- Residency - UT Southwestern Medical School (2008-2011), Neurology
- Internship - UT Southwestern Medical School (2007-2008), Internal Medicine
- Medical School - Saint Louis University School of Medicine (2003-2007)
- Fellowship - UT Southwestern Medical School (2011-2013), Neurocritical Care

Biography
Stephen Figueroa, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Neurocritical Care in the UT Southwestern Department of Neurology and the Department of Neurological Surgery. He sees patients in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Parkland Memorial Hospital.
After receiving a bachelor of science cum laude from Tulane University, he earned his M.D. at the St. Louis University School of Medicine. He then completed an internship in internal medicine, a residency in neurology, a chief residency in neurology, and a fellowship in neurocritical care, all at UT Southwestern. During his training, Dr. Figueroa received the TEVA Neuroscience Award, the UT Southwestern Department of Neurology Resident Teaching Award, the Hal D. Unwin Neurology Resident Award for Outstanding Clinical Performance, and the Roger Rosenberg Outstanding Fellow Award, among other honors.
Dr. Figueroa participates in numerous clinical trials designed to improve the care of patients with acute stroke and traumatic brain injury. His publications, abstracts, and presentations in the field have focused on topics including therapeutic hypothermia, CT imaging, critical care for acute ischemic stroke, carotid and vertebral artery injuries, intracerebral hemorrhage, and monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation and intracranial pressure for severe TBI. He is a reviewer for peer-reviewed publications including Clinical Neuroscience Nursing, JAMA Neurology, and American Journal of the Medical Sciences.
Committed to the mission of academic medicine, Dr. Figueroa devotes extensive time to training medical students in neuroscience topics, critical care nurses, and residents and fellows in neurocritical care. He is the current fellowship director for the Neurocritical Care Fellowship at UT Southwestern.
Meet Dr. Figueroa
Neurocritical Care Specialist in Dallas
As a neurocritical care specialist in UT Southwestern’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit, Stephen Figueroa, M.D., sees patients with acute brain injuries such as status epilepticus, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), intracerebral hemorrhage, and rare conditions such as autoimmune encephalitis, in which the body’s own antibodies attack the brain.
These conditions are extremely serious and often life-threatening. Dr. Figueroa applies his expertise while working with a multidisciplinary team to find the best possible treatments for each patient.
“Neurocritical care is an extremely collaborative service,” he says. “The more eyes on a patient, the better, and care that is brought to the bedside in a truly multidisciplinary way benefits all of our patients.”
Some patients with these injuries can recover, but others will not. It’s important to Dr. Figueroa that he balances the science of medicine with feelings of empathy for his patients and their family members.
“Being able to help families accept when there is likely to be no recovery – or to keep hope alive when there is a possibility – takes a very special disposition. It was that combination of the art of medicine and the personal interactions with patients and their families that drew me to neurocritical care.”
Collaborative Care
A strong component of care in UT Southwestern’s Neuro ICU is a bedside rounding model that brings together physicians, nurses, pharmacists, case managers, nutritionists, respiratory therapists, and medical trainees.
“This way everyone knows the medical status of each patient, and what our goals are for the day,” Dr. Figueroa says. “With everyone present at the same time, we ensure that we are all on the same page.”
Dr. Figueroa’s team even invites the patient’s family members to daily rounds so that they can participate in the bedside discussion of their loved one.
“We are the only center in the Dallas area to invite families to bedside rounds,” he notes. “Those who choose to participate say they greatly appreciate the opportunity to be part of the team and have all of their questions answered. It enables them to know that nothing is hidden from them and that the care their family member is receiving is truly transparent.”
Hope and Perseverance
While the initial outlook for comatose patients with severe brain injuries can look dire, Dr. Figueroa says that one of the things he likes best about neurocritical care is that there are always surprises.
“Doctors sometimes approach a patient who has suffered a severe traumatic brain injury with pessimism,” he says. “But the more patients I see, the more reserved I’ve become in my expectations of how well patients can recover.”
To illustrate, Dr. Figueroa recalls treating a man who was brought to the ICU after hitting his head hard when he fell off his roof.
“It was a severe injury; the early signs were not encouraging,” he says. “But we kept treating him with the best tools and techniques we have to help manage severe traumatic brain injury. After a week, he started waking up and following commands. Ultimately, he went to rehab and now is back at home and functioning close to his baseline prior to the injury.”
Such success stories, even in grievously injured patients, are what keep Dr. Figueroa and his colleagues going.
“We often have patients who are brought back by family members to visit us in the Neuro ICU,” he says. “The patient may not remember us, but it's great for the team when a patient who initially was in poor health comes back looking so good. It helps us keep going everyday.”
