Joseph Watson, MD
Areas of special interest: pituitary and brain tumors, spine, cerebrovascular disease
A fellowship-trained neurosurgeon who has spent his career specializing in pituitary tumors, cerebrovascular disease and spinal surgery, Dr. Joseph Watson is director of Inova’s Regional Neurosurgery Service. He combines exceptional manual skills with the latest advancements in minimally invasive surgical techniques to preserve normal function and change patients’ lives.
Dr. Watson was initially drawn to brain protection as a biology major at Stanford, and continued to focus on it while earning his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his internship and neurosurgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, followed by a prestigious pituitary surgery fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
He now specializes in the removal of pituitary adenomas using a technique that spares the normal pituitary gland and requires no X-rays. “As a result of extensive training and specialization in these procedures, I can more accurately remove tumors without the assistance of radiation imaging,” he says. “My patients are not exposed to any radiation during surgery, which is certainly better for them in the long run.”
Actively involved in brain protection research, Dr. Watson is partnering with VCU on NIH-sponsored neurological emergency treatment trials. He is also collaborating with investigators at George Mason University on exciting studies to develop individualized treatments for brain and pituitary tumors. Inova patients not only have access to these clinical trials, they also will be the first to benefit as breakthroughs move from bench to bedside.
Dr. Watson is an associate professor of neurosurgery at VCU Medical School – Inova Campus. He is board-certified by the American Board of Neurosurgeons, and a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Watson, call Inova Regional Neurosurgery Service at 703-970-2670.
