The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine named Allan Levi, MD, chair of the neurological surgery department.
"He is the ultimate surgeon-scholar," said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, MD, senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School of Medicine and CEO of UHealth. "I know that with Allan at the helm, the Department of Neurological Surgery will continue to grow exponentially and deliver world-class performance at every level."
Here are five things to know about Dr. Levi:
1. He has served as director of the neurosurgical spine fellowship program and co-director of the acute spinal cord injury unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital since 1998. He has helped train 50 external fellows and 15 infolded fellows. He was promoted to chief of neurosurgery at the University of Miami Hospital in 2007.
"It was no surprise when Allan assumed a leadership role in national neurosurgical education as director of the official board examination preparation course for all residents across our nation," said outgoing chair Bart Green, MD. "Truly a renaissance man, Allan is an athlete who competes in marathons and triathlons and has led our departmental team of residents, fellows and faculty to national championships in sports as well as academics. He has contributed in a major way to our top 10 NIH ranking among the more than 100 neurosurgical residency training programs. His graduate school mentor, the world famous Richard Bunge, and Miami Project senior scientist Mary Bunge predicted Allan’s future as he excelled in so many ways, in each case achieving his goals with the highest level of integrity and professionalism."
2. Dr. Levi is one of the lead researchers at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. In 2012 he received the Robert M. Buck Distinguished Chair in Neurological Surgery.
"Dr. Levi has been an integral part of The Miami Project and our neurosurgery family for decades, and he is leading many of our cutting edge FDA-approved clinical trials"” said Marc Buoniconti, President of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. "I cannot think of a person better qualified to step into the role pioneered by Dr. Barth Green, who saved my life and those of countless others. The department is in great hands moving forward."
3. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ottawa and completed his residency at the University of Toronto. His additional training includes a fellowship at the University of Toronto and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
4. Dr. Levi has a special interest in novel treatments in the neurological surgery field and focuses on improving the lives of patients with spinal cord injuries.
5. In addition to his clinical practice, he has led FDA-approved clinical trials and conducted research in the field.
"Allan's research enables him to bring exciting findings from the laboratory to the clinical arena," Dr. Goldschmidt said. "His work with the human Schwann cell as a biological tool to help repair a severed spinal cord exemplifies this type of translational approach. In the past eight years, he has had the opportunity to bring basic science findings in cellular transplantation and neuroprotection discovered in our laboratories to patients with spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries."