Neurosurgery continues to advance through innovations in brain tumor treatment, cerebrovascular care, spine surgery, functional neurosurgery and minimally invasive techniques. Across the country, a select group of neurosurgeons is helping shape the field through clinical excellence, groundbreaking research, leadership and education.
The following 15 neurosurgeons stand out for their expertise, influence and contributions to advancing neurological care.
Editor’s note: This is not a comprehensive or ranked list. Becker’s does not endorse any individual featured. To nominate a physician for a future list, please contact Sophie Eydis at seydis@beckershealthcare.com.
- Shelly Timmons, MD, PhD. Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee): Dr. Timmons is chair of neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a neurosurgeon and neurocritical care specialist with expertise in neurotrauma, spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve surgery. Widely recognized for her work in both the surgical and medical management of complex neurologic injuries, she has helped advance approaches to functional restoration and recovery for patients with traumatic and disabling neurologic conditions.
A respected leader in academic neurosurgery, Dr. Timmons has served as a residency program director, department chair and assistant dean, while also contributing extensively to neurosurgical research, education and advocacy. She has authored numerous scientific publications, participated in major clinical research initiatives and held leadership roles in national and international neurosurgical organizations dedicated to advancing patient care, training and innovation.
- Bradley Wallace, MD, PhD. Baptist Medical Center (Jacksonville, Fla.): Dr. Wallace is chief of neurosurgery at Baptist Medical Center and a neurosurgeon specializing in movement disorders, functional neurosurgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. His clinical expertise includes deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, as well as the treatment of degenerative spine conditions, lumbar disc herniation, neck pain and back pain.
Trained in both neuroscience and neurosurgery, Dr. Wallace earned a doctorate in neuroscience in France and completed fellowship training in functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. He is recognized as one of the early adopters of robotic-assisted deep brain stimulation in the U.S. and is widely respected for advancing minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques while maintaining a patient-centered approach to complex neurological and spinal disorders.
- Stacey Wolfe, MD. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (Winston-Salem, N.C.): Dr. Wolfe is a neurosurgeon specializing in cerebrovascular, endovascular and skull base neurosurgery, with expertise in stroke, brain hemorrhage, neurotrauma and complex vascular disorders of the brain. She serves as director of neurointerventional surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and has built a nationally recognized research program focused on hemorrhagic stroke, neuroinflammation and the genetic mechanisms underlying cerebral arteriovenous malformations.
A retired U.S. Navy veteran, Dr. Wolfe has led multiple National Institutes of Health-funded stroke and brain hemorrhage clinical trials and serves as co-principal investigator of NIH StrokeNet at Wake Forest Baptist. She is widely respected for her leadership in neurosurgical education and organized medicine, having served on the boards of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and Society of Neurological Surgeons, as well as chair of Women in Neurosurgery.
- Ahmed Raslan, MD. Oregon Health & Science University (Portland): Dr. Raslan is chair of neurological surgery at Oregon Health & Science University and the Raaf Professor of Neurological Surgery. An internationally recognized functional neurosurgeon, he specializes in epilepsy surgery, awake brain mapping, movement disorders, hydrocephalus and surgical treatments for chronic and cancer-related pain, including trigeminal neuralgia.
As head of OHSU’s Division of Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Dr. Raslan is also a leading researcher in cerebral cortical physiology, cognitive decoding and next-generation neural interfaces for the brain and spinal cord. His work focuses on advancing understanding of memory, language, pain processing and brain function, while helping drive innovation in functional neurosurgery, neuromodulation and surgical neuroscience.
- Theodore Schwartz, MD. Mount Sinai Health System (New York City): Dr. Schwartz is a world-renowned neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery for brain, pituitary and skull base tumors. A professor of neurosurgery at Mount Sinai, he is widely recognized for advancing endoscopic and minimally invasive approaches to complex brain tumors, while also maintaining expertise in epilepsy surgery and surgical neuro-oncology.
Formerly the David and Ursel Barnes Professor in Minimally Invasive Surgery at New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Schwartz has led major clinical and research programs in skull base surgery, pituitary disorders and epilepsy. A National Institutes of Health-funded investigator, he has authored numerous scientific publications and textbooks, co-written several books on minimally invasive brain surgery and remains a leading voice in neurosurgical innovation, education and public engagement. His 2024 book, Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, was recognized by The Economist as one of the year’s best books.
- Ziya Gokaslan, MD. Brown University Health (Providence, R.I.): Dr. Gokaslan is chair of neurosurgery at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, chief of neurosurgery at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, and clinical director of the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute. An internationally recognized spine neurosurgeon, he specializes in complex spinal reconstruction and the treatment of primary and metastatic spinal tumors, spinal cord tumors and sacral neoplasms.
Formerly vice chair of neurosurgery and director of the neurosurgical spine program at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Gokaslan is widely respected for advancing complex spine oncology and spinal deformity surgery. He also leads Brown’s Complex Spinal Surgery Fellowship and has earned national recognition for his contributions to spine surgery, research and education.
- Jacques Morcos, MD. UTHealth Houston: Dr. Morcos is professor and chair of neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and director of cerebrovascular and skull base neurosurgery. An internationally renowned neurosurgeon, he specializes in complex cerebrovascular disorders, including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, moyamoya disease and cerebral ischemia, as well as skull base tumors and minimally invasive endoscopic approaches.
