Members

Behrooz Akbarnia, MD

Dr. Akbarnia is a Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California and one of the founders of ISSG. He is a past president (2005-2006) of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and a 2015 recipient of the SRS's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the SRS and the field of spinal deformity. He is also President and Founder of both the San Diego Spine Foundation and the Growing Spine Foundation.

Christopher Ames, MD

Dr. Ames is director of spinal tumor and spinal deformity surgery at UCSF Medical Center as well as co-director of the Neurospinal Disorders Program and the UCSF Spine Center. He is a specialist in spinal reconstructive surgery for trauma, tumors and degenerative disease, particularly en bloc tumor resection for chordoma, chondrosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, sacral tumors and other primary and metastatic tumors. Dr. Ames directs the Neurosurgical Spinal Deformity service that treats more than 200 patients a year for correction of scoliosis, kyphosis, flat back, chin on chest deformity in ankylosing spondylitis, basilar invagination in rheumatoid arthritis, spondylolisthesis and postoperative deformity.

Neel Anand, MD

Dr. Anand serves as Clinical Professor of Surgery and Director of Spine Trauma at the renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of more than 20 years in practice, Dr. Anand has channeled his orthopedic surgery expertise into a career exclusively dedicated to minimally invasive and innovative approaches to the treatment of spinal disorders especially scoliosis in adults and adolescents. Dr. Anand is deeply committed to advancing the field of minimally invasive spine surgery and devotes a considerable amount of time to researching emerging technologies. He has served as principal investigator in a number of FDA investigational device exemption studies that have helped pave the way for innovation in minimally invasive spine surgery.
 

Shay Bess, MD

Shay Bess MD, has been a member of the International Spine Study Group since 2007, serves on the Executive Committee and is the President of the International Spine Study Group Foundation. Dr. Bess completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, medical school at Johns Hopkins University, orthopedic training at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals, and fellowship in adult and pediatric spine surgery at the Washington University in St. Louis. Dr.  Bess treats pediatric and adult spine pathologies at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, Colorado at the Denver International Spine Center. Dr. Bess is also actively involved in medical mission work providing charity surgery for children in need in Africa and Central America. 

Oheneba Boachie, MD

Dr. Boachie-Adjei received his Doctor of Medicine Degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and was the Chief of Spine for over 20 years at the Hospital for Special Surgery New York. He received the Humanitarian Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in 2004, the Blount Award (Humanitarian) from the Scoliosis Research Society in 2006, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Hospital for Special Surgery in 2013, and was elected President of the Scoliosis Research Society for the 2008-2009 year. Dr. Boachie-Adjei has published and lectured extensively on spine surgery with special emphasis on surgery to correct spine deformity. He is currently based in Accra, Ghana where he works at the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) Orthopaedic Hospital, of which he is the President and founder.

Thomas Buell, MD

Thomas J. Buell, MD, joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery in January of 2022. A native of Texas, he attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering—graduating with high honors—in 2005. After graduation, he worked as an electrical engineer before attending Baylor College of Medicine, earning his medical degree in 2013.

He completed his neurological surgery residency at the University of Virginia in 2020 and completed an enfolded complex spine fellowship under Justin Smith, MD. He then attended Duke University for a spine fellowship training program under Isaac Karikari, MD, and Christopher Shaffrey, MD. Dr. Buell is a prolific academician, having already published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He is also an ad hoc reviewer for a number of scientific journals.

Dr. Buell is a prolific academician, having already published close to 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. His publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database.

Douglas Burton, MD

Dr. Burton attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS and received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas, TX.  He completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City, KS and his spine fellowships at Texas Back Institute in Plano, TX and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. In 2000, he returned to the University of Kansas Medical Center and joined the Orthopedic Surgery department where he specializes in pediatric and adult spine disorders.  Currently, he is the Marc & Elinor Asher Spine Professor, the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Co-Medical Director of the University of Kansas Hospital Operating Rooms.
 

