Member Spotlight

July 2026

Sarah Bick, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

​NANS member since 2022

NANS members can find me on LinkedIn​
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​Dr. Sarah Bick specializes in functional neurosurgery, with expertise in the treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, facial pain, and psychiatric conditions. She is particularly drawn to the field for its ability to deliver meaningful, lasting improvements in patients’ daily function, combining deep knowledge of neural circuits with transformative clinical care. Dr. Bick is also engaged in research, using clinical insights and data to better understand neurological disorders and advance future patient care. Her interest in neuromodulation developed early, inspired by the potential of these therapies to address complex conditions and reinforced through clinical experience observing significant patient improvements.
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A NANS member since 2022, Dr. Bick contributes to the neuromodulation community as a NANS 2026 Faculty Member, reflecting her commitment to education, innovation, and advancing the field.

​Areas of expertise:
Functional neurosurgery, including the surgical treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, facial pain, and psychiatric disorders. 
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Why I enjoy what I do:
Functional neurosurgery is very rewarding because we have the opportunity to make a long-lasting dramatic improvement in patients’ quality of life and ability to function. Being able to improve disabling tremor or refractory pain is very gratifying. I also love that our field merges understanding of neuroscience and neural circuits with treating patients. It is exciting to see advances in the field expanding the range of patients we can treat. I also participate in research and enjoy being able to use data and experience from patients to try to better understand the disorders we treat and improve the care of future patients. 
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How I became interested in neuromodulation:  
My interest in neuromodulation led me to a career in neurosurgery. In college I read about deep brain stimulation for depression in one of my classes and was fascinated by this neuromodulation approach to psychiatric disorders that merged my interest in neural circuits and psychiatry. In medical school, I was able to observe this same approach applied to movement disorders and was impressed by the dramatic improvement in patients’ symptoms.  

The best thing about NANS:
The best thing about NANS is the community it fosters. It facilitates multidisciplinary collaborations between a wide range of disciplines all working to improve neuromodulation. 
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Words to live by:
“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them” ​

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