SPEAKERS
JASON DAVIES MD
Dr. Jason Davies is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Informatics at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, where he joined the department in 2016. He completed residency training in the Department of Neurological Surgery at University of California, San Francisco. He specializes in cerebrovascular and skull base neurosurgery, first under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Lawton for his open training, and subsequently having completed a fellowship in endovascular neurosurgery with UB Neurosurgery. He has extensive experience treating aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, and arteriovenous fistulae, stroke, carotid stenosis, cerebral bypass, and other vascular disease using both open and endovascular approaches, and is able to offer comprehensive care for his patients.
Dr. Davies graduated from Stanford University, where he obtained a BS in Chemistry with minors in Biological Sciences. His active research interests focus on using bioinformatics tools to advance personalized medicine. He is working to develop of bioinformatics tools to improve the quantity and quality of data available for medical research, and to lower barriers to entry for all clinicians to contribute to medical knowledge. Furthermore, he is working to bring to bear more advanced machine learning and data analytic methods to better understand the insights contained within these rich data resources. Currently, he is the principal investigator of several national trails including EMBOLIZE trial looking at the efficacy of middle cerebral artery embolization for the treatment of chronic subdural hematomas.
LUIS FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ MD
L. Fernando Gonzalez, M.D., is a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon trained in both open vascular and endovascular. He is a professor of neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosusrgery. Dr. Gonzalez earned his medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, where he also completed residency training in neurosurgery. He completed a neurosurgery research fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, with a focus on skull base, vascular and microanatomy microsurgery. Dr. Gonzalez continued his training at Barrow by completing a second residency, during which he pursued additional fellowships in spine surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, and cerebrovascular and skull base surgery. His experties includes patients with stroke, malformations and ruptures in the brain and spine, including aneurysms, strokes and arteriovenous malformations.
He also specializes in delivering chemotherapy through the arteries of the brain for treatment of certain eye cancers, such as retinoblastomas — the most common eye cancer in children — and lacrimal gland carcinomas. Dr. Gonzalez is widely published in his field and actively pursues novel approaches to treatment. He invented an aspiration catheter with an attached guidewire, and a surgical retractor for minimally invasive brain surgery.
NICHOLAS THEODORE MD
Nicholas Theodore, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center, is a nationally recognized expert in brain and spinal cord injury, minimally invasive spine surgeries and robotics. He earned a medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed both a residency in neurosurgery and a fellowship in spinal surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute.
As an award-winning teacher and researcher, Dr. Theodore has written or co-authored more thab 30 book chapters, over 180 peer-reviewed journal articles and is co-holder of 10 patents for medical devices and procedures. His research focuses on trauma, spinal cord injuries, robotics and developing an understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of spinal diseases.
PETER NAKAJI MD
Peter Nakaji, MD, is an internationally known neurosurgeon, who has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and holds more than two dozen patents.
Dr. Nakaji completed his residency at the University of California – San Diego. He received additional fellowship training in endoscopic neurosurgery at the Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery in Sydney, Australia, under the direction of Charles Teo, MD. He completed a second fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix under Robert Spetzler, MD, before joining the staff as an attending neurosurgeon in 2004.
Dr. Nakaji has received a number of teaching awards and has served for nearly a decade as the program director for the Neurosurgery residency at Barrow Neurological Institute. In his role as department chair at Banner Health, Dr. Nakaji extends neuroscience training for medical students, residents and fellows.
Dr. Nakaji is a pioneer in the area of neuroendoscopy for “keyhole” treatment of conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia and colloid cysts. He has a passion for technically demanding brain surgery and is a respected authority in the treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, moyamoya disease, extracranial-intracranial bypass, carotid artery disease, as well as brain and skull base tumors.
RICARDO J. KOMOTAR MD
Dr. Komotar is Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in neuroscience from Duke University, spending a year at Oxford University in England to focus on neuropharmacology.
He received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with highest honors and completed his internship and neurosurgical residency at Columbia University Medical Center/The Neurological Institute of New York, followed by a surgical neurooncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to specialize in brain tumors.
