Our dear colleague, mentor, and friend, Dr. Apostolos John Tsiouris, Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Professor of Clinical Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 53 on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in New York City, surrounded by his family. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. Our hearts are with John’s wife, Justine Schiro, his 2 daughters, and his loving family.
Apostolos John Tsiouris, MD.
Dr. Tsiouris was born on January 12, 1972, in Greece and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1993. He then attended medical school at Weill Cornell Medical College, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha in 1997. He stayed at Weill Cornell for the remainder of his illustrious and prolific career, completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and his fellowship in neuroradiology at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, and subsequently stayed on as faculty.
Dr. Tsiouris made outstanding contributions across all academic missions. He was regarded by colleagues and referring physicians alike as the “gold standard” in clinical excellence. Neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and neurosurgeons would often seek him out specifically to opine on complex, challenging cases with subtle findings. Multidisciplinary conferences led by Dr. Tsiouris would consistently draw large audiences of neuroradiology fellows, medical students, and faculty and trainees across all specialties, with many attending truly just to hear him speak and educate (in some instances, even while on vacation). His dedication to clinical service was exemplified during the height of the COVID pandemic in New York City, when he made sure to remain present in the reading room and available to his colleagues, exemplifying the importance of the neuroradiologist in patient care.
Dr. Tsiouris made numerous important contributions to research in neuroradiology. He was a co-investigator on federal-, foundation-, and industry-funded grants and published well over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts on topics ranging from traumatic brain injury to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to stroke. He served as a research mentor to generations of medical students, radiology residents and fellows, and trainees from other subspecialties.
While his contributions to clinical excellence and research are numerous, Dr. Tsiouris will be most cherished and remembered for his exceptional gift as an educator. His enthusiasm has always been so infectious, so palpable, so inspiring, that entire classes of radiology residents at Weill Cornell were inspired to go into neuroradiology (and stay for fellowship and beyond) because of him. He received many prestigious and competitive teaching awards, notably not only from the Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Radiology but also from the Departments of Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology. He has been instrumental to the Neuroradiology Fellowship Curriculum at Weill Cornell, giving numerous lectures per year on a vast array of topics. Remarkably, in the past year, Dr. Tsiouris was the inaugural recipient and namesake of the A. John Tsiouris Award for Excellence in Neuroradiology Fellowship Teaching: Neuroradiology Teacher of the Year. He further served for many years as the Director of the Neuroradiology Medical Student Elective and made key contributions to the neurosurgery residency curriculum at Weill Cornell. On a national level, Dr. Tsiouris’ diligence and excellence in his service to the American Board of Radiology and American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) has been critical in the development of the American Board of Radiology’s core, certifying, and subspecialty examinations. A highly sought-after national and international lecturer, he has been an invited speaker at the ASNR and Radiological Society of North America, as well as internationally, for many years, covering a wide variety of topics from MR spectroscopy to neuroanatomy and aneurysm imaging. Dr. Tsiouris exemplified excellence and leadership in neuroradiology education in his dedication to mentoring. Throughout his career, he mentored and sponsored numerous residents and fellows, many of whom have become highly accomplished ASNR leaders.
A recent, exceptionally well-deserved highlight of his career as an educator was that Dr. Tsiouris was named the recipient of the ASNR 2025 Outstanding Contributions in Neuroradiology Education Award. An unprecedented number of mentees and peers from across the United States and beyond wrote a total of 24 recommendation letters. A common theme running through all these letters was the important role Dr. Tsiouris has played in so many careers. Dr. Tsiouris will be greatly missed by all those whose lives he touched within his professional sphere and his loyal community of friends. His legacy will live on in the generations of neuroradiologists who were fortunate to train with him and the lasting impact they create for patients, colleagues, mentees, and the scientific community.
- © 2025 by American Journal of Neuroradiology
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