About Dr. Timothy Vogel

Dr. Timothy Vogel is a board-certified pediatric neurosurgeon who serves as the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and is the founder of Pediatric Neurosurgeons of New Jersey. He is known for his work in pediatric craniofacial surgery, minimally invasive craniosynostosis surgery, brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, and congenital malformations. His leadership was highlighted by his performing the first successful surgery in the world for a baby born with exencephaly. This case demonstrated the value of careful planning and team coordination.

As a leading craniofacial surgeon in the Northeast, Dr. Vogel continues to advance craniofacial surgery in Northern New Jersey. He established the comprehensive craniofacial center at Hackensack University Medical Center, which earned national accreditation from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. His team evaluates and manages complex craniofacial concerns within a multidisciplinary framework that brings several specialties together to provide consistent care.

Advancing Brain Tumor Treatment in Children

He served as co-chair of the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation Gala and is recognized as a leading expert in pediatric brain tumors in New Jersey. Using minimally invasive approaches, he treats rare and life-threatening brain and spine tumors in children from across the Northeast. Many families seek his expertise because of the clinical trials he helped establish and the programs he developed that give patients access to new treatment options. He also contributed to the founding of New Jersey’s first pediatric neuro-oncology laboratory dedicated to the study of rare brain tumors.

His academic work includes multiple publications and several patents. His background as a developmental neuroscientist includes research on CNS genetics and forebrain development. He has been consistently recognized by peers across the New York and New Jersey region as one of the top pediatric neurosurgeons, reflecting both his clinical and academic accomplishments.

Building an Academic Career

Throughout his academic journey, Timothy Vogel, MD, has held several important roles. His academic career began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the #1 pediatric hospital in the United States. There, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, and the Division of Developmental Biology. His work included clinical practice, research, and the training of students and residents.

At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Timothy also served as training faculty and mentor for the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute and for the Graduate Program in Molecular and Developmental Biology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. His early research on craniosynostosis played a key role in shaping his clinical approach, and patients from more than 15 states continue to seek his minimally invasive endoscopic surgery for this condition.

Expanding Research and Clinical Collaboration

During his time in Cincinnati, Dr. Timothy Vogel joined the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School as a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Dermatology. His contributions supported research at the intersection of photomedicine and neuroscience, adding another dimension to his academic experience.

He later became the Director of Pediatric and Craniofacial Neurosurgery at the New Jersey Brain and Spine Center in Hackensack. In this position, he helped expand multidisciplinary care programs for children with complex neurosurgical and craniofacial needs.

Dr. Vogel moved on to serve as the Scientific Director and Principal Investigator of the Pediatric Neuro-oncology Lab at the Center for Discovery and Innovation CDI at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University in Nutley, New Jersey. Before assuming this role, he served as an Associate Member and Faculty Member at the CDI, where he contributed to pediatric neuro-oncology research.

Continuing Impact Through Clinical Leadership

Dr. Timothy Vogel later became the Director of the Comprehensive Craniofacial Clinic at Hackensack in collaboration with Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center. Today, he continues to serve as the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, guiding programs that help children across the region receive coordinated neurosurgical and craniofacial care.

He completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, earning his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Chemistry, followed by medical school at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Vogel completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he served as Chief Resident. He then completed an advanced fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University, and a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis.