Department of Surgery

Administrative Assistant: Teresa Nicolau
Phone: 416-480-6820
Email: teresa.nicolau@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• MD, 1989, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Fellowship, 2004–2005, cerebrovascular surgery, University of Toronto, Canada
• Fellowship, 2005–2006, complex spine surgery, U of T, Canada
• Fellowship, 2006–2008, interventional neuroradiology, U of T, Canada
• M.Sc., 2013, cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity, U of T, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Affiliate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Staff neurosurgeon, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Staff interventional neuroradiologist, Sunnybrook 
• Assistant professor, departments of surgery, and medical imaging, U of T
• Centre for Neurovascular Intervention, Sunnybrook

Research Foci:

• Cerebral blood flow regulation
• Traumatic brain injury
• Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and vasospasm

Research Summary:

Dr. da Costa's research is focused on the development of advanced imaging methods to detect changes in cerebral blood flow that might occur after traumatic injury or vascular events such as stroke. Using innovative approaches and technology, Dr. da Costa searches for ways to identify patients at risk for secondary injury after trauma and intracranial aneurysm rupture. He is also looking for new ways to diagnose or monitor patient progress, recovery and treatment after these injuries.

Imaging methods developed with these goals in mind can also help identify patients with severe atherosclerotic disease that are at higher risk of cerebral ischemia and help guide management of traumatic brain injury, including concussion.

Dr. da Costa has used high-resolution 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI sequences to assess the ability of the brain microcirculation to respond to stress. This innovative approach can lead to a better understanding of important issues related to concussion and brain injury. He recently received funding from the National Football League for his research on brain injury.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Da Costa L, Fierstra J, Fisher JA, Mikulis DJ, Han JS, Tymianski M. BOLD MRI and early impairment of cerebrovascular reserve after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2013 Nov 15. In press.
2. Da Costa L, Houlden D, Rubenfeld G, Tymianski M, Fisher J, Fierstra J. Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity in the early phase of subarachnoid hemorrhage in good grade patients does not predict vasospasm. Acta Neurochirurgica. 2013 Aug 13. In press.
3. Da Costa L, Fierstra J, Fisher JA, Mikulis DJ, Han JS, Tymianski M. Early identification of brain tissue at risk for delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Acta Neurochirurgica. 2013 Aug 12. In Press.
4. Engels PT, Beckett AN, Rubenfeld GD, Kreder H, Finkelstein JA, da Costa L, Papia G, Rizoli SB, Tien HC. Physical rehabilitation of the critically ill trauma patient in the ICU. Crit Care Med. 2013 Jul;41(7):1790–1801.
5. Cunha MV, Al-Omair A, Atenafu EG, Masucci GL, Letourneau D, Korol R, Yu E, Howard P, Lochray F, da Costa L, Fehlings M, Sahgal A. Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) after spine stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT): analysis of predictive factors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Nov 1;84(3):e343–349.

Related News and Stories:

• Mild brain injury? That's a misnomer: Yes, there are degrees of severity when the brain is hurt, but concussions can have life-altering repercussions (SRI Magazine, 2017)
• Neurosurgeon wins brain research award: Dr. Leodante da Costa receives funding from GE and NFL's "Head Health Challenge" (Jan. 23, 2014)
• Emergency delivery (The Globe and Mail, Oct. 24, 2013) 
• Tool Kit: RespirAct (Nexus, Spring 2010)