Education & Training
Professional Associations & Affiliations
- American Academy of Neurology (2006-2014)
- Neurocritical Care Society (2009-2014)
- Texas Medical Society (2011-2014)
- Society of Critical Care Medicine (2011-2014)
- American Stroke Association (2013)
Honors & Awards
- Hal D. Unwin Neurology Resident Award for Outstanding Clinical Performance 2011
- Roger Rosenberg Outstanding Fellow Award 2012
Books & Publications
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Publications
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Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Guanci MM, Figueroa SA, Brophy GM, Laux C Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2016 Aug 6 3 146-9 -
Increasing Adherence to Brain Trauma Foundation Guidelines for Hospital Care of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.
Saherwala AA, Bader MK, Stutzman SE, Figueroa SA, Ghajar J, Gorman AR, Minhajuddin A, Olson DM Critical care nurse 2018 Feb 38 1 e11-e20 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Figueroa SA, Leary M, Guanci MM, Mathiesen C, Delfin G Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2015 Nov -
The State of Neurocritical Care Fellowship Training and Attitudes toward Accreditation and Certification: A Survey of Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program Directors.
Dhar R, Rajajee V, Finley Caulfield A, Maas MB, James ML, Kumar AB, Figueroa SA, McDonagh D, Ardelt A Frontiers in neurology 2017 8 548 -
Intrathoracic pressure regulation therapy applied to ventilated patients for treatment of compromised cerebral perfusion from brain injury.
Metzger AK, Segal N, Olson DW, Figueroa SA, Sadaka FG, Krause CA, Homuth JR, Burkhart NT, Neumann RT, Lurie KG, Convertino VA Journal of medical case reports 2018 Jun 12 1 178 -
Correlation of Noninvasive Blood Pressure and Invasive Intra-arterial Blood Pressure in Patients Treated with Vasoactive Medications in a Neurocritical Care Unit.
Saherwala AA, Stutzman SE, Osman M, Kalia J, Figueroa SA, Olson DM, Aiyagari V Neurocritical care 2018 Mar -
Objective Pupillometry As an Adjunct to Prediction And Assessment For Oculomotor Nerve Injury And Recovery: Potential for Practical Applications.
Aoun SG, Welch BG, Cortes M, Stutzman SE, MacAllister MC, El Ahmadieh TY, Osman M, Figueroa SA, White MJA, Batjer HH, Olson DM World neurosurgery 2018 Sep -
Automated Pupillometry as a Triage and Assessment Tool in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.
El Ahmadieh TY, Bedros N, Stutzman SE, Nyancho D, Venkatachalam AM, MacAllister M, Ban VS, Dahdaleh NS, Aiyagari V, Figueroa S, White JA, Batjer HH, Bagley CA, Olson DM, Aoun SG, World neurosurgery 2021 Jan 145 e163-e169 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Figueroa SA, Mathiesen C, Blissitt PA, Guanci MM, Hamilton LA, Fox L, Wavra T Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2019 Feb -
Book Review: C. Miller Fisher: Stroke in the 20th Century.
Pineda J, El Ahmadieh TY, Aoun SG, Figueroa S, Neurosurgery 2020 Dec -
Clinical and radiological outcomes following traumatic Grade 1 and 2 vertebral artery injuries: a 10-year retrospective analysis from a Level 1 trauma center.
Scott WW, Sharp S, Figueroa SA, Madden CJ, Rickert KL Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Jun 1-7 -
Emergency and Critical Care Management of Acute Ischaemic Stroke.
Figueroa SA, Zhao W, Aiyagari V CNS drugs 2014 Nov -
Clinical and radiographic outcomes following traumatic Grade 1 and 2 carotid artery injuries: a 10-year retrospective analysis from a Level I trauma center. The Parkland Carotid and Vertebral Artery Injury Survey.
Scott WW, Sharp S, Figueroa SA, Eastman AL, Hatchette CV, Madden CJ, Rickert KL Journal of neurosurgery 2015 Mar 1-6 -
Intractable Central Hyperthermia in the Setting of Brainstem Hemorrhage.
Samudra N, Figueroa S Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2016 Mar -
Association Patterns of Simultaneous Intraventricular and Intraparenchymal Intracranial Pressure Measurements.
Mahdavi ZK, Figueroa SA, Olson DM Neurosurgery 2016 May -
Complication Rates of 3% Hypertonic Saline Infusion Through Peripheral Intravenous Access.
Perez CA, Figueroa SA The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses 2017 Jun 49 3 191-195 -
Education Research: Variation in priorities for neurocritical care education expressed across role groups.
