Dr. Telkes is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Prior to this role, Dr. Telkes served as an Assistant Professor at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where she also held an affiliate faculty position in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, and the Center for SMART Health.
Dr. Telkes is an engineer-scientist who was awarded the prestigious NIH K99/R00 grant to investigate the EEG signatures of spinal cord stimulation in patients with chronic pain. Dr. Telkes's research focuses on understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of chronic pain, identifying quantified neural signatures of pain relief, and developing computational tools for clinical applications. She is dedicated to developing new technologies to enhance treatment outcomes for patients with neuromodulation implants, including deep brain stimulation and spinal cord stimulation.
Additionally, Dr. Telkes served as the Principal Investigator on an FAU COECS/I-SENSE SEED grant, leading her team in exploring the functional utility of multimodal sensing signals in adults with Alzheimer’s disease and chronic pain. As a Co-Investigator, she also contributed to a HEAL Initiative study, where an interdisciplinary team investigated the application of a high-resolution SCS paddle and spinal motor mapping in patients undergoing SCS therapy.
For her contributions to the field, Dr. Telkes has been honored with the 2023 Neurosurgery Pain Paper of the Year Award, the 2023 North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Krishna Kumar Young Investigator Award, and the 2021 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Ronald R. Tasker Young Investigator Award. Dr. Telkes remains actively engaged in professional organizations, including her service on multiple committees for NANS and the NYC Neuromodulation Conference, as well as her editorial board roles for various journals.
Identifying neural markers of chronic pain
Development of novel methods for analyzing biomedical signals to map neural/spinal circuits in chronic pain and assess the impact of neuromodulation therapies (e.g., spinal cord stimulation, deep brain stimulation)
Exploring neurophysiological changes in response to neuromodulation interventions to improve efficacy and predict patient outcomes
Investigating the development of personalized neuromodulation approaches