Dean Chou, MD

Dr. Dean Chou is Professor and Vice Chair at the Columbia University Department of Neurosurgery.  He is the Chief of the Spine Division and the Spine Fellowship Director for Neurosurgery.  He co-directs the minimally invasive scoliosis surgery program.  He collaboratively works in a combined Orthopedics/Neurosurgery spine unit at the Och Spine New York Presbyterian Hospital.  He serves on various committees withing organized spine surgery, and he also serves on multiple editorial boards of both spinal and neurosurgery journals. 

His research interests lie in evaluating spinal surgery outcomes via multi-center study groups that integrate both neurosurgery and orthopedics.  He is committed to clinical research in spinal surgery.  

Prior to joining Columbia, he was Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics at the University of California San Francisco.  He has a clinical interest in the entire spectrum of degenerative lumbar spinal conditions, and he has both an open and minimally invasive practice. 

Alan Daniels, MD

Dr. Daniels is Chief of the Adult Spinal Deformity Service at Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University, and also serves as the Director of Spine Surgery Research and Co-Director of the Brown Spine Surgery Fellowship. His practice is focused on complex spinal reconstruction, treatment of spinal deformity, and revision spinal surgery. He completed medical school at Oregon Health Science University and Orthopaedic residency and Spine Surgery fellowship training at Brown University.
 

Vedat Deviren, MD

Dr. Deviren specializes in the treatment of spinal disorders in children and adults. He completed a spine surgery fellowship at UCSF, joined the faculty in 2011, and is now a Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics. He completed his postgraduate theoretical and practical courses in orthopaedics and traumatology at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. Dr. Deviren has a strong clinical interest in problems affecting the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, including deformities such as adult scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, failed back surgeries, degenerative conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, fractures, and tumors. His research interests include improving healthcare and patient-centered clinical outcomes. His focus is to bring his patients the best health care service, from standard care to the most advanced technologies available.

Robert Eastlack, MD

Dr. Eastlack is a partner at Scripps Clinic within the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, and co-directs the spine fellowship training program for the San Diego Spine Foundation, for which he is a Board Member  Following undergraduate and medical degrees from Stanford and Baylor College of Medicine, respectively, he completed Orthopaedic Surgery residency with UCSD and Steven Garfin, and obtained his spine fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Jeff Gum, MD

Dr. Gum completed his orthopedic surgery residency at University of Louisville and his spine fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. His clinical interests include adult and pediatric spinal deformity. Research interests include clinical outcomes in spinal surgery and the economics of spinal deformity surgery. He currently practices at the Leatherman Spine Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Munish Gupta, MD

Dr. Munish C. Gupta specializes in spinal reconstructive surgery for both adults and children who need repair of spinal deformities resulting from scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis and flatback syndrome. He has helped many patients to start living normally again, by correcting their spinal problems to regain lost mobility and to relieve pain and numbness. He currently serves as Chief of Pediatric and Adult Spinal surgery in the Department of Orthopedics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Before arriving in St. Louis, Dr. Gupta was the  Chief of Spinal surgery at University of California, Davis, where he taught the treatment of complex spinal deformities to many national and international spine fellows.His practice involved performing complex reconstructive surgery to correct pediatric and adult spinal deformities.  In addition, he is highly experienced in cervical spinal surgery and the treatment of tumors and traumatic spine injuries.

D. Kojo Hamilton, MD

Dr. Hamilton is on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery. He is board certified, and a fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He received his medical degree and residency training from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Hamilton received subspecialty training in Auckland City Hospital in Auckland New Zealand. He underwent further subspecialty training in spinal deformity, scoliosis and spine surgical oncology, with a combined neurosurgical and orthopedic (AOSpine) fellowship, at the University of Virginia.

