Neurological Surgery Residency Lectureships

Our residency program is enriched by didactic teaching from the program’s distinguished faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition, the department frequently hosts visiting neurosurgeon from other prominent programs in the United States and around the world. The department has five distinct annual endowed visiting professorships that enhance our program, which include the following:

This annual multi-day workshop has been taking place over 30 years, and honors the late Dr. George Ehni, a leading neurosurgical pioneer and scholar who founded the Baylor College of Medicine neurosurgery residency program and led it for over three decades. This visiting professorship combines a series of lectures with a hands-on workshop with microsurgical cadaver dissections in the Baylor anatomy lab. Ehni Lecturers have included:

• Duke Samson, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• Theodore Schwartz, M.D., David and Ursel Barnes, Professor of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Harry Van Loveren, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine
• Evandro de Oliveira, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, State University of Campinas
• Thomas P. Naidich, M.D., F.A.C.R., Director of Neuroradiology, Vice-Chair of Radiology for Academic Affairs, Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, Irving and Dorothy Regenstreif Research Professor of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• Ugur Ture, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Yeditepe University School of Medicine
• Robert J. Spinner, Burton M. Onofrio, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Anatomy, Mayo Clinic of Rochester
• Ricardo Hanel, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Cerebrovascular and Stroke Program, Baptist Health System of Jacksonville
• Albert E. Telfeian, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spine Surgery, Brown University
• Michael Lawton, M.D., President and CEO, Professor and Chair, Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute
• Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine Chief, Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery Division, Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers, Director, Neurosurgical Training and Innovation Center — NeuroTrain Center Stanford University Medical Center
• Ian Dunn, M.D., FACS, FAANS, Harry Wilkins, M.D. Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

Named to honor Dr. Philip Gildenberg, a pioneering leader in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, past president of the World Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and emeritus clinical professor of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, this lecture annually hosts a leader in the field of functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. Gildenberg lecturers have included:

• Matthew Howard III, M.D., professor and chairman for the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa
• Andres Lozano, M.D., Ph.D., Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery, Ron Tasker Chair in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University of Toronto
• Alim-Louis Benabid, M.D., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery, Institut Universitaire de France
• Kim Burchiel, M.D., F.A.C.S., John Raaf Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University
• David W. Roberts, M.D., Section Chief of Neurosurgery, Professor of Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
• G. Rees Cosgrove, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., Professor of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University
• Tipu Z. Aziz, Ph.D., F.Med.Sci., Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Oxford
• Philip A. Starr, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Dolores Cakebread Chair in Neurosurgery, University of California- San Francisco
• Edward F. Chang, M.D., Associate Professor in Residence of Neurological Surgery and Physiology, Co-Director, Center for Neural Engineering at UC Berkeley and San Francisco, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
• Aviva Abosch, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, University of Colorado
• Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D.
• Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D., Cleveland Clinic
• Nader Pouratian, M.D. Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Julie Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., Chair Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics Professor of Neurosurgery, Albany Medical College
• Matthew Howard III, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa 

The Leavens Lecture honors Dr. Milam Leavens, the founding chief of neurosurgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a mentor to generations of Baylor College of Medicine neurosurgery residents. This lecture features a distinguished leader in neurosurgical-oncology. Leavens Lecturers have included:

• Keith L. Black, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurosurgery Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute Director, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Brain Tumor Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Edward Oldfield, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery and Internal Medicine, Director of Neuro-Endocrinology, University of Virginia School of Medicine
• David G. Kline, M.D., Boyd Professor of Neurosurgery, Professor and Department Chair Emeritus, Louisiana State University University Health and Science Center of New Orleans School of Medicine
• Mitchel Berger, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.N.S., Berthold and Belle N. Guggenhime Professor, Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery School of Medicine, Director of the Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California at San Francisco
• Manfred Westphal, M.D., Professor, Director of Neurosurgery, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
• Henry Brem, M.D., Harvey Cushing Professor, Director, Department of Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• James T. Rutka, OC, O Ont, M.D., Ph.D., FRCSC, FRSC, FACS, FAANS was the guest speaker at the 23rd Annual Milam Leavens Distinguished Lectureship on Jan. 18, 2019. Dr. Rutka, R.S. McLaughlin Professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto

This lecture honors Dr. Raymond Sawaya and his 10 years of service as Department of Neurosurgery chair at Baylor College of Medicine. Following his tenure in 2015, the Raymond Sawaya Inaugural Lectureship was instituted, hosting distinguished alumnus, Dr. Ziya Gokaslan, as the honored guest speaker.

• Ziya Gokaslan, M.D., Donlin M. Long Professor of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, Distinguished Alumnus of the Baylor Neurosurgery Residency Program, Class of ‘93
• Jacques J. Morcos, M.D., F.R.C.S., F.A.A.N.S., Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology Director, Cerebrovascular Surgery Director, Skull Base, Pituitary and Endoscopic Tumor Surgery Director, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Anil Nanda, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport
• Robert E. Harbaugh, M.D., F.A.A.N.S, F.A.C.S., F.A.H.A., PennState Health
• Raj Narayan, M.D., Chairman Emeritus, Professor of Neurosurgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
• John Golfinos, M.D., NYU Langone Health
• Laligam N. Sekhar, M.D., F.A.C.S.,F.A.A.N.S., University of Washington, William Joseph Leedom and Bennett Bigelow & Leedom Endowed Professorship, Vice-Chairman and Professor of Neurological Surgery
• Steven Kalkanis, M.D., CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) and Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Henry Ford Health System
• Fady Charbel, M.D., Professor and Head, Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor, Chief of Neurovascular Section at the University of Illinois at Chicago
• Daniel Yoshor, M.D., Charles Harrison Frazier Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Vice President for Clinical Integration and Innovation at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Health System

In 2023, the inaugural Spinal Neurosurgery Lectureship was held and featured world-renowned physician-scientist Dr. Christopher Shaffrey, as the honored guest speaker.

• Christopher Shaffrey, M.D., chief of the Duke Spine Division, Duke University
• Nicholas Theodore, M.D., Donlin M. Long Professor, Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics & Biomedical Engineering, Director, Neurosurgical Spine Program Co-Director, Carnegie Center for Surgical Innovation, Co-Director & Founder, HEPIUS Lab, Johns Hopins University