As Director of the University of Miami Brain Tumor Initiative, Director of Surgical Neurooncology at the University of Miami, Director of the UM Neurosurgery Residency Program, and Director of the UM Surgical Neurooncology Fellowship Program, Dr. Komotar’s main clinical interests are surgical and radiosurgical (Gamma Knife) treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, as well as meningiomas and pituitary lesions. Dr. Komotar is an internationally recognized leader in the field of brain tumors and performs nearly 700 procedures for these conditions each year using advanced cutting-edge surgical/radiosurgical techniques, making him one of the highest volume brain tumor surgeons in the world.
ROBERT STARKE MD
Dr Starke is an associate Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Neurosciences co-Director of Endovascular Neurosurgery. He graduated from medical school Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx, New York. He did his residency in the department of neurosurgery University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia. He then continue his training in endovascualr neurosurgery at University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia and Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He specializes in the treatment of cerebral vascular disease including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and fistulas, cavernous malformaitons, moyamoya disease, carotid and intracranial stenosis including bypass surgery.
He has published more than 700 publications indexed in Pubmed, contributed to dozens of books chapters in the neurpsurgery literature. He has received numerous awards including: the cerebrovascular Clinician Investigator Research Award by the BEE Foundation, the cerebrovascular Research Award by the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, the Cerebrovascular Clinician Investigator Research Award by Joe Niekro Research Foundation and the cerebrovascular Section Young Clinician Investigator Award by the Neurosurgery Research Education Foundation.
JONATHAN RUSSIN MD
Dr. Russin is a neurosurgeon at Keck Medicine of University of Southern California, who specializes in cerebrovascular/skull base disease and epilepsy neurology.
Dr. Russin is a graduate of Drew University and completed medical studies at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed residency in neurological surgery at the University of Southern California. He completed advanced fellowship training under Dr. Robert Spetzler at the Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Russin is an accomplished microsurgeon. His primary interest is in cerebrovascular disease and skull base microsurgery. He has particular expertise in surgery of complex cerebrovascular lesions including aneurysms, cerebrovascular occlusive disease and arteriovenous malformations. He has additional concentration in epilepsy surgery. He is responsible for an active research program studying the biological basis of epilepsy.
ATUL GOEL MD
Neurosurgeon, graduated from Upstate Medical University Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Syracuse and somes of his keys achievements, among others . Currently profesor and head for Department of Neurosurgery at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Institute in Parel, Mumbai India .
He is medical interest extends to spine surgery, pituitary tumor surgery, acoustic neurinoma surgery as well as skull base surgery.
Apart from holding the position of editor at the Journal of Postgraduate Medicine and Neurology India, he has also served on the boards of many other medical journals as well as co- authoring the book Neurosurgery of Complex Tumors and Vascular lesions.
Dr. Goel had just finished hist MCh Neurosurgery and his astute mind invented the technique that has revolutionized present day craniovertebral junction surgery. The technique initially received vehement objections from his peers and seniors an was criticized. But ultimately it stood the best of time and now is the gold standard for treatment of cranio vertebral junctions alterations, and he is now known as the “Father of modern craniovertebral junction surgery.”
FADY CHARBEL MD
Dr. Fady Charbel is head of the Department of Neurosurgery at UI Health. Dr. Charbel is an internationally recognized clinical expert, researcher, and educator focusing on the most complex neurosurgical disorders including, stroke; brain aneurysm; cerebral blood flow metabolism; and complex brain tumors.
Dr. Charbel’s research has led to innovations in medical devices, diagnostic imaging, and surgical simulators. He is the developer and co-inventor of the Intracranial Charbel Micro-Flow Probe® flow-measurement tools (Transonic Systems Inc.) and NOVA® flow-analysis system (VasSol, Inc.). He currently holds eight patents, and he has produced over 200 scientific presentations and over 150 publications.
Dr. Charbel has been named one of America’s Top Surgeons by Consumers Research Council of America and listed among America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly. He is the Dr. Richard L. and Gertrude W. Fruin Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and he has been invited worldwide to lecture, teach, and demonstrate complex surgical procedures.
VANESSA HOLANDA MILANESE MD
Dr. Vanessa Milanese Holanda serves as a functional neurosurgeon at A Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, and is an adjunct assistant professor of neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. She holds the position of Communication Director at the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery and serves as General Secretary of the Brazilian Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. Additionally, she is the Co-Director of DOMMO Clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Milanese has been elected as the president of the Brazilian Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery for the 2027-2028 term.
Her translational work integrates her neurosurgical practice with anatomical research, including the dissection of white matter in postmortem brains using Klingler’s method.
