Becker's Spine Review

Sign up for Becker's Orthopedic, Spine Business & Pain Management E-Weeklies at www.BeckersOrthopedicandSpine.com or call (800) 417-2035 with the Collaborative Spine Research Foundation, which was created in 2011. "The most fulfilling aspects of my career are balanced between the opportunity to develop new lumbar fusion and minimally invasive technology and training of young neurosurgeons who have become dedicated spine surgeons," says Dr. Branch. "Couple this with leadership roles in NASS and the American Board of Neurological Surgery, and I have helped bring the fields of neurospine and ortho-spine closer together." Robert S. Bray, MD, is founding director and CEO of DISC Sports and Spine Center in Marina del Rey, Calif. DISC is the official medical service provider for the US Olympic Team and Red Bull America athletes. "Helping further the development of spine surgery into a minimally invasive approach has been and continues to be a source of great professional fulfillment," says Dr. Bray. "Taking part in the design and application of the tools and techniques, specifically those of the microscope and microsurgical instruments, has led me first hand to experience the dramatic benefits of this approach." Darrel S. Brodke, MD, is the director of the University Spine Center at the University of Utah School of Medicine, vice chairman of the department of orthopedics at the University of Utah and director of the spine surgery fellowship. He is on the executive committee for the Cervical Spine Research Society and AO Spine North America. Frank Cammisa, MD, is the chief of spine service at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and has expertise in computer-assisted spinal surgery. He created the National Spinal Research Foundation and is associated with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Eugene Carragee, MD, is the chief of the spine surgery division at Stanford University Medical Center and editor-in-chief of The Spine Journal. "As a poor kid from New York's Lower East Side, I was taught by the Christian Brother's that the only real work was dedicated service to help people," says Dr. Carragee. "The best part of my career has been the privilege to care for all patients in difficult circumstances to [the] best of my ability regardless of personal financial considerations here at Stanford. It has been an honor to work with residents and fellows with similar goals, who enriched my practice and my life with their energy and compassion. Wouldn't change a thing." Kingsley R. Chin, MD, is a founding spine surgeon with the Institute for Modern & Innovative Surgery in Palm Beach, Fla., and former chief of spine surgery at the University of Pennsylva- nia Medical School in Philadelphia. He is also an inventor with 23 issued and pending patents on spinal devices. Domagoj Coric, MD, is chief of neurosurgery at Carolinas Medical Center and president of the North Carolina Spine Society. He is a partner with Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates and a member of the North American Spine Society. He has held leadership positions with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Bradford L. Currier, MD, is a spine surgeon with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and has been president of the Lumbar Spine Research Society. He also directs the Mayo Clinic's spine fellowship and is a member of the North American Spine Society. Bruce V. Darden, II, MD, is a spine surgeon with OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C., and president-elect of the Cervical Spine Research Society. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Darden has participated in studies comparing artificial disc replacement to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Rick B. Delamarter, MD, is the vice chair for spine services at the department of surgery and co-medical director at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. He is a pioneer of artificial disc replacement technology and has a leading interest in spinal cord injury, focusing on the use of growth factors for fusion as well as stem cells. William F. Donaldson, MD, is the chief of the division of spine surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He also serves as the vice chairman for administrative service in the department of orthopedics at UPMC. John P. Dormans, MD, is the chief of orthopedic surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is president-elect of the Scoliosis Research Society and past president of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. "My practice is 50 percent pediatric spine deformity and 50 percent pediatric tumor surgery here at CHOP/Penn.," says Dr. Dormas. "Spine surgery, while challenging, [is] intellectually and technically rewarding in that one can make a huge difference in the life of a child or young adult. Often the benefit is preventative in the sense that the deformity surgery correction prevents progressive deformity and associated conditions that would ultimately affect the quality of a patient's life." Frank Eismont, MD, is the fellow education director, spine division chief and chairman of the department of orthopedics at University of Miami Health System. He is also chairman and chief of the Jackson Memorial Hospital Orthopedics services and program director for the spine surgery fellowship at Jackson Memorial. 31 Stanford E. Emery, MD, is the chair of the West Virginia University Department of Orthopaedics and has been director-elect of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has held leadership positions with the Cervical Spine Research Society and his research has been recognized by the Scoliosis Research Society. Thomas Errico, MD, is the chief of the division of spine surgery at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. He has been president of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and North American Spine Society. "I have been performing spine surgery for nearly 30 years and have seen immense progress in the field," says Dr. Errico. "There however still exists many burning questions about who to operate on and what specifically should be done and can it be done successfully in a minimally invasive fashion. I look forward to answers to many of these questions as we apply a more rigorous approach to data collection and analysis of the results of spinal surgery." Thomas Faciszewski, MD, is a spine surgeon at Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin and former president of the North American Spine Society. During that time, he led efforts for increased transparency of the physician-industry relationship among the NASS board of directors. David Fardon, MD, is a spine surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and a previous president of the North American Spine Society. Dr. Fardon received the David Selby Award for his contributions to spine care, including the NASS clinical guidelines formation. Richard Fessler, MD, is a spine surgeon with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and former chief of neurological surgery at the University of Chicago. He was the first surgeon in the United States to perform human embryonic spinal cord transplant and serves on the board of directors for the Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Jeffrey S. Fischgrund, MD, is a spine surgeon with Beaumont Health System and editor-inchief of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He has held leadership positions within the North American Spine Society and Cervical Spine Research Society. John Finkenberg, MD, is in private practice with Alvarado Orthopedic Medical Group and serves as the advocacy chair on the North American Spine Society board of directors. He has been chief of the orthopedic department at Alvarado Hospital Medical Center and director of the Alvarado Spine Center. Kevin Foley, MD, is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Health Science Center and director of complex spine surgery at

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