Robert Hart, MD

Dr. Hart earned his medical degree at UC San Diego and completed a residency in orthopedics at University of Iowa and a fellowship in adult spine at Case Western. He joined Oregon Health & Science University in Portland as an Assistant Professor in 1998 and was promoted to Professor with Tenure in 2010.  He served as Program Director of OHSU's Orthopedic Residency 2007-2011 and founded and directed the Adult Spine Fellowship from 2003-2016.  He currently serves as Medical Director of Spinal Deformity for the Swedish Health System in Seattle.  Dr. Hart joined the ISSG in 2008 and joined the Executive Committee in 2012.
 

Naobumi Hosogane, MD, PhD

Dr. Hosogane is an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at National Defense Medical College in Tokyo metropolitan area in Japan. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at Keio University in Tokyo where he completed medical school, postgraduate school, and orthopedic surgery residency as well as spine fellowship. He spent a year as a research fellow at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY in 2007. His clinical interests include all aspects of spinal condition with emphasis on the complex adult spinal deformity.

Richard Hostin, MD

Richard Hostin, MD is a board-certified, spine surgery fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who treats a comprehensive range of spinal diseases and disorders including complex spinal deformity, degenerative conditions of the spine, as well as spinal trauma, tumors and infections. Dr. Hostin is trained in modern spinal surgical techniques, including minimally invasive surgical methods. His practice focuses on primary and revision pediatric, adolescent, and adult spinal deformity.

Dr. Hostin was raised in Southern California and earned his bachelors degree from UC Berkeley. He went on to complete medical school at the University of Oklahoma, earning membership in the Medical Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UC Davis in Sacramento and went on to receive additional specialized training in spinal surgery during his fellowship at the Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis.

Dr. Hostin is the Medical Director of the Medical City Scoliosis & Advanced Spine Center. He has also served as the Medical Director of the Baylor Scott and White Scoliosis Center in Plano and the Chief of Orthopedics at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Plano. He is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society, Scoliosis Research Society, and International Spine Society Group. Dr. Hostin has contributed to numerous nationally renowned research projects and hundreds of other publications and projects, including book chapters regarding complex spine surgery.

Adam Kanter, MD, FAANS

Dr. Kanter serves as Associate Executive Medical Director, Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute and Chief of Neurosurgery, Hoag Specialty Clinic. His practice focus is on lateral access surgical techniques and minimally invasive interbody fusion.

Prior to joining Hoag, Dr. Kanter served as Chief of Spine Surgery and as Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A respected researcher, inventor and surgeon, Dr. Kanter is board certified in neurological surgery.

Michael Kelly, MD

Michael Kelly, M.D., is the director of scoliosis and spinal deformities in the Division of Orthopedics & Scoliosis at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego.

Prior to coming to Rady Children's, Dr. Kelly was an associate professor of orthopedic and neurological surgery, director of the fellowship in adult and pediatric spine surgery, and director of spine research at Washington University in St. Louis. He has conducted extensive research focused on improving the quality of care in patients with spinal deformities through both clinical and translational projects. He also has extensive experience in managing the most complex of adult and pediatric spinal deformities. He continues to perform research across the ages as a member of the International Spine Study Group (adult), the Harms Study Group (pediatrics), and the AO Spinal Deformity Knowledge Forum. He serves on the board of directors for Scoliosis Research Society.

Dr. Kelly received his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UC San Francisco. He later completed two spine fellowships, including the complex spinal deformity fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications focused on improving outcomes for pediatric and adult spine surgery.

Han Jo Kim, MD

Dr. Kim is a Spine Surgeon with an interest in the cervical spine and spinal deformity surgery. He attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons followed by residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Spine Fellowship in Cervical Spine and Spinal Deformity Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Eric Klineberg, MD

Dr. Klineberg is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Spinal Disorders Fellowship Director at the University of California, Davis. His clinical interests include all aspects of spinal degeneration, deformity, tumor and fracture. He cares for children and adults alike, and has a particular interest in spinal deformity and reconstruction.