SPIROS L. BLACKBURN
Spiros Blackburn, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery. He has special expertise in both endoscopic and endovascular neurosurgery. He’s an associate professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Blackburn received his medical degree at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. After concluding residencies at Washington University in St. Louis, he completed a cerebrovascular fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and a neuro-endovascular fellowship at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University. Before joining UT Physicians Neurosciences, he held a faculty appointment as assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The recipient of numerous academic awards, Blackburn has lectured nationally on the management of cerebral aneurysms, surgical anatomy, arteriovenous malformations, and stroke. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including PNAS, Neurosurgery, World Neurosurgery, Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, British Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, Stroke, and Journal of Neuro-Oncology, among others. His clinical research interests include biomarkers for cerebral vasospasm and translational research for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, as well as several clinical trials for the treatment of brain aneurysms.
ROCCO ARMONDA MD
Rocco A. Armonda, MD, is director of Neuroendovascular Surgery for MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, surgical co-director for the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at MedStar Washington, and associate professor and director of Neurosurgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).
Dr. Armonda graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1986 and from USUHS in 1990, with academic honors. His surgical internship and neurosurgery residency were completed at Walter Reed Army MEDCEN. He was selected for a fellowship in Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadephia from 1997-99.
He recently joined MedStar Health after a 31-year military career in which he was awarded the Bronze Star for service, the Army Medical Proficiency ‘A’ Designator for excellence in both clinical and academic medicine in 2009, and the Young Neurosurgeon’s Award in 2005 from the AANS.
He focuses on the areas of cerebrovascular disease, neurotrauma, and neurocritical care. He has advanced the use of multi-modal monitoring in the military and treatment techniques to patients with neurotrauma and stroke with both invasive and non-invasive monitoring. He recevied the AANS 2025 Humanitarian Award for his volunteer work in Ukraine.
NITIN TANDON, MD
Dr. Nitin Tandon serves as Professor at the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at UTHealth Medical School. Dr. Tandon received his medical degree at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India, followed by a residency in neurosurgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He completed a fellowship in epilepsy surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Dr Tandon is an American Board of Neurological Surgery, Director of the Epilepsy Surgery Program and the Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center.
He has co-authored many studies, which have been published in NeuroImage, Journal of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosurgery andHuman Brain Mapping. His current research studies include “The localization of eloquent cortex using functional imaging and using diffusion tensor imaging tractography” and “The electrophysiological characteristics of language regions.”
Dr. Tandon is a member of the Texas Medical Association, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Organization of Human Brain Mapping, Society for Neuroscience and the American Epilepsy Society. He is an ad hoc reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals. He has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences and also directs an active research effort.
JUAN URIBE, MD
Juan Uribe, MD, is Chief of the Division of Spinal Disorders, Volker K. H. Sonntag Chair for Spine Research, and Vice Chairman of Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. He is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. He was named President and Chair of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of Spine and the Peripheral Nerves in 2024.
Dr. Uribe’s expertise includes the surgical treatment of scoliosis, spinal trauma, herniated thoracic disc, and spinal tumors, particularly with minimally invasive spine surgery. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, North American Spine Society, Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Society of Lateral Access Surgery, and Scoliosis Research Society.
Dr. Uribe earned his medical degree from Instituto Superior de Ciencias de la Salud in Colombia, where he also completed a residency in neurosurgery at Hospital San Vicente de Paul. He also completed a neurosurgery residency at the University of South Florida and a spine surgery fellowship at the University of Miami.
His research interests include anatomical, biomechanical, and clinical studies of applying minimally invasive spine surgery to complex degenerative disease, traumatic injuries, and tumors.
CLEMENT HAMANI, MD
Dr. Clement Hamani received his medical degree from Escola Paulista de Medicina in São Paulo in 1993 and went on to receive his PhD in Neurosciences from the same institution. He completed a Research and Clinical Fellowship in Functional Neurosurgery at the Division of Neurosurgery at Toronto Western Hospital. In 2008, he joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as a Research Associate and became Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Division of Neurosurgery. In 2013, he won the Ohye Award, awarded by the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN) to promote clinical research in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. In 2017 he joined the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Sunnybrook Research Institute.
Dr. Hamani is currently Full Professor in Neurosurgery/ Surgery and Co-chair of the Neurosurgery research council at the University of Toronto. He is a Senior scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Research Director of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, preclinical lead of the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation and a neurosurgeon at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences centre. Dr. Hamani’s research focuses on the treatment of movement disorders, pain, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders.
