Here are the surgeons leading the orthopedic departments for U.S. News & World Report‘s top five hospitals for neurosurgery and neurology in 2025-26.
1. NYU Langone Hospitals (New York City): John Golfinos, MD, is the chair of neurosurgery and co-director of the brain and spine tumor center. He has dedicated a significant part of his career to researching neurofibromatosis type 2.
2. UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco): Edward Chang, MD, is chair of the neurological department. He specializes in advanced brain mapping methods and has extensive experience with implantable stimulation devices.
3. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell (New York City): E. Sander Connolly, MD, and Philip Stieg, MD, PhD, are neurosurgeons-in-chief. Dr. Connolly’s special interests include brain aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations. Dr. Stieg is known for his work with cerebrovascular disorders and skull base surgery.
4. Mayo Clinic-Rochester (Rochester, Minn.): Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD, was named Mayo Clinic’s neurosurgery chair in 2024. She previously held a similar role at the University of Toronto in Canada, and her practice focuses on skull-base and neuro-oncology.
5. Rush University Medical Center (Chicago): Vincent Traynelis, MD, is interim chair of neurosurgery at Rush, and he is director of the spinal neurosurgery fellowship. His research focuses on surgery in the cervical spine and craniovertebral junction.