Virginie Lafage, PhD

After becoming a mechanical engineer in France, Virginie pursued her PhD in Biomechanics, specializing in finite element analysis and biomechanical simulations of scoliosis surgery. This led to extensive training in the clinical realm of spine surgery first in Paris and then in New York,  thanks to the mentorship of Jean-Pierre Farcy, MD and Frank Schwab, MD. Together, their research interest evolved around sagittal spinopelvic alignment, adult spinal deformity, cervical deformity and soft tissue analysis. Dr Lafage became adept in multiple areas of clinical research, including managing multicenter trials, radiological and force plate analysis, complex statistical analysis, computer programming and manuscript preparation. Her role as a Director of Research at NYU, HSS and now  Lenox Hill Hospital, as well as being a part of the International Spine Study Group, has led to more than 550 peer-reviewed publications, 1200 podium presentations and speaking engagements across the globe.

To bridge the gap between academic research and clinical practice, Drs. Lafage and Schwab co-founded Surgimap, a free FDA-authorized platform, which permits the user to compile medical images, evaluate spine-specific alignment parameters in a semi-automatic way using computer vision, plan complex spine surgeries, simulate outcomes with various spine implants and share this information with colleagues.

Dr. Lafage is particularly proud of her opportunity to mentor and guide well over 70 research assistants, residents, clinical fellows, research fellows, engineers and physicians interested in spine research. Acting as a mentor has provided her with a wide network of collaborations across the globe, which she actively engages in. She has a passion for teaching and inspiring others to do quality research in this field and believes this can further be achieved through mentorship and collaboration.

While her life’s work has been dedicated to the field of spine surgery, Dr. Lafage has taken a new position as Associate Vice President of Clinical Research for Orthopedics at Lenox Hill Hospital, further expanding her knowledge and experiences in orthopedic research.

Praveen Mummaneni, MD

Dr. Mummaneni is Professor and Vice Chairman of the Dept. of Neurosurgery at UCSF. He co-directs the Cervical Spine Program, the Minimally Invasive Spine Program and the Minimally Invasive and Complex Spine Fellowship Program at UCSF. He specializes in complex cervical spine surgery and in minimally invasive spine surgery for a variety of conditions, including degenerative spinal disease, spinal deformity (scoliosis) and spinal tumors.

Gregory Mundis, MD

Dr. Mundis grew up in Vienna Austria, the son of a missionary family, which has fueled his passion for international medicine. After his medical education and training he sub-specialized in the treatment of spinal deformities in children and adults. He performs complex reconstructive spine surgery in San Diego, where he currently resides, and also internationally. Research is an integral part of Dr. Mundis’ practice, and his collaboration with the International Spine Study Group (ISSG) has been a highlight. He currently leads the minimally invasive subgroup of the ISSG and recently secured funding for a prospective study comparing open and minimally invasive treatment for adult spinal deformity.

Pierce Nunley, MD

Dr. Nunley is the Director at the Spine Institute of Louisiana and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.  After finishing his medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical College and orthopedic residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Dr. Nunley completed spine fellowships at the University of Basel in Switzerland and at the Dallas Spine Group.  An active researcher, Dr. Nunley regularly presents his findings in the areas of minimally invasive spine surgery, spinal deformity, and motion preservation procedures at professional meetings and in peer-reviewed publications.

David Okonkwo, MD

Dr. Okonkwo is Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity Program at UPMC. Dr. Okonkwo received his undergraduate and neurosurgical training at the University of Virginia. He specializes in comprehensive scoliosis care with a focus on minimally invasive strategies. Dr. Okonkwo has more than 120 peer-reviewed publications.

Paul Park, MD

Dr. Park is an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan. As a spine-focused neurosurgeon, he treats the whole spectrum of spinal pathologies but has a particular interest in minimally invasive approaches to complex spinal conditions including deformity.