MAURICIO GAMEZ MD
FLAVIO REQUEJO MD
Endovascular Neurosurgeon, Chief of the Neuroradiology Service of the National Pediatric Hospital JP Garrahan in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr. Requejo has more than twenty years of experience in therapeutic neuroradiology.
He graduated as a physician from the University of Buenos Aires and completed his residency in Neurosurgery in that city. He did his training in Neuroradiology at the “Neurozentrum” of the Uniklinik of the city of Freiburg (Albert Ludwig University) in Germany. Throughout his career the vascular area has been the focus of his studies and research. For more than 16 years his main interest and study has been Neurointerventionalism in Pediatrics.
He has been a speaker at numerous national and international congresses, and has published several articles in high impact scientific journals, especially on vascular diseases in pediatrics. His commitment to pediatric neurointerventionism has allowed him to contribute significantly to improving endovascular treatment in children by adapting the different materials created for the adult population. He carries out an
intense teaching activity in the pediatric endovascular area.
He is an active member of the WFITN (World Federation of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology) and the IPSO (International Pediatric Stroke Organization) collaborating in treatment guidelines in pediatric vascular pathology.
DR. FRANCISCO CHONG
Médico Cirujano General con especialidad en Neurocirugía por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y formación en el Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía. Certificado por el Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía Neurológica desde 1991. Graduado con titulación automática por promedio en la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo. Su sólida preparación académica se complementa con certificaciones y exámenes de competencia que avalan su excelencia en la práctica neuroquirúrgica.
Cuenta con una trayectoria de más de cuatro décadas en el ámbito de la neurocirugía y la gestión médica. Ha ocupado cargos clave como Director General del Hospital General de Pachuca, Presidente del Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía Neurológica y de la Sociedad Mexicana de Cirugía Neurológica. Ha sido organizador de múltiples congresos nacionales e internacionales y ha liderado iniciativas en docencia, supervisión hospitalaria y programas especializados en neurocirugía y rehabilitación.
DR. LEONARDO RANGEL
El Dr. Rangel Castilla es un neurocirujano vascular y endovascular que ejerce en práctica privada en San Luis Potosí.
Obtuvo su título de médico en la Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Realizó su residencia en Neurocirugía en el Methodist Neurological Institute en Houston, Texas, y un fellowship en Neurocirugía Pediátrica en el Texas Children’s Hospital. Posteriormente, llevó a cabo un fellowship en Base de Cráneo y Enfermedades Cerebrovasculares en el prestigioso Barrow Neurological Institute, bajo la mentoría del Dr. Robert Spetzler. Más tarde, completó un fellowship en Neurocirugía Endovascular en la Universidad de Buffalo, Nueva York. Luego, se incorporó al Departamento de Neurocirugía de la Clínica Mayo en Rochester, donde se desempeñó como Profesor Asistente durante cuatro años antes de regresar a su ciudad natal.
El Dr. Rangel Castilla ha contribuido con más de 150 publicaciones revisadas por pares en la literatura científica y ha coescrito tres libros: Neuroendoscopic Surgery, Decision Making in Neurovascular Diseases y Video Atlas of Neuroendovascular Procedures, publicados por Thieme. Estos libros han sido traducidos al español y al chino. Actualmente, trabaja en dos nuevos proyectos: Neurocardiology y Video Atlas of Neuroendovascular Pediatric Procedures.
DR. TENOCH HERRADA
Médico graduado por la UAM, Neurocirujano egresado del Siglo XXI UNAM, Fellow de neurocirugia pediatrica en Hospital For Sick children en Toronto Canadá, y Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital en Cleveland Ohio, presidente del capítulo latinoamericano de Neuro cirugía Pediatrico de la FLANC EN 2010-2012
Neurocirujano en el centro médico ABC.
DR. FIACRO JIMÉNEZ
Médico por el IPN
Neuricurujano Funcional y Esterotactico
Doctor en Ciencias Biomedicas
Miembro del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores nivel II
Miembro de la Academia Nacional de Medicina
Miembro de la Academia Mexicana de Cirugía
Editor en Jefe de Archives of Neurosurgery
Jefe de la División de Investigación del Hospital General de Mexico
Más de 130 publicaciones en revistas indizadas
Más de 4200 citaciones
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