Title(s)
- Director, UPMC Headache Center
- Chief, Headache Division
- Assistant Program Director, Neurology Residency Training Program
- Assistant Program Director, Headache Fellowship Program
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Kaniecki is Founder and Director of the UPMC Headache Center which has developed into one of the most active clinical headache programs in the country. For nearly 35 years, he has worked as a renowned clinician-educator in the field of headache medicine, and as a researcher, has published extensively. His teaching skills have been recognized through multiple awards. For over a decade he has been annually named a “Top Doc” by the Pittsburgh Magazine, and he has received the prestigious Healthcare Provider of the Year from the National Headache Foundation.
Education & Training
- MD, Washington University School of Medicine, Medicine
Specialized Areas of Clinical, Research and/or Educational Interests
- Clinical: Migraine treatment (Acute and preventive management) and triggers; Tension-type headache
Board Certifications
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology: Neurology
- United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties: Headache Medicine
Professional Organization Membership
- American Academy of Neurology
- American Headache Society
- International Headache Society
- National Headache Foundation
Honors & Awards
- National Headache Foundation Healthcare Provider of the Year Pittsburgh Magazine “Best Doctor” Award
- UPMC Excellence in Patient Experience Award
- Department of Neurology Excellence in Teaching Award
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award
Selected Publications
Kaniecki R. What kinds of things trigger my headaches? In Dialogs with Headache Patients. Green M, Kaniecki R (eds.). Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2022: 18-25.
Green M, Kaniecki R (eds.). Dialogs with Headache Patients. Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2022: 1-322.
Kaniecki R. Migraine with brainstem aura. Handb Clin Neurol. 2024;199:367-380. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-823357-3.00010-0. PMID: 38307651.
Ashina S, Jensen R, Kaniecki R. Tension-type Headache. In Headache and Facial Pain Medicine. Ashina S (ed.) McGraw Hill LLC 2025; 81-86
Trenz M, Kaniecki R. Approach to the Patient with Chronic and Recurrent Headache. In Practical Neurology (Sixth Edition). Biller J (ed.) Wolters Kluwer 2027:268-280.