Peter Passias, MD

Dr. Passias, a native New Yorker, returned home to practice academic spinal surgery at NYU Medical Center after completing dual spinal fellowships at the Harvard Combined Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by his time at Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell University Medical Center. He currently treats all conditions of the spine, with an emphasis on the treatment of advanced spinal deformities affecting the cervical and thoracolumbar spine.

Themistocles Protopsaltis, MD

Themistocles Protopsaltis, MD is Director of Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery and an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. He has served as Director of the Bellevue Orthopaedic Spine Service. His clinical expertise includes major cervical and thoracolumbar spinal deformity in adult and pediatric patients, degenerative spine conditions and minimally invasive spine surgery. He has unique dual training in spine and peripheral nerve disorders. Dr. Protopsaltis received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.  He completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Columbia, New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship in Spine Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. He is the recipient of multiple honors for his research efforts.

Frank Schwab, MD

Frank Schwab, MD, has been appointed chair of orthopedic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, system chief of orthopedic spine surgery at Northwell Health, and vice president of orthopedic surgery for the health system’s western region, which includes Manhattan, Staten Island, and Westchester County.

An internationally renowned spine surgeon, researcher and inventor, Dr. Schwab specializes in complex spinal pathology, adult and pediatric spinal deformity, and revision reconstruction procedures. He has pioneered various aspects of spinal care, including developing the first definitive classification of adult spinal deformity that has become the clinical standard worldwide. Dr. Schwab also founded Nemaris, Inc., a medical device company which produced Surgimap, a dedicated spine measurement and surgical planning software utilized by surgeons and researchers across the globe.

Dr. Schwab joins Northwell after six years at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), where he most recently served as vice chair of innovation and led a team responsible for partnering with physicians to develop solutions in the areas of digital, device, care delivery and life sciences. He was also previously the chief of spine service at HSS and built a clinical program that performed more than 3,000 surgeries annually. Prior to that, Dr. Schwab was chief of the spinal deformity service at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases and director of the spine center at Maimonides Medical Center. He has also held academic appointments for the past two decades at the NYU School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College. 

Christopher Shaffrey, MD

Christopher I. Shaffrey, MD, FAANS graduated magna cum laude from The Citadel in 1982 with B.S. degree in biology. He played varsity basketball and was the co-captain his senior year. In 1986, Shaffrey received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He completed his general surgical internship at Naval Hospital San Diego in 1987 where he was named the surgical intern of the year. He then completed both neurosurgical and orthopaedics residencies at the University of Virginia, followed by a spine fellowship in pediatric and adult reconstructive spine surgery in 1995.  Following completion of his surgical training, he was appointed to the senior staff in the departments of neurological surgery and orthopaedic surgery at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital where he was actively involved in treating members of Detroit’s college and professional athletic teams. In 1999, Shaffrey was appointed associate professor of neurological surgery and adjunct associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2003, he returned to the University of Virginia as professor of neurological surgery and director of the neurosurgery spine division. In 2008, he was named Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgery.  In July of 2018, Dr. Shaffrey was named the chief of the Duke Spine Division for the departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery and is a tenured professor of Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Shaffrey is Board-certified in the fields of neurological surgery and orthopaedic surgery and has more than 450 peer-reviewed publications and more than 1000 national and international presentations.  He has served or is serving as the Deputy Editor of the journals Spine and Spine Deformity and has served as the Chair of the Editorial Board for JNS: Spine as well as being an editor for several textbooks on spinal surgery.  He has been the Chair of the ABNS and is currently a member of the Neurosurgery Residency Review Committee. He is currently the president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. 

Justin Smith, MD, PhD

Dr. Smith is a Professor of Neurological Surgery at UVA. He is co-director of the UVA Spine Center and Neurosurgery Spine Division. His practice is predominantly spinal surgery and includes cervical and thoracolumbar deformity reconstruction, oncology, trauma, degenerative disease, and complex revision surgery. His research interests focus on clinical outcomes of spinal surgery, and he has published extensively in this and other areas, with more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and more than 500 presented abstracts at national and international meetings.

