.

Sparks H, Riskin-Jones H, Price C, Thum J, Bari A, Hashoush N, Pouratian N. Impulsivity Relates to Relative Preservation of Mesolimbic Connectivity in Patients with Parkinson Disease. Neuroimage Clin. 2020;27:102259.

Thum JA,* Kashanian A,* Rohatgi P, Albano L, Krahl SE, Bari A, De Salles A, Pouratian N. Case Series: Deep Brain Stimulation for Facial Pain. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2020 Oct 15;19(5):510-517.

Sparks H, Cross KA, Choi JW, Courellis H, Thum J, Koenig E, Pouratian N. Dorsal visual stream is preferentially engaged during externally guided action selection in Parkinson Disease. Clin Neurophysiol. 2022 Apr;136:237-246.

Peripheral Nerve:

Mandeville R, Sanchez B, Johnston B, Bazarek S, Thum JA, Birmingham A, See RHB, Leochico CFD, Kumar V, Dowlatshahi AS, Brown J, Stashuk D, Rutkove SB. A scoping review of current and emerging techniques for evaluation of peripheral nerve health, degeneration, and regeneration: part 1, neurophysiology. J Neural Eng. 2023 Jul 24;20(4).

Mandeville R, Deshmukh S, Tan ET, Kumar V, Sanchez B, Dowlatshahi AS, Luk J, See RHB, Leochico CFD, Thum JA, Bazarek S, Johnston B, Brown J, Wu J, Sneag D, Rutkove S. A scoping review of current and emerging techniques for evaluation of peripheral nerve health, degeneration and regeneration: part 2, non-invasive imaging. J Neural Eng. 2023 Jul 24;20(4).

Thum J, Bazarek S, Sten M, Friedman G, Mandeville R, Brown JM. Selective Tibial Neurotomy for Spastic Equinovarus Foot: Operative Technique. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Nov 1;25(5):e267-e271.

Thum JA*, Bazarek S*, Sten M, Magee G, Mandeville R, Brown JM. Axillary to Radial Nerve Transfer for Recovery of Elbow Extension After Spinal Cord Injury. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Dec 1;25(6):e324-e329.

Bazarek S, Sten M, Thum J, Mandeville R, Magee G, Brown JM. Supinator to Posterior Interosseous Nerve Transfer for Recovery of Hand Opening in the Tetraplegic Patient: A Case Series. Neurosurgery. 2024 Jan 15;94(6):1253–61.

Awards & Recognition

Excellence in Teaching with Humanism Residents and Fellows Education Award, UCLA School of Medicine, 2022
Top Doc California, 2024

Memberships

American Epilepsy Society (AES)
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
American Society for Peripheral Nerve (ASPN) Full voting member
American Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC) Full voting member

View Academic Profile

https://www.uab.edu/medicine/neurosurgery/faculty/thum-jasmine-m-d