Travis Hassell, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Neurology

Dr. Travis Hassell is an Assistant Professor of Neurology specializing in Movement Disorders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His clinical practice and research focuses both on movement disorders and bioengineering, with an emphasis on developing new device technologies such as adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS). Dr. Hassell also provides instruction in inpatient and outpatient clinical settings for medical students and residents. He is currently a member of the North American Neuromodulation Society, the Movement Disorders Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). 

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Hassell completed a Movement Disorders Fellowship at VUMC. He earned his MD from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2012, and subsequently completed his medical internship at St. Elizabeth Medical Center (Youngstown, OH) and Neurology residency at Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN), serving as Chief Resident his final year. Dr. Hassell earned his doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), graduating summa cum laude with a thesis studying devices for real-time monitoring of central nervous system recovery. He received his BS in Biological Engineering (summa cum laude) from the University of Missouri – Columbia. 

Research Information

Dr. Hassell’s research interests focus on the intersection of engineering and the treatment of neurological movement disorders. He is currently participating as Primary Investigator (PI) or Sub-PI in clinical trials studying DBS devices.