Dr. Buchanan is one of a few physicians in the US who is is a board certified specialist in both psychiatry and neurological surgery. Trained in neurosurgery, including those for disorders of the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves, he is also a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 to the group which advises the Catholic church on bioethical issues. At the University of Texas Image Guided Transcranial Laboratory, Dr. Buchanan studies brain function and explores treatments for epilepsy, psychiatric disease, and movement disorders.