Alex Soroceanu, MD

Dr. Soroceanu earned her medical degree at McGill University, completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at Dalhousie University, and a fellowship in adult spine surgery at New York University. She also completed a Masters of Public Health (MPH) at Harvard University. She joined the spine faculty at the University of Calgary in 2014, where she is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor. She has been collaborating with the ISSG since 2013.

Juan Uribe, MD

Dr. Uribe completed double neurosurgical residency training at the Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia and University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Given his interest in the spine, Dr. Uribe completed a clinical complex spine fellowship at the University of Miami and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. He is currently the chief of spinal disorders as well as professor and vice chair of neurosurgery and complex minimally invasive spine surgery fellowship program director at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ.

With over two decades of research experience, Dr. Uribe leads interdisciplinary, collaborative teams to achieve novel research discoveries. He serves as the Volker K.H. Sonntag Chair of Spine Research. His research focuses on advancing the technologies and techniques in minimally invasive surgery, navigation, and robotics. Additional research interests include anatomical, biomechanical, and clinical studies of applying minimally invasive spine surgery to complex traumatic injuries, tumors, and degenerative diseases.

Aligning with his clinical endeavors and research pursuits, Dr. Uribe has lectured extensively on minimally invasive spine surgery at both national and international conferences. He has published over 150 peer reviewed journal articles and written over 50 book chapters. Dr. Uribe has expanded the use of minimally invasive techniques in complex spine pathologies and has trained spine surgeons in six continents.

Michael Wang, MD

Dr. Wang was born in Scottsdale, Arizona and spent his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia.  He then attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California where received both his BS and MD degrees.  He completed his residency at the University of Southern California/LA County General Hospital and Fellowship at the University of Miami under Drs. Barth Green and Allan Levi.  He then went on to become the Spine Program Director and Spine Fellowship Director at the USC.  In 2007 he moved to South Florida and currently serves as a Professor in the Departments of Neurological Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.  He is the Director of Neurosurgery at University of Miami Hospital and the Spine Fellowship Director.

Dr. Wang has been an advocate for neurosurgeons and spinal surgeons.   He was elected to the AANS Young Neurosurgeons Executive Committee in 2003, and in the AANS he has served as Local Host for the 2010 Annual Meeting, on the Member Benefits Committee, the Joint Sponsorship Committee, the AANS Development Committee, the International Committee, and the Scientific Program Committee.  In the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine & Peripheral Nerves he has served as Chair of the Committees on Publications, Education, Fellowship, and Exhibits.  He has been Scientific Program Chair, Annual Meeting Chair, Treasurer, and Chair.  In the CNS he has served as the Membership Chair and Public Relations Chair.  He has been Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and President of the Society of University Neurosurgeons (SUNS).  Within the North American Spine Society (NASS) he served as the Chair of the MIP (minimally invasive procedures).  He has served in numerous other leadership roles in the International Society for the Advancement of Spinal Surgery (ISASS), Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS), the USA Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society, and the International Spine Study Group (ISSG). 

Dr. Wang sat on several editorial review boards, including Neurosurgery, The Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques, World Neurosurgery, Acta Neurochirurgica, Spinal Cord, the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, Neurosurgical Focus, Contemporary Spine Surgery, and the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.  His research and clinical interests include minimally invasive spinal surgery, spinal deformity, new technologies, ERAS, robotics, and spinal cord injury biomarkers.  He has edited 12 medical textbooks and authored over 600 publications in the medical literature, over 200 of which are peer-reviewed.

Mitsuru Yagi, MD, PhD

Dr. Yagi is an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Keio University. His clinical practice and research interests are focused on complex spinal reconstructive surgery. Specifically, he treats patients with spinal deformity and metastatic spinal tumors. He attended medical school at Keio University School of Medicine followed by residency and spine fellowship at the Keio University and scoliosis research fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.