Formerly co-chair of neurosurgery at the University of Miami, Dr. Morcos has trained dozens of cerebrovascular and skull base fellows and helped lead major research initiatives in aneurysm surveillance, cerebral bypass surgery and skull base techniques. A past president of the AANS and a leader in multiple international neurosurgical organizations, he is widely respected for advancing cerebrovascular and skull base neurosurgery through clinical innovation, research and education.
- Nader Sanai, MD. Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix): Dr. Sanai is the Francis & Dionne Najafi Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute and one of the nation’s leading brain tumor surgeons. An internationally recognized expert in neuro-oncology, he specializes in the treatment of benign and malignant brain tumors, particularly those located in eloquent areas of the brain, and is known for his expertise in intraoperative brain mapping techniques that help preserve critical neurologic function.
Dr. Sanai also directs brain tumor research at Barrow and founded the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, a globally recognized drug development program focused on accelerating new therapies for patients with brain cancer. A principal investigator on multiple NIH- and National Cancer Institute-funded studies, he has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and is widely respected for advancing brain tumor surgery, precision medicine and clinical trial innovation in neuro-oncology.
- Lissa Baird, MD. Boston Children’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston): Dr. Baird is director of neurosurgical oncology in the Department of Neurosurgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and a nationally recognized pediatric neurosurgeon specializing in brain and spinal cord tumors, cerebrovascular malformations and skull base surgery. She is particularly known for her expertise in neuro-endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques used to treat pediatric brain tumors, hydrocephalus and other complex neurological conditions.
Previously chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Dr. Baird has dedicated her research to pediatric neuro-oncology and outcomes for children with brain tumors. She has contributed to national clinical practice guidelines, serves on the Executive Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is widely respected for advancing pediatric neurosurgical oncology through clinical care, research and national leadership.
- Manish Aghi, MD, PhD. UCSF Health (San Francisco): Dr. Aghi is a neurosurgical oncologist at UCSF Health and principal investigator at the UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center. He specializes in the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, including glioblastomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, meningiomas and pituitary tumors.
An internationally recognized brain tumor researcher, Dr. Aghi’s work focuses on glioblastoma biology, tumor angiogenesis, resistance to anti-angiogenic therapies and novel treatments such as oncolytic viruses. He has received multiple national honors from the AANS and Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is widely respected for advancing translational neuro-oncology research and innovative therapies for patients with brain cancer.
- Howard Riina, MD. NYU Langone Health (New York City): Dr. Riina is vice chair of clinical affairs in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Langone Health and director of clinical innovation. A nationally recognized cerebrovascular neurosurgeon, he specializes in the surgical and endovascular treatment of stroke, brain aneurysms, carotid artery disease and vascular malformations of the brain and spinal cord.
Performing more than 400 cerebrovascular procedures annually, Dr. Riina is widely respected for advancing minimally invasive neurovascular therapies and developing novel devices for the treatment of complex cerebrovascular disorders. He also serves as chair of the credentialing endovascular surgery advisory committee and a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, helping shape standards for neurosurgical training and practice nationwide.
- Sandi Lam, MD. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago: Dr. Lam is division head of neurosurgery at Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Yeager Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. A nationally recognized pediatric neurosurgeon, she specializes in pediatric cerebrovascular surgery, epilepsy surgery and craniofacial neurosurgery, with particular expertise in minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques.
An internationally respected researcher and educator, Dr. Lam has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications examining clinical outcomes, healthcare access and quality in pediatric neurosurgery. She also has extensive experience in global neurosurgery initiatives and serves on the editorial board of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, helping advance pediatric neurosurgical care, research and education worldwide.
- Edjah Nduom, MD. Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute (Atlanta): Dr. Nduom is a neurosurgical oncologist and professor of neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine who specializes in the surgical treatment of brain and spinal cord tumors. He is particularly recognized for his expertise in removing malignant tumors located in eloquent regions of the brain, the brainstem and spinal cord while preserving neurologic function.
As leader of the Brain Tumor Disease Team at Winship Cancer Institute, Dr. Nduom directs multidisciplinary efforts to advance brain tumor care, research and clinical trials. His research focuses on harnessing the immune system to treat malignant brain tumors, and he is widely respected for his contributions to neuro-oncology, cancer immunotherapy and global brain tumor advocacy through leadership roles with the Society for Neuro-Oncology, National Brain Tumor Society and other national organizations.
- Jennifer Moliterno, MD. Yale New Haven Health/Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, Conn.): Dr. Moliterno is chief of neurosurgical oncology at Yale and co-director of the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center. A neurosurgical oncologist, she specializes in the treatment of primary brain tumors, including gliomas, meningiomas and acoustic neuromas, and is recognized for her expertise in awake craniotomy, functional brain mapping and complex skull base surgery.
One of the highest-volume brain tumor surgeons in Connecticut, Dr. Moliterno also directs Yale’s Multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Board, Precision Brain Tumor Board and Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship Program. Her research focuses on the genomic drivers of brain tumors and their clinical applications, helping advance precision medicine approaches in neuro-oncology.
- Nader Pouratian, MD, PhD. UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas): Dr. Pouratian is chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a nationally recognized leader in functional neurosurgery. He specializes in procedures that preserve and restore neurologic function, including surgery for movement disorders, psychiatric conditions and peripheral nerve injuries, with expertise in advanced brain mapping and neuromodulation techniques.
A leading researcher in functional brain imaging and surgical targeting, Dr. Pouratian focuses on developing innovative therapies that improve quality of life for patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders. He has authored numerous scientific publications and serves in leadership roles with organizations including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, helping advance the field of functional neurosurgery and neurotechnology.
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