Cohen AS, Izzy S, Kumar MA, Joyce CJ, Figueroa SA, Maas MB, Hall CE, McDonagh DL, Lerner DP, Vespa PM, Shutter LA, Rosenthal ES Neurology 2018 Jun 90 24 1117-1122 -
Married State Preceptorship Model: Crossing the State Line in New Graduate Nurse Transition to Practice.
Figueroa S, Gardner J, Irizarry J, Cohn T Journal of continuing education in nursing 2016 Nov 47 11 511-517 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Figueroa SA, Guanci MM, Blissitt A, Cahoon WD Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2017 Jan -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Baumann JJ, Figueroa SA, Laux C, Guanci MM, Mathiesen C, Livesay SL Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2015 Jun 5 2 110-3 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Wavra T, Laux C, Guanci MM, Figueroa SA, Brophy GM, Kurczewski L, Livesay SL Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2015 Aug -
Review of the comatose patient.
Figueroa SA JAMA neurology 2015 Feb 72 2 242 -
Clinical and radiological outcomes following traumatic Grade 3 and 4 vertebral artery injuries: a 10-year retrospective analysis from a Level I trauma center. The Parkland Carotid and Vertebral Artery Injury Survey.
Scott WW, Sharp S, Figueroa SA, Eastman AL, Hatchette CV, Madden CJ, Rickert KL Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Oct 1-6 -
Global Monitoring in the Neurocritical Care Unit.
Olson DM, Andrew Kofke W, O'Phelan K, Gupta PK, Figueroa SA, Smirnakis SM, Leroux PD, Suarez JI Neurocritical care 2015 Apr -
Clinical and radiographic outcomes following traumatic Grade 3 and 4 carotid artery injuries: a 10-year retrospective analysis from a Level 1 trauma center. The Parkland Carotid and Vertebral Artery Injury Survey.
Scott WW, Sharp S, Figueroa SA, Eastman AL, Hatchette CV, Madden CJ, Rickert KL Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Dec 1-6 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Livesay S, Figueroa SA, Hamilton LA, Cahoon WD, Blissitt PA Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2017 Aug -
Clinical Q & A: Translating therapeutic temperature management from theory to practice.
Bader MK, Guanci MM, Figueroa SA, Leary M, Baumann JJ, Livesay S, Ray TD Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2014 Sep 4 3 145-8 -
Understanding the Relationship Between the Neurologic Pupil Index and Constriction Velocity Values.
Shoyombo I, Aiyagari V, Stutzman SE, Atem F, Hill M, Figueroa SA, Miller C, Howard A, Olson DM Scientific reports 2018 May 8 1 6992 -
Nursing collaboration: a key element in debunking neurocritical care myths.
Olson DM, Figueroa SA Current opinion in critical care 2014 Feb -
Advances in Cerebral Monitoring for the Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury.
Mahdavi Z, Pierre-Louis N, Ho TT, Figueroa SA, Olson DM Critical care nursing clinics of North America 2015 Jun 27 2 213-223 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Cahoon WD, Figueroa SA, Wavra T, Guanci MM, Mathiesen C, Hamilton LA Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2017 Jun 7 2 111-115 -
Bupropion Overdose as a Clinically Significant Confounder of the Neurological Examination
Reyes R, Figueroa SA Journal of Neurocritical Care 2021 2 13 109-114 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Figueroa SA, Cahoon WD, Blissitt PA, Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2019 Nov -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Livesay SL, Severson AJ, Hamilton LA, Figueroa SA, Cahoon WD, Blissitt PA, Wavra T, Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2020 Dec 10 4 248-253 -
Famous first papers for the neurointensivist.
Figueroa SA JAMA neurology 2013 Apr 70 4 525-6 -
Utility of thromboelastography in traumatic brain injury and the neuroscience intensive care unit.
Figueroa SA, Merriman-Noesges K The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses 2014 Apr 46 2 66-70 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Laux C, Guanci MM, Figueroa SA, Francis KE, Livesay SL, Mathiesen C Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2016 Mar 6 1 52-6 -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Bader MK, Cahoon WD, Figueroa SA, Laux C, Kurczewski L, Wavra T, Mathiesen C, Livesay SL Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2016 May -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Figueroa SA, Blissitt PA, Livesay S, Wavra T, Guanci MM Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2017 Oct -
Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Kay Bader M, Figueroa SA, Wavra T, Livesay SL, Cahoon WD, Hamilton LA Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management 2018 Nov
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Clinical Q & A: Translating Therapeutic Temperature Management from Theory to Practice.
Research
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Predicting Traumatic Coma Emergence with DTI and fMRI
- Medical Education & Simulation
- Intracranial Monitoring
- Coagulation Disorders in Acute Neurologic Injury
Clinical Focus
- Neuro-Critical Care
Q&A by Dr. Figueroa
Results: 1 Locations